Welcome to our Taxes Quotes page, where we explore the complex world of taxes through the wisdom and wit of various thinkers, leaders, and public figures. Taxes, often described as one of life’s certainties, have been a subject of contemplation, debate, and sometimes even humor throughout history. Whether you’re looking for a thought-provoking perspective on taxation or seeking a touch of humor to lighten the mood, you’ve come to the right place.
Below, you will find a curated collection of quotes that capture the essence of taxes, ranging from insightful observations on their economic impact to amusing anecdotes about the annual ritual of tax filing. These quotes offer a diverse array of viewpoints on the topic of taxes, allowing you to choose the one that resonates with you the most. Feel free to copy them, place them on images, or enhance them with stylish fonts to share and inspire discussions on this important aspect of modern society. Explore these quotes, and let them illuminate the fascinating world of taxation for you.
The American taxpayers are a powerful force. They don’t want their taxes raised. Grover Norquist
When a nation is over-reliant on one or two commodities like oil or precious minerals, corrupt government ministers and their dodgy associates hoard profits and taxes instead of properly allocating them to schools and hospitals. Bono
Unquestionably, there is progress. The average American now pays out twice as much in taxes as he formerly got in wages. H. L. Mencken
Read my lips: no new taxes. George H. W. Bush
One in four corporations doesn’t pay any taxes. Bernie Sanders
You don’t pay taxes – they take taxes. Chris Rock
While deficits are often inflationary and always pernicious, curing them by raising taxes is equivalent to curing an illness by shooting the patient. Murray Rothbard
My mom has always been my champion. She was very smart and grounded. She said, ‘Save your money. Pay your taxes. Don’t put everything in one basket,’ but she let me explore and be creative. Queen Latifah
During the Jim Crow era, poll taxes and literacy tests kept the African-Americans from polls. But today, felon disenfranchisement laws accomplished what poll taxes and literacy tests ultimately could not, because those laws were struck down. But felony disenfranchisement laws had been allowed to stand. Michelle Alexander
Solar power is the last energy resource that isn’t owned yet – nobody taxes the sun yet. Bonnie Raitt
Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. But I’d like to add a third certainty: trash. And while some in this room might want to discuss reducing taxes, I want to talk about reducing trash. Ruth Ann Minner
Elites want to cut taxes and stop government regulation of business. Evangelicals want to make America a Christian nation. And alt-right voters want to purge the rights of minorities and women. Heather Cox Richardson
No matter what heights you achieve, even if you’re Brad Pitt, the slide is coming, sure as death and taxes. James Caan
Note, besides, that it is no more immoral to directly rob citizens than to slip indirect taxes into the price of goods that they cannot do without. Albert Camus
Taxes are important. President Bush’s tax proposals leave no rich person behind. Voters approve of President Bush helping the kind of people they wish they were one of. Andy Rooney
The reward of energy, enterprise and thrift is taxes. William Feather
The problem with being an employee or self-employed is you pay the highest taxes. Robert Kiyosaki
Nothing in life is certain except death, taxes and the second law of thermodynamics. Seth Lloyd
I always want to say to people who want to be rich and famous: ‘try being rich first’. See if that doesn’t cover most of it. There’s not much downside to being rich, other than paying taxes and having your relatives ask you for money. But when you become famous, you end up with a 24-hour job. Bill Murray
Until the province is willing to look internally at their inflated budget, to engage the private sector, to exhaust every other available avenue, we can’t justify a series of costly new taxes on residents who are already telling us that they just can’t afford it. Doug Ford
Any politician promising not to raise your taxes is like a vampire promising to become a vegetarian. Pierre Poilievre
We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork. Milton Friedman
Let them march all they want, as long as they continue to pay their taxes. Alexander Haig
It is helpful to think of people as having two fundamental motivations: the desire to see ourselves as honest, good people, and the desire to gain the benefits that come from cheating – on our taxes or on the football field. Dan Ariely
Washington has got to, across the board, lower taxes for small businesses so that our mom and pops can reinvest and hire people, so that our businesses can thrive. Sarah Palin
