APAD: Nothing is certain but death and taxes

Nothing is certain but death and taxes

A rather fatalistic and sardonic proverb. It draws on the actual inevitability of death to highlight the difficulty in avoiding the burden of taxes.

Several famous authors have uttered lines to this effect. The first was Daniel Defoe, in The Political History of the Devil, 1726:

"Things as certain as death and taxes, can be more firmly believed."

Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) used the form we are currently more familiar with, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, 1789, which was re-printed in The Works of Benjamin Franklin, 1817:

"'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

Another thought on the theme of death and taxes is Margaret Mitchell's line from her book Gone With the Wind, 1936:

"Death, taxes and childbirth! There's never any convenient time for any of them."

 

所有跟帖： 

• Taxes in the US are too high. Almost 50% of income goes to -妖妖灵- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 14:14:52

• taxes~ -妖妖灵- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 14:15:11

• Thoreau said I make myself rich by making my wants few. -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 14:30:58

• fewer wants, less tax. US gov does not feel threatened tho:) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 14:32:58

• some said, watching his big family made him feeling rich -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 15:36:58

• spiritually rich -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 15:37:22

• But I heard Wallen Buffet pays little taxes, so did D Trump: -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 14:52:36

• r u investor? any investment occured lose/interest/expense -移花接木- ♂ (48 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 15:24:52

• working class pays the dearest -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 15:25:29

• rich people can hire crooked accountant 2 cooked theBook ;( -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 06:22:34

• Sure, I know how it works. -暖冬cool夏- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 07:09:18

• Still buried in 2023 taxReturn, hopefully done byTomorrow;( -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 16:20:37

• Thx 4 covering! -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 16:21:25

• ?? Deadline Apr 30. Early birds already received CCR/CAI -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 17:28:54

• I know. But we need to pay $$$$Tax, so theLaterTheBetter;) -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/29/2024 postreply 18:23:28

• also I hate doing tax Return! -最西边的岛上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/06/2024 postreply 10:49:26

• That is so true. -天边一片白云- ♀ (0 bytes) () 04/30/2024 postreply 07:56:50