Business Quote by Benjamin Franklin
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
About This Quote
Source Letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, 1789
Only death and taxes are certain; everything else is uncertain.
In simple terms: Death and taxes are inevitable.
Key Takeaway
Plan for the inevitable, but stay flexible.
Themes
certainty
life
finance
Mood
pragmatic
serious
Type
advisory
philosophical
When to use this quote
- budgeting
- estate planning
- career decisions
Key Concepts
inevitability
risk management
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you prepare for inevitable events?
- What can you control beyond taxes?
A Different Perspective
Other uncertainties can also be predictable with data.
![“But in this world nothing is sure but death and taxes. [Fr., Mais dons ce monde, il n'y a rien d'assure que le mort et les impots.]” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a5/benjamin-franklin-65_death_but-in-this-world-nothing-is-sure-but-de_696618.jpg)
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)