Leona Helmsley Paid Taxes with Prison
on Monday, April 7, 2014Leona Helmsley Money Quotation saying that being wealthy put her above the law requiring that she pay taxes but she spent 16 years in prison as a little person. Leona Helmsley said:
“We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes” — Leona Helmsley
This provocative quote from Leona Helmsley suggests that extremely wealthy individuals like herself believe they are able to avoid paying taxes that mainly impact lower and middle-income “little people”.
The best interpretation is that Helmsley was implying the rich have means and resources to exploit loopholes, hire top tax attorneys, and influence politicians to maintain a tax system rigged in their favor. Her comment conveys an elitist attitude that the ultra-wealthy are above taxation that is the fiscal responsibility of average citizens alone.
Helmsley appears to believe that true “big money” has exempted itself from its civic duty to contribute taxes in a way that significantly burdens those of more modest means.
Birthday: May 18, 1872 – Death: February 2, 1970