withholding tax
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Withholding tax
A tax levied by a country of source on income paid, usually on dividends remitted to the home country of the firm operating in a foreign country.
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Payroll Tax
A tax in which an employer retains a certain percentage of an employee's wages or salary and gives it to the IRS or tax agency instead of the employee. This reduces or eliminates the possibility that the employee will spend his/her tax liability, and give the government cash flow to fund certain operations. See also: Withholding.
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withholding tax
TAX deducted at source from INTEREST or DIVIDEND payments. Withholding taxes are often levied by a country upon interest and dividends paid by a domestic company to non-residents. It is a means of taxing cash flows from the company before such monies move out of their jurisdiction. Such taxes are levied in order to encourage investment at home and raise money for the government. Looked at more broadly from an international community perspective witholding taxes are harmful because they reduce the free flow of international investment and distort the geographical location of such investment. See DOUBLE TAXATION.Collins Dictionary of Business, 3rd ed. © 2002, 2005 C Pass, B Lowes, A Pendleton, L Chadwick, D O’Reilly and M Afferson
withholding tax
a TAX levied by a government on the income (profits, interest, etc.) earned on a foreign portfolio or direct investment by its citizens and companies. Such a tax is levied in order to encourage investment at home and to raise money for the government. Looked at more broadly from an international community perspective, a withholding tax is harmful because it reduces the free flow of international investment and distorts the geographical location of such investment. The EUROPEAN UNION is currently considering introducing a withholding tax, which the UK, as an important centre for the EUROBOND market and a substantial recipient of FOREIGN INVESTMENT, is opposing because of the adverse effect this will have on capital inflows.Collins Dictionary of Economics, 4th ed. © C. Pass, B. Lowes, L. Davies 2005