"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!"
— Benjamin Franklin

January 1, 1970

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Added on April 10, 2026
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AphoristsEngineers from the United StatesFounding Fathers of the United States of AmericaElectrical engineersGovernors of Pennsylvania
Original Language: English
Available Translations (1)
German: "„Nichts in dieser Welt ist sicher, außer dem Tod und den Steuern.“ – Letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, 13. November 1789"

Sources

First published in The Private Correspondence of Benjamin Franklin (1817) p.266 — The Yale Book of Quotations quotes “‘Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes,” from Christopher Bullock, The Cobler of Preston (1716). The YBQ also quotes “Death and Taxes, they are certain,” from Edward Ward, The Dancing Devils (1724).