--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: it is generally considered to be the best…" description: "\"“it is generally considered to be the best tax ever invented. It raises more revenue at less economic cost than any other tax. For this reason, many co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/bruce-bartlett-27847_taxes_it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-bes_83908.jpg" --- # it is generally considered to be the best tax ever… ![“it is generally considered to be the best tax ever invented. It raises more revenue at less economic cost than any other tax. For this reason, many conservatives oppose it.” quote by Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/bruce-bartlett-27847_taxes_it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-bes_83908.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/bruce-bartlett-27847_taxes_it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-bes_83908.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/bruce-bartlett-27847_taxes_it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-bes_83908.jpg) > ““it is generally considered to be the best tax ever invented. It raises more revenue at less economic cost than any other tax. For this reason, many conservatives oppose it.”” [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that a consumption-based tax, often called a value-added tax, is efficient because it generates high revenue with minimal distortion to economic activity, yet it faces political resistance from conservatives due to ideological preferences for lower taxes on consumption. **In simple terms:** Efficient tax, political opposition Key Takeaway Efficiency vs. ideology Themes tax policy economic efficiency political ideology conservatism public finance Mood analytical critical thought‑provoking Type policy statement economic observation When to use this quote - government budgeting - policy debates - legislative hearings - tax reform proposals - public opinion surveys Key Concepts VAT revenue generation economic distortion political resistance Practical Applications - designing tax reforms - educating policymakers Questions to Reflect On - How can a tax be both efficient and equitable? - What political strategies could shift conservative views on consumption taxes? A Different Perspective Critics argue that consumption taxes are regressive, disproportionately affecting low‑income households, which can offset efficiency gains. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-tax-1061709/) [Conservatives Oppose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatives-oppose-1061710/) [Reason Conservatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-conservatives-1061711/) [Tax Invented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax-invented-1061708/) [Tax Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax-reason-1061712/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [Conservatives do not oppose affirmative action because they are crypto-racists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norah-vincent/conservatives-do-not-oppose-affirmative-action-because-they-are/) [Norah Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norah-vincent/) > [The reason conservatives cohere and radicals fight: everyone agrees about fears, no one about visions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-reason-conservatives-cohere-and-radicals-fight-everyone-agrees/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [I supported Obama because of his relationships. A lot of the things he believes in, you would say that it's not in the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/i-supported-obama-because-of-his-relationships-a-lot-of-the-things-he/) [Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/) > [Liberalism, conservatism, that's irrelevant stuff to Trump. He looks at things in an entirely different way. This is a reason why we, as conservatives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/liberalism-conservatism-that-s-irrelevant-stuff-to-trump-he-looks-at/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Millions and millions of people don't pay an income tax, because they don't earn enough to pay on one, but you pay a land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/millions-and-millions-of-people-don-t-pay-an-income-tax-because-they/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The best scheme of finance is, to spend as little as possible; and the best tax is always the lightest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-say/the-best-scheme-of-finance-is-to-spend-as-little-as-possible-and-the/) [Jean-Baptiste Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-say/) > [The traditional family has an intrinsic as well as an instrumental value, and that is the real reason so many conservatives defend it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/the-traditional-family-has-an-intrinsic-as-well-as-an-instrumental/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory rate was 50 percent. Now it's 35 percent. And all the pressure is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the-top-statutory-rate-was-50/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The government competes in the private sector the way an alligator competes with a duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-government-competes-in-the-private-sector-the-way-an-alligator/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [We will also target tax evasion and off-shore tax havens... Everyone must pay their share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/we-will-also-target-tax-evasion-and-off-shore-tax-havens-everyone/) [George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [Fiscal prudence is very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smriti-irani/fiscal-prudence-is-very-important/) [Smriti Irani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smriti-irani/) ## More by Bruce Bartlett > [Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory rate was 50 percent. Now it's 35 percent. And all the pressure is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/up-until-1986-the-top-marginal-rate-the-top-statutory-rate-was-50/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [“I think Republicans should fight for the black vote and blacks should fight for a place in the Republican Party, just as they fought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/i-think-republicans-should-fight-for-the-black-vote-and-blacks-should/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [Many of my sharpest critics have decided to take a position of ignoring me - because they feel that by attacking me, they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/many-of-my-sharpest-critics-have-decided-to-take-a-position-of/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [“it took two full years for final congressional action on the Tax Reform Act of 1986 after the Treasury had already done a thorough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/it-took-two-full-years-for-final-congressional-action-on-the-tax/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [“Tax reform may present another opportunity to address these issues and perhaps improve both the tax system and the health care system at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/tax-reform-may-present-another-opportunity-to-address-these-issues/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [Republicans favor tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, but these had no