The basic social contract is that citizens agree to follow the law, pay their taxes, and devote their love and loyalty to their country, and in exchange, the nation commits to preserve and protect and serve their interests, safeguard their freedom, and return to them in kind their first allegiance and loyalty. Jeff Sessions
The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that still carries any reward. John Maynard Keynes
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
In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. Benjamin Franklin
No one ceases to be a man, no one forfeits his rights to civilization merely by being more or less uncultured, and since the Filipino is regarded as a fit citizen when he is asked to pay taxes or shed his blood to defend the fatherland, why must this fitness be denied him when the question arises of granting him some right? Jose Rizal
When the federal government spends more each year than it collects in tax revenues, it has three choices: It can raise taxes, print money, or borrow money. While these actions may benefit politicians, all three options are bad for average Americans. Ron Paul
If you can manipulate news, a judge can manipulate the law. A smart lawyer can keep a killer out of jail, a smart accountant can keep a thief from paying taxes, a smart reporter could ruin your reputation- unfairly. Mario Cuomo
From an emotional standpoint it’s very easy to say don’t raise taxes, and no one wants to raise taxes. Wayne Messam
The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it’s just sort of a tired feeling. Paula Poundstone
Democrats like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders want to raise taxes on the rich, saying it will solve inequality. It won’t. All that will do is significantly reduce incentives to work, save, and invest. But I say inequality is not the problem. The problem is a lack of growth. Lawrence Kudlow
To say that any people are not fit for freedom, is to make poverty their choice, and to say they had rather be loaded with taxes than not. Thomas Paine
We should make it as easy as possible to be able to get a legal work visa – not citizenship, not a green card. Just a work visa, with a background check and a Social Security card so that applicable taxes would get paid. Gary Johnson
Sometimes ‘sin’ taxes are useful not because of their perceived health benefits but because they are effectively a form of voluntary taxation which tends to arouse less irritation than other taxes. Jacob Rees-Mogg
Donald Trump has a very radical idea, and that’s that when we make changes to our immigration laws, the group we should be most concerned about are everyday, hardworking Americans, the citizens who make this country run, who obey the laws, follow the rules, pay their taxes, show up and vote – the people who are loyal to this country. Stephen Miller
The Netherlands has been severely hit by the debt crisis, and the solution is to lower taxes, get government finances in order, and make room for investment. Mark Rutte
Tax reform is taking the taxes off things that have been taxed in the past and putting taxes on things that haven’t been taxed before. Art Buchwald
Fannie Mae is owned by shareholders but operates under a federal charter that exempts it from paying state or local taxes. As a result, many professional investors think the government would repay the debt that Fannie Mae had issued if the company could not, although Fannie Mae explicitly says that its bonds do not carry a federal guarantee. Alex Berenson
The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets. Will Rogers
When I wake up in the morning, I feel like a billionaire without paying taxes. Ernie Banks
Sugary drinks are blamed for increasing the rates of chronic disease and obesity in America. Yet efforts to reduce their consumption through taxes or other measures have gone nowhere. The beverage industry has spent millions defeating them. Robert Reich
I think as an American society, when we’re paying too many taxes or dealing with war, we don’t want to see sad things at the movies. Zoe Saldana
It is a way to take people’s wealth from them without having to openly raise taxes. Inflation is the most universal tax of all. Thomas Sowell
Fraud, robbery, and murder have characterized the English usurpation of the government of our country. Why, for the last fifty years we have been robbed in the matter of taxes of hundreds of millions. John Edward Redmond
Since first hearing the story as a child, any mention of the ‘Boston Tea Party’ has elicited in me an excitement that is uniquely American. When I heard rumblings that there was a new Tea Party, I got goose bumps. I love tea, I love parties, I hate taxes; I’m in! It seemed that most of America joined in my excitement! Greg Fitzsimmons
For me, I think being a conservative means you are focused on all four key principles: strong defense, lower taxes, less spending, and defending traditional American values. Jim Jordan
In 2008, Goldman Sachs only paid 1.1 percent of its income in taxes even though it earned a profit of $2.3 billion and received an almost $800 billion from the Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury Department. Bernie Sanders
