noun
tax collector; tax official
A somewhat formal or bureaucratic term for a person who collects taxes. In modern contexts, 税務署員 or 徴税吏員 may be more common, but 税吏 is still understood.
彼は税吏として長年働いてきた。
He has worked as a tax collector for many years.
税吏が帳簿を調べに来た。
A tax official came to inspect the books.
Compound of 税 (tax) and 吏 (official, clerk). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination directly conveys the meaning of a tax official.