Learned Hand on Two Taxation Systems
on Saturday, April 5, 2014Judge Learned Hand Money Quotation saying those who are knowledgeable about the tax code will legally pay less taxes than those who are ignorant of it. Judge Learned Hand said:
“In America, there are two tax systems: one for the informed and one for the uninformed. Both are legal” — Learned Hand
This quote from Learned Hand suggests that in the U.S. tax system, there are effectively different rules and outcomes for those who are well-informed about the complex tax code versus those who lack that understanding. The best interpretation is that Hand believed the tax laws allow for both legal tax avoidance/evasion for sophisticated filers who can exploit loopholes and exemptions, while unwitting average taxpayers are left paying more than what skilled accountants could spare them.
According to Hand, the system is set up so that being ignorant of regulations results in higher taxes compared to being an “informed” filer who can reduce their burden within the boundaries of the law. The implication is that the tax code is not administered equally, with financial savvy granting advantages over the non-expert.
Birthday: January 27, 1872 – Death: August 18, 1961