A more thorough explanation:

A holding-company tax is a type of tax imposed by the government on holding companies. A holding company is a company that owns other companies' stocks, which allows it to control those companies. The holding-company tax is a monetary charge that the government imposes on the holding company to generate public revenue.

For example, if a holding company owns stocks in multiple companies and earns profits from those companies, it may be subject to a holding-company tax on those profits.

It's important to note that a tax is not necessarily payable in money. It can also be in the form of duties, imposts, or excises. Additionally, taxes can be accrued, meaning they have been incurred but not yet paid or payable.

Another example of a tax is the accumulated-earnings tax, which is a penalty tax imposed on a corporation that has retained its earnings to avoid income-tax liability. This tax is also known as the undistributed-earnings tax.

These examples illustrate how the government uses taxes to generate revenue and regulate corporate behavior. By imposing taxes on holding companies and corporations, the government can ensure that they contribute to public needs and prevent them from avoiding tax liability.