I think that taxes would be fair if we first get rid of the tax code. This is the ultimate solution, not to just say we’re going to trim around the edges, not to say that we will try to simplify a little of this and a little of that. The problem is, replace the tax code, so we can establish tax fairness for everybody. Herman Cain
Increased government spending can provide a temporary stimulus to demand and output but in the longer run higher levels of government spending crowd out private investment or require higher taxes that weaken growth by reducing incentives to save, invest, innovate, and work. Martin Feldstein
Innovations in science and technology are the engines of the 21st-century economy; if you care about the wealth and health of your nation tomorrow, then you’d better rethink how you allocate taxes to fund science. The federal budget needs to recognize this. Neil deGrasse Tyson
A constant stream of ‘free’ money is a perfect way to keep an inefficient or simply bad government in power. As aid flows in, there is nothing more for the government to do – it doesn’t need to raise taxes, and as long as it pays the army, it doesn’t have to take account of its disgruntled citizens. Dambisa Moyo
By requiring that any surplus in Social Security taxes be returned to the American people in personal savings accounts, the plan ensures that Social Security taxes will be used for Social Security. Mike Pence
We made our entrance into Paris. As for honors, we received all that we could possibly imagine; but they, though very well in their way, were not what touched me most. What was really affecting was the tenderness and earnestness of the poor people, who, in spite of the taxes with which they are overwhelmed, were transported with joy at seeing us. Marie Antoinette
Sadly, the President’s budget proposal for the upcoming year once again puts cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans over addressing our country’s severe fiscal problems. Carl Levin
I love to pay taxes. I know when I’m paying taxes I’m making money. Colonel Tom Parker
I will cut taxes – cut taxes – for 95 percent of all working families, because, in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class. Barack Obama
If I had the day off and knew everyone else was voting, I wouldn’t miss it. It would become a routine part of my responsibility as a citizen – like paying taxes, only less soul crushing. Adam Grant
The legal right of a taxpayer to decrease the amount of what otherwise would be his taxes, or altogether avoid them, by means which the law permits, cannot be doubted. George Sutherland
Put simply, the rich pay a lot of taxes as a total percentage of taxes collected, but they don’t pay a lot of taxes as a percentage of what they can afford to pay, or as a percentage of what the government needs to close the deficit gap. Ben Stein
I am favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it’s possible. Milton Friedman
I don’t blame or complain about things like the economy, the government, taxes, employees, gas prices, or any of the external things that I don’t have control over. The only thing I have control over is my response to these things. Jack Canfield
I know firsthand that immigrants make enormous contributions to our nation, but I also know that we need to secure our borders and make sure that those who came here illegally wait their turn, pay a fine and any unpaid taxes, and pass a criminal background check before becoming citizens. Tammy Duckworth
Where is the politician who has not promised to fight to the death for lower taxes- and who has not proceeded to vote for the very spending projects that make tax cuts impossible? Barry Goldwater
Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things. Adam Smith
Good governance takes behavior that is negative or not helpful to the greater good of society, whether it’s polluting behaviour, plastics, or whatever, and taxes the behaviour. Edward Burtynsky
The generosity of the super-rich is sometimes proffered as evidence they’re contributing as much to the nation’s well-being as they did decades ago when they paid a much larger share of their earnings in taxes. Robert Reich
I believe in lower taxes. I believe in more efficient government. I believe in reducing bureaucracy. I believe that we shouldn’t have lobbyists who can go in or former government workers who can come back and lobby. Mark Cuban
Students often approached me about state-paid tuition while I was out campaigning. After I explained to them that if the state pays their tuition now, they will pay higher taxes to pay other people’s tuition for the rest of their lives, most of them ended up agreeing with me. Jesse Ventura
Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery. Calvin Coolidge
I believe – we all pay taxes. I’m happy to pay it, but I hate to have it abused, money wasted, no accountability. That’s going to bother you. Lou Holtz
