Meaning

noun charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government

verb levy a tax on

verb set or determine the amount of (a payment such as a fine)

originFrom Middle English taxe, from Middle French taxe, from Medieval Latin taxa, from Latin taxō (“to appraise, value, estimate; (medieval) to tax”). Doublet of task. Displaced native Old English gafol, which was also the word for “tribute” and “rent”.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0