“One of the tax systems in the US is for wage earners. The government takes money from them out of each paycheck - so it knows how much they make, and those workers can't cheat to any significant degree. But the other tax system is for capital. Those with capital get to tell the government what they want to tell. They may get audited, but if their tax returns are of any size the government doesn't have enough of the smart auditors to figure out what's really going on. And there are the rules that allow you to do things like take in money today and pay taxes on it thirty years from now.” EnoughTodayTaxesSmartSignificantCheat Author:David Cay Johnston
“Congress is supposed to fund the IRS, and it has been steadily reducing the number of auditors and tax collectors the IRS has at the very time that the tax system has become vastly more complicated. And of course America continues to grow, so there's an increasing number of tax returns coming in. The IRS responds by doing exactly what Congress expects of them. That shouldn't surprise anyone. All bureaucracies do what they are told.” TaxesSurpriseComplicatedFundBureaucracy Author:David Cay Johnston
“When you say the tax system benefits the rich, there are a lot of people who respond, "That can't be true, look at the rate of tax. The people who are rich pay a higher rate than you or I." Well, yeah, but if you don't have to pay taxes on a lot of your income, then your real tax rate is a lot lower. And if you're allowed to pay your taxes thirty years from now instead of today then you're a lot better off. People need to have a sophisticated understanding of how the system works to appreciate that the posted tax rate really has very little to do with the taxes people pay.” PeopleRealTodayUnderstandingRichTaxesAppreciateRateBeing TrueSophisticated Author:David Cay Johnston
“In 1990, about 1 percent of American corporate profits were taken in tax havens like the Cayman Islands. By 2002, it was up to 17 percent, and it'll be up to 20-25 percent very quickly. It's a major problem. Fundamentally, we have a tax system designed for a national, industrial, wage economy, which is what we had in the early 1900s. We now live in a global, asset-based, services world. And we need to have a tax system that follows the economic order or it's going to interfere with economic growth, it's going to reduce people's incomes, and it's going to damage the US.” WorldProblemGrowthEconomyTakenEconomicTaxesInterfereEconomic Growth Author:David Cay Johnston
“I dislike paying taxes as much as anyone, but yes, taxes are the price of civilization. There is no America without taxes. The question isn't, "Do we want to have taxes?" The question is, "How heavy is the burden, and who bears that burden"?” TaxesBurdenDislike Author:David Cay Johnston
“You, as a wage earner have to pay your taxes every year on your income for that year. So if you have a one-time windfall that makes you a lot money you could end up in the top tax bracket. But if you're a corporation you are allowed to reach forward with deferrals for years. Over a 45 to 50 year period, you can balance out the winning years and the losing years in such a way that you pay very little tax, especially considering the time-value of the money.” WinningBalanceTaxesLosing Author:David Cay Johnston
“Senior executives can, after a fashion, get a portion of their pay tax-free. You defer part of your income and not have to pay taxes on it, and then when you retire you have the company buy a life insurance policy on you using that money. The company can deduct that money because it is a business expense, and the money will get paid out to your children or grandchildren when you die, so you have effectively given them your money and it's never been taxed.” ChildrenFashionPolicyTaxesOur ChildrenYour ChildrenRetiringSeniorGrandchildren Author:David Cay Johnston
“The British use a system where the profits a corporation reports to shareholders is what they pay taxes on. Whereas in America we require corporations to keep two sets of books, one for shareholders and one for the IRS, and the IRS records are secret. For publicly-traded companies, the British system would tend to align the interests of the government with the interests of the company because the company wants to report the biggest possible profit. Though, all wealthy countries have high taxes as wealth requires lots of common goods, from clean water to public education to a justice system.” BookCountryInterestWaterWealthJusticeCommonSecretTaxesWealthyCommon GoodJustice SystemPublic EducationClean Water Author:David Cay Johnston
“Americans deserve a new tax code for a new era of American prosperity.” TaxesDeserveProsperityCode Author:Kevin Brady
“Now this is a way to approach our healthcare problems: increase the number of tax collectors and decrease the number of doctors - brilliant!” WayProblemNumbersTaxesApproachDoctorsIncreaseBrilliantHealthcareCollectorsDecrease Author:Charles Krauthammer
“I learned in an extremely hard way that the accountability falls with me.” WayHardFallResponsibilityTaxesI've LearnedAccountabilityLiabilityHard WayYou Live And You LearnLearning The Hard Way Author:Stephen Baldwin
