Death and taxes (idiom)

{{Short description|English-language idiom}}

{{Other uses|Death & Taxes (disambiguation){{!}}Death & Taxes}}

"Death and taxes" is a phrase commonly referencing a famous quotation written by American statesman Benjamin Franklin:

{{quote|Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.|Franklin|in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy|source=1789{{cite book |last=Sparks |first=Jared |date=1856 |title=The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, Vol. X (1789-1790) |page=410 |publisher=Macmillan}}}}

Although Franklin is not the progenitor of the phrase, his usage is the most famous, especially in the United States.{{Cite web |last=Liles |first=Jordan |date=20 July 2022 |title=Did Ben Franklin Pen the Famous 'Death and Taxes' Quote? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/death-and-taxes-quote/ |access-date=11 November 2022 |website=Snopes |publisher=Snopes Media Group Inc.}} Earlier versions from the 18th century include a line in Daniel Defoe's The Political History of the Devil (1726),{{cite book|title = The Political History of the Devil, As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two Parts|last = DeFoe|first = Daniel|publisher = Black Boy in Pater-noster Row|year = 1726|location = London|page = 269}} and a quotation from The Cobbler of Preston by Christopher Bullock (1716), which is the earliest known iteration.{{cite book|title=The Cobler of Preston, a farce. As it is acted at the Theatre-Royal in Lincoln's-Inn-Field, Fifth Edition|url=https://archive.org/details/coblerofprestonf00bull/page/14/mode/2up?q=taxes|author=Christopher Bullock| year=1767 |publisher=Bladon, London, 1767|page=21}}

{{quote|You lye, you are not sure; for I say, Woman, 'tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes|author=Christopher Bullock|title=The Cobbler of Preston|source=p. 21|character=Toby Guzzle}}