When it comes to taxes, everyone has an opinion. These quotes reflect the opinions of their authors; their inclusion here is not an official IRS endorsement of the sentiments expressed.
"Taxes are what we pay for civilized society.'' — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., U.S. Supreme Court Justice
"The power of taxing people and their property is essential to the very existence of government.'' — James Madison, U.S. President
"To tax and to please, no more than to love and to be wise, is not given to men." — Edmund Burke, 18th Century Irish political philosopher and British statesman
“I am proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is – I could be just as proud for half the money.” — Arthur Godfrey, entertainer
“People who complain about taxes can be divided into two classes: men and women.” — Unknown
"No government can exist without taxation. This money must necessarily be levied on the people; and the grand art consists of levying so as not to oppress.'' — Frederick the Great, 18th Century Prussian king
"Like mothers, taxes are often misunderstood, but seldom forgotten.'' — Lord Bramwell, 19th Century English jurist
"The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale.'' — Arthur C. Clarke, author
"Next to being shot at and missed, nothing is really quite as satisfying as an income tax refund.” — F. J. Raymond, humorist
A tax loophole is "something that benefits the other guy. If it benefits you, it is tax reform.''
— Russell B. Long, U.S. Senator
"Few of us ever test our powers of deduction, except when filling out an income tax form.''
— Laurence J. Peter, author
“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” — Albert Einstein, physicist
“Taxation with representation ain’t so hot either.” — Gerald Barzan, humorist
“Where there is an income tax, the just man will pay more and the unjust less on the same amount of income.” — Plato
“Income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf.” — Will Rogers, humorist
