Translation guide
Tax evasion refers to the illegal act of deliberately not paying taxes owed. In Japanese, this is expressed with specific legal terms, but also through descriptive phrases. The most common and direct term is 脱税 (datsuzei).
The general concept of evading taxes illegally.
The standard term for tax evasion. Used in legal, news, and everyday contexts.
Describing the action of evading taxes.
The verb form of 脱税. Commonly used.
彼は長年脱税していた。
He had been evading taxes for years.
Tax evasion (脱税) is illegal, while tax avoidance (節税, せつぜい) is legal tax minimization. Be careful not to mix these up.
彼は脱税で逮捕された。
He was arrested for tax evasion.
脱税は犯罪です。
Tax evasion is a crime.
Literally 'to escape taxes'. A more descriptive phrase, often used in explanations.
彼は税金を逃れる方法を探していた。
He was looking for ways to evade taxes.
A formal, legal term for tax evasion, rarely used in everyday language.
逋脱の罪で起訴された。
He was indicted for tax evasion.
Literally 'to deceive/falsify taxes'. Implies fraudulent reporting.
彼は税金をごまかして捕まった。
He got caught cheating on his taxes.