- octroi
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/ok"troy/; Fr. /awk trddwann"/, n., pl. octrois /-troyz/; Fr. /-trddwann"/.1. (formerly esp. in France and Italy) a local tax levied on certain articles, such as foodstuffs, on their entry into a city.2. the place at which such a tax is collected.3. the officials collecting it.4. the act of a sovereign in granting to subjects a constitution or other charter.[1605-15; < F, n. deriv. of octroyer to grant, partial Latinization of OF otreier < ML auctorizare; see AUTHORIZE]
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▪ taxtax levied by a local political unit, normally the commune or municipal authority, on certain categories of goods as they enter the area. The tax was first instituted in Italy in Roman times, when it bore the title of vectigal, or portorium. Octrois were still in existence in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Austria after World War II, but there has been a marked tendency toward reduction of their area of operation, and in some cases they have been completely suppressed. The cost of tax collection is unduly high in relation to the yield, the levy process sometimes absorbing 50 percent of tax revenues.* * *
Universalium. 2010.