税务 (shuìwù) is a compound noun meaning 'taxation' or 'tax affairs.' It combines 税 (shuì), meaning 'tax' — referring to mandatory financial contributions to the government — and 务 (wù), meaning 'affairs,' 'matters,' or 'services.' Together, they denote the entire domain of tax-related activities: collection, reporting, compliance, administration, and policy. The term is formal and institutional, commonly used in official, legal, and business contexts rather than casual speech.

You’ll encounter 税务 in phrases like 税务局 (shuìwùjú, 'tax bureau'), 税务登记 (shuìwù dēngjì, 'tax registration'), and 税务筹划 (shuìwù chóuhuà, 'tax planning'). It emphasizes systemic, procedural, and regulatory aspects of taxation — not individual tax payments (which use words like 税款 or 个人所得税). While often paired with government bodies or professional services, it can also refer broadly to one’s tax obligations or responsibilities as a citizen or enterprise.