--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most voters would rather have their purse…" description: "\"Most voters would rather have their purse or wallet stolen than be audited by the IRS.\" — Frank Luntz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/frank-luntz-4874_irs_most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purs_288616.png" --- # Most voters would rather have their purse or wallet stolen… ![“Most voters would rather have their purse or wallet stolen than be audited by the IRS.” quote by Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/frank-luntz-4874_irs_most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purs_288616.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/frank-luntz-4874_irs_most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purs_288616.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/frank-luntz-4874_irs_most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purs_288616.png) > “Most voters would rather have their purse or wallet stolen than be audited by the IRS.” [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People fear IRS audits more than theft, indicating deep distrust of government taxation. **In simple terms:** Audits are scarier than theft. Key Takeaway Address fear by improving transparency and communication. Themes tax policy public perception government trust fear behavioral economics Mood anxious skeptical Type political educational When to use this quote - tax filing - public policy debates - financial planning Key Concepts risk aversion tax compliance psychology of fear Questions to Reflect On - Why does the IRS evoke such strong fear? - How can tax authorities reduce this anxiety? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Voters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voters/) ## Related quotes > [I get audited almost every year.And in a way, I should be complaining. I'm not even complaining. I don't mind it. It's almost become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-get-audited-almost-every-year-and-in-a-way-i-should-be-complaining/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I was going to start off tonight with an Obama joke, but I don't want to get audited by the IRS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/i-was-going-to-start-off-tonight-with-an-obama-joke-but-i-don-t-want/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [In fact, presidents and vice presidents are automatically audited by the IRS, which hasn't stopped other chief executives from making them public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yang/in-fact-presidents-and-vice-presidents-are-automatically-audited-by/) [John Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yang/) > [Nothing guarantees more applause and more support than the call to abolish the IRS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/nothing-guarantees-more-applause-and-more-support-than-the-call-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [I've been audited for many, many years in a row, which I think is unfair, but that's the way it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-ve-been-audited-for-many-many-years-in-a-row-which-i-think-is/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [As a company, we have to be very transparent. We are in a business very related to finance, and I want this company to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/as-a-company-we-have-to-be-very-transparent-we-are-in-a-business-very/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [ He \[Donald Trump\] said in the debate - he said, gosh, I'm being audited for two years. Then he said three years. Then he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/he-donald-trump-said-in-the-debate-he-said-gosh-i-m-being-audited-for/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When you're under audit, you don't give your papers. An audit is - I have been under audit for so many years. Every year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/when-you-re-under-audit-you-don-t-give-your-papers-an-audit-is-i-have/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I know a lot of wealthy people that have never been audited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-know-a-lot-of-wealthy-people-that-have-never-been-audited/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Audit the Fed is a bill that would politicize monetary policy, would bring short-term political pressures to bear on the Fed. In terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/audit-the-fed-is-a-bill-that-would-politicize-monetary-policy-would/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) > [When I did my research on this topic, I came to the startling conclusion that the Federal Reserve System does not need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-edward-griffin/when-i-did-my-research-on-this-topic-i-came-to-the-startling/) [G. Edward Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-edward-griffin/) > [“She has carefully audited her life and found she has no requirement for a husband.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-smith/she-has-carefully-audited-her-life-and-found-she-has-no-requirement/) [Helen Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-smith/) > [I always say to my people, how come I'm always audited and friends of mine are never audited?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-always-say-to-my-people-how-come-i-m-always-audited-and-friends-of/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I've been stabbed before. Barely a week ago, in fact. AND I've been audited, AND I come from a broken home. In short -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryjanice-davidson/i-ve-been-stabbed-before-barely-a-week-ago-in-fact-and-i-ve-been/) [MaryJanice Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryjanice-davidson/) > [I have friends that are very wealthy, and I said, do you get audited? They don't even know what I'm talking about. They have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-have-friends-that-are-very-wealthy-and-i-said-do-you-get-audited/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) ## More by Frank Luntz > [The fundamental problem for Republicans when it comes to the environment is that whatever you say is viewed through the prism of suspicion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-fundamental-problem-for-republicans-when-it-comes-to-the/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [ There are about 50 or 60 recommendations \[in "Win"\] for how to communicate, not just the words themselves. All of them had to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/there-are-about-50-or-60-recommendations-in-win-for-how-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [With all due respect to UPS - it's a fine company - nobody cares about logistics. They care about that package arriving at their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/with-all-due-respect-to-ups-it-s-a-fine-company-nobody-cares-about/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [People like me have to have the discipline only to work for clients, corporations, political people, products, services, networks that we believe in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/people-like-me-have-to-have-the-discipline-only-to-work-for-clients/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Ideology and communication more often than not run into each other rather than complement each other. Principle and communication work together. Ideology and communication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/ideology-and-communication-more-often-than-not-run-into-each-other/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > ["Win" is about the specific use of specific words to connect you to your employer or employees, politicians to voters - and frankly, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/win-is-about-the-specific-use-of-specific-words-to-connect-you-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [We as Americans and as humans have very selective hearing and very selective memory. We only hear what we want to hear and disregard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/we-as-americans-and-as-humans-have-very-selective-hearing-and-very/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [I don't understand why people whose entire lives or their corporate success depends on communication, and yet they are led on occasion by CEOs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/i-don-t-understand-why-people-whose-entire-lives-or-their-corporate/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [When I wrote "Win," it only took about eight months, but eight months of sheer pain and suffering because every phrase that's in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/when-i-wrote-win-it-only-took-about-eight-months-but-eight-months-of/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [The perfect opening is the word imagine, because imagine allows you to communicate in the eyes and the vision of the listener rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-perfect-opening-is-the-word-imagine-because-imagine-allows-you-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Traditional market researchers are cold and calculating and scientific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/traditional-market-researchers-are-cold-and-calculating-and-scientific/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [In fact, in more cases than not, when we are rational, we're actually unhappy. Emotion is good; passion is good. Being into what we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/in-fact-in-more-cases-than-not-when-we-are-rational-we-re-actually/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [The Republicans are mad at Donald Trump, and the Democrats are mad at Hillary Clinton. And the Bernie Sanders people are mad at everybody.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-republicans-are-mad-at-donald-trump-and-the-democrats-are-mad-at/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Eighty percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you feel than how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/eighty-percent-of-our-life-is-emotion-and-only-20-percent-is/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [We will be far more effective as communicators when we acknowledge our mistakes, and then we try to make them up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/we-will-be-far-more-effective-as-communicators-when-we-acknowledge/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) [Explore all 105 Frank Luntz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) ## More Irs quotes > [Print neatly. That's the kind of advice that the IRS considers a "dynamite" tax tip. If you ask them a real tax question, such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/print-neatly-that-s-the-kind-of-advice-that-the-irs-considers-a/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [The real problem with the IRS is that they let General Electric not pay any taxes -- and 50 other corporations -- that's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/the-real-problem-with-the-irs-is-that-they-let-general-electric-not/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [Cruel and paradoxical though it undoubtedly is, the record shows that yje most succesful 20th century monarchs have been those who were not actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cannadine/cruel-and-paradoxical-though-it-undoubtedly-is-the-record-shows-that/) [David Cannadine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cannadine/) > [Huguette Clark has had her own tax liens - four times, the IRS has filed to collect taxes from her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/huguette-clark-has-had-her-own-tax-liens-four-times-the-irs-has-filed/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [Much has already been learned about the arrogance of the IRS from the House investigations of the agency's targeting of conservatives. The revelations emerged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleta-mitchell/much-has-already-been-learned-about-the-arrogance-of-the-irs-from-the/) Cleta Mitchell > [Today's political leaders demonstrate their low opinion of the public with every social law they pass. They believe that, if given the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/today-s-political-leaders-demonstrate-their-low-opinion-of-the-public/) [Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/) > [I'm not the only taxpayer who has no idea what he's sending to the IRS. This year, only 28 percent of all Americans will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/i-m-not-the-only-taxpayer-who-has-no-idea-what-he-s-sending-to-the/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Writing checks to the IRS that include strings of zeros does not bother me ... Overall, we feel extraordinarily lucky to have been dealt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/writing-checks-to-the-irs-that-include-strings-of-zeros-does-not/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [My family was always very supportive. Whether you're an actor or not, everybody hears the horror stories of people going to L.A. and trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-levi/my-family-was-always-very-supportive-whether-you-re-an-actor-or-not/) [Zachary Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-levi/) > [I've enjoyed much success. The IRS is always at my door, constantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krs-one/i-ve-enjoyed-much-success-the-irs-is-always-at-my-door-constantly/) [KRS-One](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krs-one/) > [Its contempt for citizens ... is so routine, and so unlimited, that the agency has become a kind of Frankenstein, running wild and terrorizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/its-contempt-for-citizens-is-so-routine-and-so-unlimited-that-the/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [I got a letter from the IRS. Apparently I owe them $800. So I sent them a letter back. I said, If you'll remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-got-a-letter-from-the-irs-apparently-i-owe-them-800-so-i-sent-them/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [We need to call what is happening out of Washington, D.C., what it is: Bureaucratic terrorism: If you want a list of stories, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-shea/we-need-to-call-what-is-happening-out-of-washington-d-c-what-it-is/) [Matt Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-shea/) > [ The cost of taxpayer compliance with \[the tax code\] is over $80 billion per year, more than eight times the cost of the IRS budget ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-o-rossotti/the-cost-of-taxpayer-compliance-with-the-tax-code-is-over-80-billion/) Charles O. Rossotti > [What am I afraid of? The IRS. Thats it. I dont want those people knockin on my door, man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/what-am-i-afraid-of-the-irs-thats-it-i-dont-want-those-people-knockin/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) Browse all 176 Irs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most voters would rather have their purse or wallet stolen than be audited by the IRS.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Luntz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purse-or-wallet-stolen-than-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Irs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purse-or-wallet-stolen-than-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/frank-luntz-4874_irs_most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purs_288616.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/frank-luntz-4874_irs_most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purs_288616.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2b/frank-luntz-4874_irs_most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purs_288616.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most voters would rather have their purse or wallet stolen than be audited by the IRS.” — Frank Luntz", "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": "Frank Luntz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Most voters would rather have their...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purse-or-wallet-stolen-than-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purse-or-wallet-stolen-than-be/#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 } } ] } ```