“And you can't have a prosperous economy when the government is way overspending, raising tax rates, printing too much money, over regulating and restricting free trade. It just can't be done.” WayDoneGovernmentEconomyToo MuchTaxesTradeRateProsperousPrintingFree TradeRaising TaxesOverspending Author:Arthur Laffer
“It has always amazed me how tax cuts don't work until they take effect. Mr. Obama's experience with deferred tax rate increases will be the reverse. The economy will collapse in 2011.” EconomyCuttingEffectsTaxesIncreaseRateCollapseReverseAmazedTax Cuts Author:Arthur Laffer
“For the last 50 years, the federal government has taken out of the Gulf Coast $165 billion in taxes that came from oil and gas off of our coast that went to the federal Treasury, to rebuild all places in America except the place that it came from.” YearsGovernmentLastsAmericaTakenTaxesOilBillionsGasFederal GovernmentCoastTreasuryOil And Gas Author:Mary Landrieu
“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.” SaidPayCreativeMomTaxesSmartLet MeMy MomChampionBe CreativeGroundedBasketsVery Smart Author:Queen Latifah
“Political liberty, the peace of a nation, and science itself are gifts for which Fate demands a heavy tax in blood!” PoliticalLiteratureNationsLibertyFateBloodDemandTaxesHeavy Author:Honore de Balzac
“On my income tax 1040 it says 'Check this box if you are blind.' I wanted to put a check mark about three inches away.” IfsWantedThreeTaxesMarkBlindBoxesIncomeChecksInchesBlindnessIncome Tax Author:Tom Lehrer
“I'm spending a year dead for tax reasons.” YearsReasonMoneyTaxesSpendingFunny LifeFunny MoneyTax DayTaxes Funny Author:Douglas Adams
“President Obama has admitted that Medicare is on an unsustainable course and that no amount of tax increases can fix it.” CoursesPresidentAmountTaxesIncreasePresident ObamaMedicareTax Increases Author:David Limbaugh
“Obama's health care plan will be written by a committee whose head, John Conyers, says he doesn't understand it. It'll be passed by Congress that has not read it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a Treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, overseen by a Surgeon General who is obese, and financed by a country that's nearly broke. What could possibly go wrong?” CountryCarePresidentPayPlansWrittenTaxesCongressChiefsSmokeBrokeHealth CareCommitteesSurgeonsTreasuryObese Author:Rush Limbaugh
“If Thomas Jefferson thought taxation without representation was bad, he should see how it is with representation.” IfsShouldPoliticsBusinessTaxesDebtSpendingRepresentationTaxationIncome TaxTaxation Without Representation Author:Rush Limbaugh
“Liberal Democrats are inexorably opposed to tax cuts, because tax cuts give people more power, and take away from the role of government.” PeopleGivingGovernmentRolesCuttingTaxesDemocratTax CutsRole Of Government Author:Rush Limbaugh
“Will some reporter, or some Republican on the Sunday shows, please ask why tax cuts raid the non-existent Social Security Trust Fund but all the Democrats' new spending doesn't? Will someone please ask that?” ShowsAsksSocialCuttingSecurityTrustPleaseRepublicanTaxesDemocratSpendingSundayFundReportersSocial SecurityTax CutsTrust Funds Author:Rush Limbaugh
“As far as I'm concerned, the people who aren't paying taxes don't get to run around claiming that they built everything, that the built the roads and that they built the bridges and so forth.” PeopleRunningTaxesBuiltConcernedBridgesPaying Taxes Author:Rush Limbaugh
“What about feeling sorry for those who pay the taxes? Those who are people that no one feels sorry for. They are asked to give and give until they have no more to give. And when they say 'enough,' they are called selfish.” PeopleGivingFeelsEnoughFeelingsPayTaxesSorrySelfishFeeling Sorry Author:Rush Limbaugh
“Taxation: how the sheep are shorn.” TaxesSheepTaxation Book:A Voice Crying in the Wilderness Source: A Voice Crying in the Wilderness
“I can assure you that my wife and I - every penny of income we've ever had, our taxes were paid in West Virginia.” I CanWifeTaxesPaidWestMy WifeIncomePenniesVirginiaWest Virginia Author:Joe Manchin
“We have reduced sales tax on food. Now we want it eliminated.” WantTaxesSales Tax Author:Joe Manchin
“We talked about many issues, like welfare, is it the way of life or hand up? Talked about size of government, how much should it tax families and small businesses? And when we left that lunch, we got in the car and I looked over at Chuck and said, "I'll be damned. We're Republicans."” WayShouldSaidHandsGovernmentLeftIssuesCarRepublicanTaxesSizeWelfareLunchSmall BusinessChuckHands UpSize Of Government Author:Susana Martinez
“In New Mexico, I inherited the largest structural deficit in state history, and our legislature is controlled by Democrats. We don't always agree, but we came together in a bipartisan manner and turned that deficit into a surplus. And we did it without raising taxes.” StatesTogetherTaxesAgreeDemocratControlledMexicoDeficitLegislatureSurplusBipartisanNew MexicoRaising Taxes Author:Susana Martinez
“I know that I pay 48 percent of my income to taxes. You know, I wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't going just to export war. If it was actually going to help the people of the United States, I would gladly pay more.” PeopleIfsKnowsMindWarStatesHelpingUnitedPayUnited StatesTaxesPercentIncome Author:Roseanne Barr