stimulative effect during the George W. Bush administration, and there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/republicans-favor-tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy-and-corporations-but-these/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [People are increasingly concerned about unemployment, but Republicans have nothing to offer them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/people-are-increasingly-concerned-about-unemployment-but-republicans/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [So I think we shouldn't be overly concerned about the decline in personal saving at this particular moment and time, but it's something we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/so-i-think-we-shouldn-t-be-overly-concerned-about-the-decline-in/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [“It’s as if the concept of taxation as theft—rather than as a shared burden that all should contribute toward as the cost of maintaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/it-s-as-if-the-concept-of-taxation-as-theft-rather-than-as-a-shared/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [With all due respect to Speaker Hastert, trying to eliminate the IRS by adopting a national retail sales tax is a very dumb idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/with-all-due-respect-to-speaker-hastert-trying-to-eliminate-the-irs/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [Rick Perry's an idiot, and I don't think anyone would disagree with that,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/rick-perry-s-an-idiot-and-i-don-t-think-anyone-would-disagree-with/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [The break for me was the Medicare drug benefit in 2003. It's just grossly expensive, bad policy. After that, I no longer gave them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/the-break-for-me-was-the-medicare-drug-benefit-in-2003-it-s-just/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [The conservative side of our political spectrum has had an outsized voice over the last few years. I think especially since the establishment of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/the-conservative-side-of-our-political-spectrum-has-had-an-outsized/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [The problem we have had on the budget all along is a lack of adult supervision on the part of the White House. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/the-problem-we-have-had-on-the-budget-all-along-is-a-lack-of-adult/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) > [Democrats will play the old Washington game of calling reductions in the rate of growth of spending for any program a 'cut'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/democrats-will-play-the-old-washington-game-of-calling-reductions-in/) [Bruce Bartlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) [Explore all 20 Bruce Bartlett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/) ## More Taxes quotes > [Fiscal prudence is very important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smriti-irani/fiscal-prudence-is-very-important/) [Smriti Irani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smriti-irani/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [We will also target tax evasion and off-shore tax havens... Everyone must pay their share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-osborne/we-will-also-target-tax-evasion-and-off-shore-tax-havens-everyone/) [George Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-osborne/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [The government competes in the private sector the way an alligator competes with a duck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-government-competes-in-the-private-sector-the-way-an-alligator/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I can't see the Democrats working with Donald Trump on tax reform unless the rich get soaked. The thing about this that should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-can-t-see-the-democrats-working-with-donald-trump-on-tax-reform/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [When we're done simplifying the tax code, getting the lobbyist carve outs our of the tax code, lowering our rates and letting people have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/when-we-re-done-simplifying-the-tax-code-getting-the-lobbyist-carve/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [Grow jobs. Get this economy growing. Raise wages. Simplify the tax system, so it's easy to comply with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/grow-jobs-get-this-economy-growing-raise-wages-simplify-the-tax/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [I think we need to talk about mental illness a lot more. People complain about tax dollars and say we don't have the money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-think-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-illness-a-lot-more-people/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [The tax code is 10 times the size of the Bible with none of the good news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/the-tax-code-is-10-times-the-size-of-the-bible-with-none-of-the-good/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [It is perhaps my greatest hope, Mr. President, that some day we'll consider tax and spending measures with no one else in mind but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/it-is-perhaps-my-greatest-hope-mr-president-that-some-day-we-ll/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Two things you need to know about taxes. They've extended the deadline to April 18, and when you write your check, just make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/two-things-you-need-to-know-about-taxes-they-ve-extended-the-deadline/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) [Browse all 5,712 Taxes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“it is generally considered to be the best tax ever invented. It raises more revenue at less economic cost than any other tax. For this reason, many conservatives oppose it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bruce Bartlett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-best-tax-ever-invented-it-raises/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Taxes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-best-tax-ever-invented-it-raises/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/bruce-bartlett-27847_taxes_it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-bes_83908.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/bruce-bartlett-27847_taxes_it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-bes_83908.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/bruce-bartlett-27847_taxes_it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-bes_83908.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“it is generally considered to be the best tax ever invented. It raises more revenue at less economic cost…” — Bruce Bartlett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bruce Bartlett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-bartlett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“it is generally considered to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-best-tax-ever-invented-it-raises/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-bartlett/it-is-generally-considered-to-be-the-best-tax-ever-invented-it-raises/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```