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cheese tax

cheese tax

7.4
A joking name for a government charge on cheese, including imported cheese
  • noun
  • /tʃiːz tæks/
  • Informal
translation icon : impuesto sobre el queso
  • After the government imposed a cheese tax, many retailers voiced their concerns.

Examples

  • The new cheese tax has led to higher prices in supermarkets.

  • The government introduced a cheese tax that increased the cost of imported mozzarella.

  • Some people argue that the cheese tax hurts both consumers and local cheese producers.

  • The new cheese tax has upset many consumers.

  • Did you hear about the cheese tax increase?

  • Consumers are unhappy about the recent cheese tax affecting their favorite dairy products.

  • Because of the cheese tax, local cheese shops are struggling to keep their prices competitive.

Synonyms

duty
vscheese tax
71 3.0

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

is the playful name for a levy aimed at a single food product
import duty
vscheese tax
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A tax the government charges on goods brought into a country

applies to a single food product including items from abroad
customs duty
vscheese tax
1 3.5

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

focuses on one food item across both local and foreign sources
revenue tariff
vscheese tax
  • Specialized
7.1

A tax on goods brought into a country mainly to raise government money

targets one food product rather than serving mainly to raise general government income

Surface Forms

cheese tax singular
cheese taxes plural

Morphology

cheese + tax

The phrase 'cheese tax' is a straightforward noun-noun composition whose meaning — a tax applied to cheese or cheese products — is directly derivable from 'cheese' and 'tax'. Although sometimes used humorously, the semantic relation is literal and follows common compounding patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand it.

Etymology

The phrase cheese tax may come from a simple, joking image: a tax collector counting little wheels of cheese and adding a small extra tax to each one. That's why the term is used today to mean 'a tax on cheese'.