“There are three legs of the stool; spending, entitlements and making the tax code fair and equitable. That's the three legs of the stool. If we do all of those in a responsible, bipartisan way, I think the American people would all be very, very happy.” PeopleIfsThinkingWayThreeTaxesFairsResponsibleLegsSpendingCodeVery HappyEntitlementBipartisanStoolsEquitableThree Legs Author:Claire McCaskill
“The bill that job creators and out-of-work Americans need us to pass is the one that ensures taxes won't go up - one that says Americans and small-business owners won't get hit with more bad news at the end of the year.” NeedsYearsEndsJobsTaxesNewsBillsCreatorOwnersSmall BusinessBad NewsBusiness OwnersSmall Business OwnersJob Creators Author:Mitch McConnell
“While other state governments stiff their vendors, close parks, delay tax refunds, and ignore unacceptably poor service levels, Indiana state employees are setting national standards for efficiency.” StatesGovernmentPoorLevelsTaxesStandardsSettingSettingsParksEmployeeEfficiencyDelayState GovernmentIndianaVendorsRefundsNational StandardsPoor Service Author:Mitch McConnell
“Big business never pays a nickel in taxes, according to Ralph Nader, who represents a big consumer organization that never pays a nickel in taxes.” HumorBigsFunnyBusinessPayJudgingTaxesOrganizationConsumersPresentationBig BusinessNickelsFunny Business Author:Dave Barry
“Give tax breaks to large corporations, so that money can trickle down to the general public, in the form of extra jobs.” GivingJobsFormBreakTaxesCorporationsExtrasGeneral PublicTax BreaksTrickle Down Author:Andrew Mellon
“If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.” IfsPoliticalFoundPoliticsPoliticianPromiseTaxesDinnerDebtSpendingMissionaryConstituentsCannibal Author:H. L. Mencken
“Unquestionably, there is progress. The average American now pays out twice as much in taxes as he formerly got in wages.” AmericaPayLibertyProgressTaxesHumorousProfoundAverageInsaneWagesTaxationIncome TaxIrsTax DayPaying TaxesTaxes FunnyProperty Taxes Author:H. L. Mencken
“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.” WantSaidTwoMightCertainRoomsTaxesThirdsAddCertaintyTwo ThingsTrashReducingFranklinLife DeathCertainty In LifeTrash TalkingCertainty Of Death Author:Ruth Ann Minner
“I'll tell you who doesn't have any personal responsibility. Companies like General Electric and others who pay absolutely no income tax.” PayResponsibilityCompanyTaxesIncomeElectricPersonal ResponsibilityIncome TaxGeneral Electric Author:Michael Moore
“The 'fiscal cliff' is a ruse, an invention by the right and the rich, to try and keep their huge tax breaks.” TryingBreakRichHugeTaxesInventionCliffsTax BreaksFiscal Cliff Author:Michael Moore
“Nobody has been arrested on Wall Street for the crash of 2008. They're not paying their fair share of the taxes. And now with the Citizens United case of the Supreme Court, they get to buy politicians up out in the open.” Has BeensUnitedCasesShareStreetsWallCitizensPoliticianTaxesFairsCourtSupremeCrashSupreme CourtArrestedFair ShareCitizens United Author:Michael Moore
“I was determined not to become an American citizen but I did it for completely cynical reasons: to avoid paying inheritance tax in the U.S.” ReasonCitizensTaxesDeterminedCynicalInheritanceAmerican CitizensInheritance Tax Author:Emily Mortimer
“More and more political analysts and weak-kneed politicians are advising the historically pro-life Republican Party to abandon its pro-life stance for political gain. My first response is that if you cannot trust a party on the value of defending human life, how can you trust it on issues like marginal tax rates?” IfsFirstsHumansPoliticalValuesPartyIssuesPoliticianRepublicanTaxesGainsWeakResponseRateHuman LifeAbandonRepublican PartyPro LifeStanceAnalysts Author:Gary Bauer
“America's corporate and political elites now form a regime of their own and they're privatizing democracy. All the benefits - the tax cuts, policies and rewards flow in one direction: up.” AmericaFormPoliticalDemocracyCuttingPolicyTaxesBenefitsFlowRewardsCorporateRegimesElitesTax CutsOne Direction Author:Bill Moyers
“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.” PeopleIfsWantTryingFirstsEndsJobsAsksHoursRichFameTaxesRelativeBeing RichPaying Taxes Author:Bill Murray
“The reason we should do a carbon tax is because it's the right thing to do. It's economics 101, elementary stuff.” ShouldReasonStuffTaxesEconomicsThings To DoRight ThingCarbonCarbon Tax Author:Elon Musk
“The dirty little secret is that the pool man, who's making $30,000 a year, is subsidizing the million-dollar mortgage for the family whose pool he cleans. No wonder people want to get rid of tax breaks for corporate jets.” PeopleMenWantYearsLittlesSecretWonderBreakMillionsTaxesDollarsCorporateDirtyPoolMillion DollarsJetMortgageNaughtyTax Breaks Author:Dee Dee Myers
“Democrats single out glaring examples of tax preferences or spending priorities that favor the wealthy and Republicans cry 'class warfare!'” ClassCryExampleRepublicanTaxesDemocratSpendingFavorsPrioritiesWealthyWarfarePreferenceClass Warfare Author:Dee Dee Myers