What it means
مالیات (mâliyât) means “tax” in Persian. The word is borrowed from Arabic مَالِیَّات (mâliyyât), originally the Arabic plural of مالیه (mâliye, meaning finance or revenue matters). In everyday Iranian life, مالیات covers income tax, VAT, corporate tax, and any government levy on financial activity. A close related term is عوارض (avârez), which refers more specifically to tolls and duties rather than income-based taxes.
How to use it
- باید مالیاتم رو بدم. (bâyad mâliyâtam ro bedam.) “I have to pay my tax.”
- امسال مالیات زیاد شده. (emsâl mâliyât ziâd shode.) “This year taxes have gone up.”
- اظهارنامه مالیاتی رو پر کردی؟ (ezhârnâme-ye mâliyâti ro por kardi?) “Did you fill in the tax return?”
- مالیات بر ارزش افزوده رو حساب کن. (mâliyât bar arzesh-e afzude ro hesâb kon.) “Calculate the value-added tax.”
Cultural note
Iran’s tax system is administered by the Sâzmân-e Omur-e Mâliyâti, the national Tax Affairs Organization. For much of the twentieth century, oil revenues reduced the state’s dependence on personal income tax, but reforms since the 2000s have pushed toward broader collection. Self-employed Iranians and small business owners are routinely reminded each spring to file their annual مالیات declaration.