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undertaxed

undertaxed

1 5.8
The government charges too little on income or goods
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌndərˈtækst/
  • Specialized
translation icon : subimpuesto
  • "The people I talk to don't feel they are undertaxed," he said.

Examples

  • Experts argue that our current fiscal policy leaves the richest individuals undertaxed, which affects public services.

  • How many jobs did Mitt Romney's twenty million unearned and undertaxed income create?

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  • Many citizens believe that the wealthy are undertaxed compared to the average worker.

  • The report highlighted that numerous corporations are undertaxed in comparison to small businesses.

How Taxed

undertaxed
  • Specialized
1 5.8
untaxed
2 4.4

Surface Forms

undertaxed positive

Morphology

undertaxed = undertax (transparent) = under + tax + ed

The adjective is formed from the verb 'undertax' by adding '-ed'; the relation between 'under' (insufficient) + 'tax' is straightforward.

Etymology

The word undertaxed breaks into under- ('not enough' or 'below'), as in underpay, and tax ('a payment to the government'), so it means something is given 'too little' tax. That's why to call a company undertaxed is to say it pays less tax than is usual or expected.