It is getting harder and harder to support the government in the style to which it has become accustomed.
—Unknown
As the general rule in constitutional states liberty is a compensation for the heaviness of taxation, and in despotic states the equivalent for liberty is the lightness of taxation.
—Montesquieu (1689–1755) French Political Philosopher, Jurist
The income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf. Even when you make a tax form out on the level, you don’t know when it’s through if you are a crook or a martyr.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
The income tax created more criminals than any other single act of government.
—Barry Goldwater (1909–98) American Elected Representative, Businessperson, Politician
Of all our natural resources, the first one to be exhausted may be the taxpayer.
—Unknown
In other words, a democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–59) French Historian, Political Scientist
Taxes are not good things, but if you want services, somebody’s got to pay for them so they’re a necessary evil.
—Michael Bloomberg (b.1942) American Businessperson, Public Administrator, Entrepreneur
Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Count the day when, turning on its axis, this earth imposes no additional taxes.
—Franklin P. Adams (1881–1960) American Columnist, Radio Personality, Author
It is easier to start taxes than to stop them. A tax an inch long can easily become a yard long. That has been the history of the income tax. Would not the sales tax be likely to have a similar history (in the U.S.)? … Canadian newspapers report that an increase in the sales tax threatens to drive the Mackenzie King administration out of office. Canada began with a sales tax of 2%…. Starting this month the tax is 6%. The burden, in other words, has already been increased 200% … What the U.S. needs is not new taxes, is not more taxes, but fewer and lower taxes.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
The tax collector must love poor people. He is creating so many of them.
—Burton Hillis (William E. Vaughan) (1915–77) American Columnist, Author
There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
The tax-exempt privilege is a feature always reflected in the market price of (municipal) bonds. The investor pays for it.
—Louis Brandeis (1856–1941) American Jurist
No one can become rich by the efforts of only their toil, but only by the discovery of some method of taxing the labor of others.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
The United States has a system of taxation by confession.
—Hugo Black (1886–1971) American Politician, Jurist
The repose of nations cannot be secure without arms. Armies cannot be maintained without pay, nor can the pay be produced without taxes.
—Tacitus (56–117) Roman Orator, Historian
The thing generally raised on city land is taxes.
—Charles Dudley Warner (1829–1900) American Essayist, Novelist
The imposition of taxes has its limits. There is a maximum which cannot be transcended. Suppose the citizen to be taxed by the general government to the utmost extent of his ability, or a thing as much as it can possibly bear, and the state imposes a tax at the same time, which authority is to take it?
—Henry Clay (1777–1852) American Politician
The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from ever questioning the inequity of a system where most people drudge along, paying heavy taxes for which they get nothing in return.
—Gore Vidal (1925–48) American Novelist, Essayist, Journalist, Playwright
Like mothers, taxes are often misunderstood but seldom forgotten.
—George Wilshere, 1st Baron Bramwell (1808–92) English Judge
Every advantage has its tax.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The taxpayer—that’s someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t have to take the civil service examination.
—Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) American Head of State
Taxes and golf are alike, you drive your heart out for the green, and then end up in the hole.
—Unknown
Today’s dime is really a dollar with all the taxes deducted.
—Unknown
There is just one thing I can promise you about the outer-space program—your tax-dollar will go further.
—Wernher von Braun (1912–77) German-born American Engineer, Scientist
I don’t know of a single foreign product that enters this country untaxed, except the answer to prayer.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
I know all those people. I have friendly, social, and criminal relations with the whole lot of them.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Unquestionably, there is progress. The average American now pays twice as much in taxes as he formerly got in wages.
—H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) American Journalist, Literary Critic
Taxes, after all, are dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
The wisdom of man never yet contrived a system of taxation that would operate with perfect equality.
—Andrew Jackson (1767–1845) American Head of State
A fool and his money are soon parted. The rest of us wait for tax time.
—Common Proverb
Milk the cow, but do not pull off the udder.
—Greek Proverb
No matter how bad a child is, he is still good for a tax deduction.
—U.S. Proverb
If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is possible.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
Our Founding Fathers objected to taxation without representation. They should see it today with representation.
—Anonymous
When making out your income tax, it’s better to give than to deceive.
—Arnold Glasow (1905–98) American Businessman
To please universally was the object of his life; but to tax and to please, no more than to love and to be wise, is not given to men.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
What is the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector? The taxidermist takes only your skin.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on Paul’s support.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
When there’s a single thief, it’s robbery. When there are a thousand thieves, it’s taxation.
—Unknown
We believe the American people can spend their money better than the government can spend it.
—George W. Bush (b.1946) American Head of State, Businessperson
Taxes are paid in the sweat of every man who labors.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
Death and taxes and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them!
—Margaret Mitchell (1900–49) American Novelist, Journalist
An income tax form is like a laundry list-either way you lose your shirt.
—Fred Allen (1894–1956) American Humorist, Radio Personality
Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery.
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) American Head of State, Lawyer
The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has. Even when you make a tax form out on the level, you don’t know when it’s through if you are a crook or a martyr.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
Government lasts as long as the under-taxed can defend themselves against the over-taxed.
—Bernard Berenson (1865–1959) Russian-born American Art Historian
The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.
—Will Rogers (1879–1935) American Actor, Rancher, Humorist
Each citizen contributes to the revenues of the State a portion of his property in order that his tenure of the rest may be secure.
—Montesquieu (1689–1755) French Political Philosopher, Jurist
The best way to relieve families from time to time is to let them keep some of their own money.
—George W. Bush (b.1946) American Head of State, Businessperson