--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're going to buy something which…" description: "\"If you're going to buy something which compounds for 30 years at 15% per annum and you pay one 35% tax at the very end, the way that works out is that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/charlie-munger-458_compounds_if-you-re-going-to-buy-something-which-c_1801712.jpg" --- # If you're going to buy something which compounds for 30… ![“If you're going to buy something which compounds for 30 years at 15% per annum and you pay one 35% tax at the very end, the way that works out is that after taxes, you keep 13.3% per annum. In contrast, if you bought the same investment, but had to pay taxes every year of 35% out of the 15% that…” quote by Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/charlie-munger-458_compounds_if-you-re-going-to-buy-something-which-c_1801712.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/charlie-munger-458_compounds_if-you-re-going-to-buy-something-which-c_1801712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/913/charlie-munger-458_compounds_if-you-re-going-to-buy-something-which-c_1801712.jpg) > “If you're going to buy something which compounds for 30 years at 15% per annum and you pay one 35% tax at the very end, the way that works out is that after taxes, you keep 13.3% per annum. In contrast, if you bought the same investment, but had to pay taxes every year of 35% out of the 15% that you earned, then your return would be 15% minus 35% of 15%-or only 9.75% per year compounded. So the difference there is over 3.5%. And what 3.5% does to the numbers over long holding periods like 30 years is truly eye-opening.” [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Investing long‑term with tax‑deferred growth yields significantly higher returns than paying taxes annually. **In simple terms:** Tax‑deferred compounding beats yearly taxes. Key Takeaway Prefer tax‑advantaged accounts for long horizons. Themes investing taxation compounding Mood analytical pragmatic Type advisory educational When to use this quote - retirement planning - wealth building - financial advising Key Concepts after‑tax return time value of money Questions to Reflect On - How would your portfolio change with tax‑deferred growth? - What strategies can you use to minimize annual tax drag? A Different Perspective Annual taxes erode growth, especially at high rates. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Eye opening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye-opening/) [Investment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investment/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Work out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-out/) ## Related quotes > [I can pinpoint when I started playing professionally very easily, because in 1985, when I was 12, I got a job playing in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-freese/i-can-pinpoint-when-i-started-playing-professionally-very-easily/) [Josh Freese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-freese/) > [It's tax season. 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In contrast, if you bought the same investment, but had to pay taxes every year of 35% out of the 15% that you earned, then your return would be 15% minus 35% of 15%-or only 9.75% per year compounded. So the difference there is over 3.5%. 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