APAD: Nothing is certain but death and taxes

移花接木
楼主 (文学城)

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."

 

妖妖灵
Taxes in the US are too high. Almost 50% of income goes to
妖妖灵
taxes~
7
7grizzly
Thoreau said I make myself rich by making my wants few.
7
7grizzly
fewer wants, less tax. US gov does not feel threatened tho:)
暖冬cool夏
But I heard Wallen Buffet pays little taxes, so did D Trump:
移花接木
r u investor? any investment occured lose/interest/expense

can be claimed for tax deduction. 

移花接木
working class pays the dearest
移花接木
some said, watching his big family made him feeling rich
移花接木
spiritually rich
最西边的岛上
Still buried in 2023 taxReturns, hopefully done byTomorrow;(
最西边的岛上
Thx 4 covering!
移花接木
?? Deadline Apr 30. Early birds already received CCR/CAI
最西边的岛上
I know. But we need to pay $$$$Tax, so theLaterTheBetter;)
最西边的岛上
rich people can hire crooked accountant 2 cooked theBook ;(
暖冬cool夏
Sure, I know how it works.
天边一片白云
That is so true.
最西边的岛上
also I hate doing tax Return!