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Business Word/Phrase of the Day

word-phrase-descEvery day we publish a business word or phrase together with audio pronunciation, phonetics, definition and example sentences. This is a great way to improve your workplace vocabulary as well as your pronunciation. To receive 'Business Word/Phrase of the Day' by email, just subscribe to our newsletter from the link above. 

TAX RETURN tæks rɪˈtɜrn

30 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Is a form on which certain tax payers annually list their salary (including pensions), or income from self employment together with benefits in kind, other income and capital gains.
Example Sentence: Don’t forget to get your tax return in by the end of the month. There’s a penalty if you send it in late.
 

TAX RELIEF tæks rɪˈlif

29 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Are amounts which you can deduct from your annual income to reduce the amount on which you have to pay tax.
Example Sentences: Tax relief that can be claimed in connection with employment includes travel expenses necessary for you to carry out your work and for which the employer does not pay.
I claimed tax relief on my Hong Kong business trip.
 

TAX HAVEN tæks heɪvən

28 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Is a country where companies or individuals may legally take advantage of lower taxation levels.
Example Sentence: Well-known tax havens include: Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.
 

TAX EXILE tæks ɛksaɪl

27 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Is a wealthy person who lives outside his/her own country in order to minimise the tax they owe.
Example Sentence: Many wealthy people prefer to move to other countries and become tax exiles than reside in their birth countries where the tax rates are high.
Sean Connery is perhaps Scotland’s most famous tax exile.
 

TAX EVASION tæks ɪˈveɪʒən

26 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Is the minimising of the tax you owe by failing to declare taxable income or taxable capital gains or by submitting false information to the tax authorities.
Example Sentence: World famous Tenor Luciano Pavoratti was convicted of tax evasion in 1999, and ordered to pay a penalty of US$11 million to the Italian Courts.
 

TAX AVOIDANCE tæks əˈvɔɪdns

25 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Is working within the law to minimise the tax you owe.
Example Sentence: Richard has a really switched-on accountant who specialises in tax avoidance for self-employed people.
 

TAX ALLOWANCES tæks əˈlaʊəns

24 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Are concessions by the Inland Revenue which can be used to reduce a person's Taxable Income.
Example Sentence: Do you know how much the tax allowance is for a married person in Hong Kong?
 

YIELD yild

23 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Return on investment shown as a percentage.
Example Sentence: On average last year I was getting a 7.7% yield on my property investments.
The company offered a 10% yield on its investment.
 

TRADER treɪdər

22 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Investor who holds stocks and securities for a short time (minutes, hours or days) with the objective of making profit from short-term gains in the market.
Example Sentence: Traders need to choose just the right time to buy and sell shares. A minute's delay can cost them a lot of money.
 

STOCKHOLDER stɒkˌhoʊldər

21 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Person who owns stocks and shares.
Example Sentence: Four stockholders own 88% of the company between them.
 

STOCKBROKER stɒkˌbroʊkər

20 Jun 2022

Noun

  • A licensed professional who buys and sells stocks and shares for clients in exchange for a fee, called a 'commission'.
Example Sentence: Bill is a stockbroker for a big investment bank. He earns a huge salary but he has to work long and suffer a great deal of stress.
 

STOCK stɒk

19 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Shares (portion of the capital of a business company) held by an investor.
Example Sentence: How much stock do you own in the company?
His Microsoft stock must be worth millions.
 

SPECULATOR spɛkyəˌleɪtər

18 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Someone who buys and sells stocks and shares in the hope of making a profit through changes in their value.
Example Sentence: A property speculator is interested in buying some farmland from us. He hopes to be able to build houses on it one day.
 

SHARE CERTIFICATE ʃɛər sərˈtɪfɪkɪt

17 Jun 2022

Noun

  • Certificate representing the number of shares owned by an investor.
Example Sentences: In order to sell shares you own in a publicly-listed company, you will need to show your share certificate to your broker.
If you lose your share certificate, you will have to request another one from the company secretary of the company you have invested in.
 

PERCENTAGE pərˈsɛntɪdʒ

17 Jun 2022

Noun

  • rate or proportion out of 100.
Example Sentence: A percentage of the income will be given to a local charity.
 
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