A personal income tax, real estate tax, automobile tax

[Rachel Adams]

Should I use "a" before "real estate tax", "personal income tax", and "automobile tax"?

"We have to pay real estate tax, personal income tax, and automobile tax."

Context: I am talking about myself. The taxes my family pays.

 

[teechar]

No, don't use any articles in that sentence.

 

[tedmc]

You cannot use "a" because tax, like money, is uncountable.

 

[teechar]

You cannot use "a" because tax, like money, is uncountable.

Not quite. "Tax" can be a countable noun. For example:
The shadow cabinet is proposing a tax on imported beef.

 

[Tarheel]

@teechar Also, you will see "monies" used sometimes. (I was tempted to make a joke about counting money. )

 

[teechar]

Yes, "monies" exists but in limited contexts unlikely to be of interest to our learners, whereas "a tax" is MUCH more common, which is why I concentrated on that.

 

[Tarheel]

OK.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Not quite. "Tax" can be a countable noun. For example:
The shadow cabinet is proposing a tax on imported beef.

Why isn't the article needed in my sentence?

 

[teechar]

Because "tax" works well as an uncountable noun in that sentence.

 

[tedmc]

Not quite. "Tax" can be a countable noun. For example:
The shadow cabinet is proposing a tax on imported beef.

Okay, tax in that sense refers to a type of tax like currency is a type of money.

 

[tedmc]

Okay, tax in that sense refers to a type of tax like currency is a type of money, rather than an amount of tax to be paid.

 

[5jj]

I don't know what you mean in posts 10 and 11, ted.

 

[Tdol]

In the UK, we talk of road tax rather than automobile tax.

 

[tedmc]

I don't know what you mean in posts 10 and 11, ted

I was trying to differentiate the countability and uncountability of the term "tax". Tax, when considered as a type or source of revenue, is countable. When it is considered as an amount of money to be paid, it is uncountable.