How to Say "deduction" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “deduction” is “descuento” — use 'descuento' when referring to a general reduction in price, wages, or taxes, often applied before the final amount is calculated.
Use 'descuento' when referring to a general reduction in price, wages, or taxes, often applied before the final amount is calculated.
Learn more →Use 'retención' specifically for money withheld from a payment, usually by law or contract, like taxes or social security contributions from a salary.
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Use 'tara' exclusively when talking about the weight of packaging or a container that is subtracted to find the net weight of the contents.
Learn more →des-KUEN-tohdesˈkwento
Examples
Después del descuento de impuestos, su sueldo neto fue depositado.
After the tax deduction, his net salary was deposited.
El banco aplica un descuento a la factura antes de pagarla.
The bank applies a deduction to the invoice before paying it.
retención
Examples
Tengo una retención del 15% en mi nómina.
I have a 15% withholding on my payslip.
TAH-rahˈtaɾa
Examples
Para calcular el peso neto, hay que restar la tara del envase.
To calculate the net weight, you must subtract the tare weight of the container.
La báscula está configurada para descontar la tara automáticamente.
The scale is set up to deduct the tare automatically.
Descuento vs. Retención
Learners often confuse 'descuento' and 'retención' because both involve subtracting an amount. Remember that 'retención' is typically a mandatory withholding (like taxes from your pay), while 'descuento' can be a discount, a general reduction, or even a logical inference.
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