deduct

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'deduct' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe subtracting money or an amount from something, as in the sentence: "We need to deduct $20 from the total bill."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The government's latest ploy to revitalise the economy is to make corporate entertainment by large companies partially tax-deductible.For the moment only small and medium-sized firms may deduct a limited amount of money spent entertaining clients as a business expense.

The Economist

Because the banks will no longer deduct tax on HMRC's behalf and will pay interest gross, pensioners and others earning less than £10,800 will no longer have to go through the current, rather torturous, process of getting their interest paid tax��free.

The Guardian - Money

It also coincides with accusations of bullying, after university bosses made threats to deduct pay from staff who plan to strike for two hours on Thursday.

The Guardian

Your employer should not deduct any income tax if you earn less than that each month, but you can't get out of National Insurance, which is 12% of everything over £153 a week.

The Guardian - Money

In parts of Europe, companies were even allowed to deduct kickbacks they had paid against tax.

The Economist

In response to complaints that Mr Rudd's tax was retrospective, Ms Gillard's MRRT lets companies deduct the value of past investment from their taxable profits over time.

The Economist

Firms can instead deduct their royalty payments from their MRRT payments (but only if they are profitable enough to make any MRRT payments).Does the MRRT, as implemented, still command the support of the 22 economists who signed the original open letter?

The Economist

Under the current tax code firms can deduct the interest they pay on their debts from their tax bills.

The Economist

"Payroll giving" allows people to deduct donations from their salaries before tax, so a gift of £100 costs a higher-rate taxpayer £60 and a basic-rate taxpayer £78.

The Economist

At the moment, taxpayers can deduct up to $1m of mortgage-interest payments from their taxable income.

The Economist

Not only can firms deduct from existing tax bills a large chunk of their investment in the region, but profits earned there escape federal tax for ten years.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about financial topics, ensure that you use "deduct" precisely to indicate a formal or calculated subtraction, such as in tax or accounting contexts. For more general contexts, consider alternatives like "remove" or "take away".

Common error

Avoid using "deduct" in very casual or informal settings where a simpler term like "take off" or "remove" would be more appropriate. "Deduct" implies a level of formality and calculation that isn't always necessary.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "deduct" is as a transitive verb. It requires a direct object, indicating what is being subtracted or removed. Ludwig AI shows that it's commonly used to describe the action of subtracting an amount from a total.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

69%

Formal & Business

31%

Science

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The verb "deduct" is a common and grammatically correct term, primarily used to describe the act of subtracting or removing something, especially in financial or formal contexts. Ludwig AI analysis confirms its correct usage and prevalence in news and business-related articles. While alternatives like "subtract" and "remove" exist, "deduct" implies a more calculated and formal subtraction. When using "deduct", ensure it fits the tone of your writing and remember that the correct preposition to use is "from", not "of".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

subtract from

Focuses specifically on the mathematical operation of subtraction.

take away from

Emphasizes the act of removing something from a larger entity.

remove from

Highlights the act of physical or conceptual removal.

discount from

Implies a reduction in price or value.

lower by

Indicates a reduction in quantity or amount.

reduce by

Suggests a decrease in size, amount, or degree.

decrease by

Focuses on the lessening or diminishing of something.

write off

Used in accounting to indicate the removal of an asset's value.

offset against

Implies a balancing or counteracting effect by deducting one thing from another.

dock from

Often used in the context of wages or payments.

FAQs

How can I use "deduct" in a sentence?

You can use "deduct" to describe subtracting an amount from a total, such as "The company will "deduct taxes" from your paycheck" or "We need to "deduct expenses" from the budget".

What's the difference between "deduct" and "subtract"?

"Deduct" often implies a more formal or official subtraction, especially in financial contexts, while "subtract" is a more general term for taking away a quantity. For example, you might "deduct charitable donations" from your taxable income, but you simply subtract numbers in a math problem.

What are some synonyms for "deduct"?

Synonyms for "deduct" include "subtract from", "take away from", "remove from", and "discount from". The best choice depends on the specific context and nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "deduct from" or "deduct of"?

The correct phrase is "deduct from". For example, "You can "deduct the cost" of the materials from the total bill". "Deduct of" is grammatically incorrect.