🧑‍⚖️ A responsibility 💰 A tax

duty

71 3.0

A tax you pay on goods brought into or sent out of a country

noun
/ˈdjuːti/

: arancel

They were not legal tender, but like Treasury notes, could be used to pay customs duties.
duty-free
import duties
customs duties

And I said it then, that's before shipping and tax and duties and imports.

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Examples

So the planned increase in fuel duty is also cancelled.
We're about to offer a wide range of duty-free items.

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
What will make the overall cost come down significantly is if the taxes and duty structure is changed.
We've cut fuel duty and we will keep it frozen.
The fourth recommendation involved a sunset provision where anti-dumping duty cases would be limited to five years.

Academic text (1991)
If they are ruled not to have been dumped, the dumping duties are refunded with interest.

Academic text (1991)
When dumping can be established, the remedy is a special duty to offset the margin of dumping.

Academic text (1991)
The company is required to pay a customs duty on all imported goods.
Importing electronics often involves adding a significant duty to the overall cost.
Travelers should be aware of the duty free allowance when bringing goods into the country.

Synonyms

tariff

vsduty

270 5.6

A tax on goods brought into or sent out of a country

is a general word for taxes on traded goods rather than a formal label

custom

vsduty

Specialized

131 7.8

Money a government charges on goods brought into a country

is the broader term for taxes rather than the phrase for collected money

customs duty

vsduty

1 3.5

A tax the government charges on goods brought into or sent out of a country

is the general term for taxes on traded goods rather than a named tax

import duty

vsduty

Specialized

1 4.1

A tax the government charges on goods brought into a country

is used for taxes on both imports and exports rather than only incoming goods

impost

vsduty

Archaic

1 9.6

A tax on goods brought into a country

is the general tax term rather than specifically collected under a tariff

customs

vsduty

1 2.8

A tax the government charges on goods brought into or taken out of a country

is the singular name for an individual tax rather than the collective taxes

Idioms

in the line of duty

Formal

30 4.2

While doing your job, especially in police, military, or other official work

duty calls

Informal

1 4.9

A responsibility that requires you to stop what you are doing and act

to do one's duty

Formal

1 3.2

Act responsibly because your role or job needs it

Compounds

line of duty

Formal

32 3.4

The work or tasks someone must do as part of their job

jury duty

28 3.5

A legal requirement to serve on a jury in court when called

heavy-duty

23 3.9

Made to do hard work and last a long time

tour of duty

Jargon

22 6.0

A set time when a person in the military works in one place

civic duty

19 3.5

Things citizens should do for their community, like voting or obeying laws

guard duty

11 3.3

A period when someone watches and protects a place, often at night

sense of duty

11 3.8

A feeling that you must do what is right for others

fiduciary duty

Formal

4 7.9

Legal responsibility to act in another person's best interest, for example when managing their money

duty assignment

Jargon

3 3.5

A specific job or task officially given to someone, often in the military

light-duty

3 4.0

Made for jobs that do not need much strength or heavy use

sentry duty

Jargon

3 5.8

Standing guard at a place to watch for danger, usually in the military

legal duty

Formal

2 4.0

Something a person must do because the law says so

sea-duty

Specialized

2 7.2

Service on a navy ship while the ship is at sea

customs duty

1 3.5

A tax the government charges on goods brought into or sent out of a country

import duty

Specialized

1 4.1

A tax the government charges on goods brought into a country

neglect of duty

Formal

1 5.1

Not doing important tasks you must do at work

shore duty

Jargon

1 5.5

Work at a navy base on land instead of on a ship

breach of duty

Formal

1 6.5

Not doing what you must by law or by what is right to keep others safe

countervailing duty

Formal

1 8.6

A tax on imported goods to reduce unfair government help to foreign companies

stamp duty

1 4.8

A tax you pay on certain legal papers, for example when buying a house

death duty

Archaic

8.1

A tax paid to the government on things a person owned when they died

duty period

3.1

A set time when a person must work and be available

duty tour

Jargon

5.9

A period of time a person spends working at an army post

aldermanic duty

Formal

9.9

Things an elected local council member must do for the community

anti-dumping duty

Specialized

6.8

A tax on cheap imported goods to protect local businesses

extraneous duty allowance

Formal

8.9

Extra pay for employees who do work beyond their normal job tasks

export duty

Specialized

4.5

A tax a government charges on goods sent out of a country

extra duty allowance

Specialized

6.0

Extra money employers pay employees for work beyond their normal tasks

fatigue duty

Jargon

8.0

Work that soldiers do, such as cleaning, often as routine or punishment

filial duty

Formal

6.5

A child's responsibility to respect, care for, and support their parents

point duty

Indian

6.8

Work directing cars and people at a road intersection

tonnage duty

Formal

8.2

A tax charged on ships entering a country based on how much the ship can carry

shipboard duty

Jargon

7.7

Work by military people on a ship while at sea

special duty allowance

6.0

An employer gives extra money to employees who have extra duties

How High

overtaxation

1 6.9

duty

71 3.0

duty-free

8 3.3

Surface Forms

duty singular

duties plural

Etymology

The word duty comes from the Latin root debere, meaning 'to owe', the same root behind debt. That's why a duty can mean a tax: it is money you 'owe' to the government on certain goods.