When making out your income tax, it’s better to give than to deceive.
—Arnold Glasow (1905–98) American Businessman
The suppression of unnecessary offices, of useless establishments and expenses, enabled us to discontinue our internal taxes. These, covering our land with officers, and opening our doors to their intrusions, had already begun that process of domiciliary vexation which, once entered, is scarcely to be restrained from reaching, successively, every article of property and produce.
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Our Founding Fathers objected to taxation without representation. They should see it today with representation.
—Anonymous
The taxpayer: Someone who works for the government but doesn’t have to take a civil service examination.
—Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) American Head of State
I know all those people. I have friendly, social, and criminal relations with the whole lot of them.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
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
Count the day when, turning on its axis, this earth imposes no additional taxes.
—Franklin P. Adams (1881–1960) American Columnist, Radio Personality, Author
The POWER of taxing people AND their property IS essential TO the very existence of government.
—James Madison (1751–1836) American Founding Father, Statesman, President
The taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; and from these taxes the commissioners cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an abatement.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
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
In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
An income tax form is like a laundry list-either way you lose your shirt.
—Fred Allen (1894–1956) American Humorist, Radio Personality
Of all our natural resources, the first one to be exhausted may be the taxpayer.
—Unknown
Government lasts as long as the under-taxed can defend themselves against the over-taxed.
—Bernard Berenson (1865–1959) American Art Critic, Historian
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
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
Every advantage has its tax.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
I like to pay taxes. With them I buy civilization.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841–1935) American Jurist, Author
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
Rich bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Here is my principle: Taxes shall be levied according to ability to pay. That is the only American principle.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
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
In 1790, the nation which had fought a revolution against taxation without representation discovered that some of its citizens weren’t much happier about taxation with representation.
—Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–73) American Head of State, Political leader
Taxes are paid in the sweat of every man who labors.
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) American Head of State, Lawyer
The income tax created more criminals than any other single act of government.
—Barry Goldwater (1909–98) American Elected Representative, Businessperson, Politician
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
Taxes are the sinews of the state.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
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
The tax collector must love poor people. He is creating so many of them.
—Burton Hillis (William E. Vaughan) (1915–77) American Columnist, Author
The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing.
—Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–83) French Statesman
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