Quotes from U.S. Presidents on Taxes

Every United States President talks about taxation, our tax code and how to make it better. Here are some fascinating tax quotes from former Presidents.

Lyndon B. Johnson 

• I want to turn the poor from tax eaters to taxpayers.
• The most damaging thing you can do to any businessman in America is to keep him in doubt, and to keep him guessing on what our tax policy is.

Jimmy Carter 

• The federal income tax system is a disgrace to the human race.

Ronald Reagan 

• My friends, don’t you believe that our taxes are too high, too complicated, and utterly unfair?
• There can be no moral justification of the progressive tax. Perhaps that is why the bureaucrats pretend it is proportional taxation. Proportional taxation we would gladly accept on the theory that those better able to pay should remove some of the burden from those who are least able to pay.

Bill Clinton 

• There’s a lot of evidence you can sell people on tax increases if they think it’s an investment.
• I must be the only person in America that every time — I pay the maximum tax rates — every time I sign that tax form, I smile. I thank God I live in a country that gave me a chance to make the money I do.

George W. Bush 

• We’ve got the hardest working people in the world. We’ve got the best tax policy in the world.
• Our view is that taxpayer dollars should be spent wisely or not at all.

Barack Obama 

• You’ve got too many companies ending up making decisions based on what their tax director says, instead of what their engineer designs or what their factories produce. And that puts our entire economy at a disadvantage.

Our tax system can be very complicated; new tax rules that can apply to businesses and deductions or tax credits can be missed. No one likes to pay more tax than we are legally obligated to pay. Whether you are a business owner or an individual, you need a reliable tax preparer working with you. Rue & Associates is an accounting firm serving Mechanicsville VA, Richmond, Hanover, Henrico and surrounding areas as well as clients nationally. If you need assistance with tax planning or preparation, contact us today at (804) 730-7455 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.