levies

Levy is a term used to describe a compulsory financial charge imposed by a government or other authority. As a noun and verb, it refers to both the act of imposing a charge and the process of collecting it. Levies can take many forms, including taxes on income, property, goods, and transactions, as well as duties, fees, or special assessments earmarked for specific public purposes.

Common examples include income taxes, property taxes, sales or value-added levies, and environmental or road levies. Local governments may impose levies to fund particular projects or services, while national authorities may enact broad tax levies to support overall public expenditure. The rates and bases for levies are typically specified in statutes or regulations and administered by revenue agencies, with compliance obligations, reporting requirements, and enforcement mechanisms.

In civil and criminal contexts, levy has a narrower meaning relating to enforcement. A levy can refer to the seizure or attachment of a debtor’s property to satisfy a court judgment, the garnishment of wages, or the freezing of bank accounts. This use of levy is part of execution proceedings and is governed by procedural rules that vary by jurisdiction, including exemptions for certain property and protections for debtors.

Etymologically, levy derives from the notion of raising or collecting, historically linked to levying taxes or troops. The precise form and scope of levies differ across legal systems, but the core idea remains a compulsory charge or collection authorized by law.