Life is full of joys and sorrows, much of it our own making. Sadly, the West has voted time and time again for bigger government, more inflation, higher taxes and excessive regulation – all policies that have kept us from Adam Smith’s vision of an opulent society. Mark Skousen
People go to movies on Saturday to get away from the war in Iraq and taxes and election news and pedophiles online and just go and have some fun. I like doing movies that are fun. Samuel L. Jackson
I don’t mind paying the taxes I pay, which is pretty considerable. Bill Bennett
The people are hungry: It is because those in authority eat up too much in taxes. Lao Tzu
The politician’s promises of yesterday are the taxes of today. William Lyon Mackenzie King
Trump gives progressives a way to channel whatever guilt they might have – whether from preventing homebuilding, benefitting from unfair taxes and pensions, or depriving black and Latino students the teacher quality and school funding they need – into a sanctimonious tribal rage against Republican racism. Michael Shellenberger
I go for all sharing the privileges of the government, who assist in bearing its burdens. Consequently, I go for admitting all whites to the right of suffrage, who pay taxes or bear arms (by no means excluding females). Abraham Lincoln
I’ll happily pay more taxes if we all have equal human rights. Trisha Paytas
You can’t have a rigid view that all new taxes are evil. Bill Gates
I just don’t want to pay taxes. Bobby Kotick
Though I don’t personally believe that Bitcoin is true money, it should be perfectly legal, and there should be no restrictions on it; there should be no taxes on it. Ron Paul
The answer to many of the domestic problems we face is not higher taxes and more spending. It is less waste, more results and greater freedom for the individual American to earn a rightful place in his own community – and for States and localities to address their own needs in their own ways, in the light of their own priorities. Richard M. Nixon
Stars didn’t have to worry as they were on long term contracts and were able to enjoy their vacations without worrying about tomorrow. Few had financial worries due to large incomes and little taxes. Pola Negri
I’ve been held responsible for taxes I know nothing about. James Brown
Unfortunately, corruption is widespread in government agencies and public enterprises. Our political system promotes nepotism and wasting money. This has undermined our legal system and confidence in the functioning of the state. One of the consequences is that many citizens don’t pay their taxes. George Papandreou
There is no doubt that some plant food, such as oatmeal, is more economical than meat, and superior to it in regard to both mechanical and mental performance. Such food, moreover, taxes our digestive organs decidedly less, and, in making us more contented and sociable, produces an amount of good difficult to estimate. Nikola Tesla
‘Obama and Biden want to raise taxes by a trillion dollars.’ Guess what? Yes, we do in one regard: We want to let that trillion dollar tax cut expire so the middle class doesn’t have to bear the burden of all that money going to the super-wealthy. That’s not a tax raise. That’s called fairness where I come from. Joe Biden
Our government is deeply disordered; its credit is impaired; its debt increasing; its expenditures extravagant and wasteful; its disbursements without efficient accountability; and its taxes (for duties are but taxes) enormous, unequal, and oppressive to the great producing classes of the country. John C. Calhoun
We don’t need new taxes. We need new taxpayers, people that are gainfully employed, making money and paying into the tax system. And then we need a government that has the discipline to take that additional revenue and use it to pay down the debt and never grow it again. Marco Rubio
A balanced program for tax reform based upon the common sense idea of lowering taxes out of surplus revenues. Andrew Mellon
When President Obama speaks about raising taxes on the rich, he speaks about high-income employees and small business owners, not entrepreneurs who build big businesses. Robert Kiyosaki
Presidential elections and the voter experience have long been fraught for black people. From racist poll taxes to made-up literacy tests to the egregious rollback of voting rights over the past 50 years, American democracy has, at times, felt like a weird and failed social experiment. Patrisse Cullors
Lower taxes, less government spending on domestic programs and fewer regulations mean a better economy for everybody. Larry Elder
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
Elections should be held on April 16th- the day after we pay our income taxes. That is one of the few things that might discourage politicians from being big spenders. Thomas Sowell
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts slashes taxes on the very wealthy and kills regulations with the idea that rich businessmen will invest their money into the economy to support workers – the same idea that Republicans embraced in the 1920s. Heather Cox Richardson
