Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A tax of one tenth formerly imposed in Spain upon public sales and exchanges, and paid by the seller. Also written alcabala.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun In Spain, a tax levied on transactions involving property movable or immovable.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • In the _alcavala_ -- which he had for the past two years been accustomed to levy on all the traffic between Puebla and Oajaca -- he had found excellent pay for his soldiers; and being a man not over scrupulous, though brave as a lion, he felt greatly disinclined to change his comfortable quarters.

    The Tiger Hunter Mayne Reid 1850

  • The _alcavala_, a tax of one-tenth on all transfers of property, produced more than any other branch of the revenue.

    The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic — Volume 3 William Hickling Prescott 1827

  • Reyes de gloriosa memoria quanto era provechoso y honroso, que a estos sus reynos se truxessen libros de otras partes para que con ellos se hiziessen los hombres letrados, quisieron y ordenaron, que de los libros no se pagasse el alcavala ....

    The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic — Volume 2 William Hickling Prescott 1827

  • Catalonia enjoys the privilege of exemp - tion from the alcavala, cientos, and mil - lones; in lieu of which they pay ten per cent, on all rents, whether belonging to in -

    A journey through Spain in the years 1786 and 1787 1792

  • The prefent duties on the quintal of one hundred and fourteen pounds avoirdupois are as follow: royal duty, four hundred and forty-two maravedis; alcavala, thirty-five and two-thirds; brokerage and coniular duty, twelve; in all about two mil - lings and ten pence.

    A journey through Spain in the years 1786 and 1787 1792

  • The alcavala, with its four cicntos, is a tax of fourteen per cent, on every thing that is fold or bartered, even for oxen and mules ufed in hufbandry, for the raw materials ufcd in manufaillures, and for the commo - dity itfclf when fold, and this not once for all, but as often as the property is transfer - red ..

    A journey through Spain in the years 1786 and 1787; 1791

  • _alcavala_ for a determinate one, and still more by transferring its collection from the revenue officers to the citizens themselves, she greatly relieved her subjects.

    The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic — Volume 3 William Hickling Prescott 1827

  • [i5»] hundred and fifty reals a year for alcavala; yet among all the wretched ventas and po - fadas I had feen, this appeared one of the moil wretched.

    A journey through Spain in the years 1786 and 1787 1792

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