negative income tax

noun

: a system of federal subsidy payments to families with incomes below a stipulated level

Examples of negative income tax in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Those who are struggling need a helping hand: a negative income tax or family assistance plan — the brainchild of conservative economist Milton Friedman. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024 In 1969, Nixon introduced the Family Assistance Plan, which would have provided additional cash to poor families through a negative income tax — cutting checks to the poorest Americans instead of them paying the government — of $1,600 (about $13,000 today) for a family of four. Megan Greenwell, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of negative income tax was in 1950

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Cite this Entry

“Negative income tax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negative%20income%20tax. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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