Judge Learned Hand: Taxes Low as Possible
on Sunday, April 3, 2016Judge Learned Hand Money Quote saying we need to understand that there is no reason for either rich or poor to pay more than minimum taxes required. Judge Learned Hand said:
“Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands” — Judge Learned Hand
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In this quote, Judge Learned Hand is further expanding on his view that taxpayers have no obligation to pay more in taxes than what is legally required. He asserts that courts have repeatedly upheld the position that there is nothing improper about organizing one’s financial affairs to minimize taxes owed as much as possible.
Hand notes that this applies to all individuals “rich and poor alike,” as reducing taxes is simply a rational response to incentives created by the tax code. His perspective is that taxpayers “do right” by seeking the lowest tax burden according to the letter of the law, as no citizen has a “public duty” to pay more to the government than what is explicitly demanded based on their circumstances.
Overall, the quote conveys Hand’s judgment that minimizing taxes in compliance with regulations should not be seen as suspect or problematic behavior for any taxpayer.