--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem is not that people are taxed…" description: "\"The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.\" — Ronald Reagan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ronald-reagan-119_government_the-problem-is-not-that-people-are-taxed_2827604.jpg" --- # The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the… ![“The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ronald-reagan-119_government_the-problem-is-not-that-people-are-taxed_2827604.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ronald-reagan-119_government_the-problem-is-not-that-people-are-taxed_2827604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/ronald-reagan-119_government_the-problem-is-not-that-people-are-taxed_2827604.jpg) > “The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive government spending is the real issue, not low taxes. **In simple terms:** Government waste is the problem, not taxes. Key Takeaway Focus on reducing wasteful spending. Themes government economics fiscal policy Mood critical analytical Type political policy When to use this quote - policy debates - budget planning - public administration - tax reform - public spending Key Concepts public finance budget deficits tax policy Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance tax cuts with responsible spending? - What reforms can curb government waste? A Different Perspective Reducing taxes without cutting spending can increase deficits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Spends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-spends-959065/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Taxed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-taxed-1746311/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problem Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-government-609289/) [Taxed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxed/) [Taxed Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxed-little-3635606/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Too much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-much/) ## Related quotes > [There's always somebody who is paid too much, and taxed too little - and it's always somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cullen-hightower/there-s-always-somebody-who-is-paid-too-much-and-taxed-too-little-and/) [Cullen Hightower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cullen-hightower/) > [I used to get taxed on my allowance. Yeah, I've been taxed since I was a little kid. And at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-conrad/i-used-to-get-taxed-on-my-allowance-yeah-i-ve-been-taxed-since-i-was/) [Lauren Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-conrad/) > [I would not support any scheme which suggested that people should be taxed for living in their own home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-berejiklian/i-would-not-support-any-scheme-which-suggested-that-people-should-be/) [Gladys Berejiklian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-berejiklian/) > [People are taxed enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-ford/people-are-taxed-enough/) [Doug Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-ford/) > [The Tea Party movement is we the people who have been taxed enough already. I think that folks forget that this is not an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharron-angle/the-tea-party-movement-is-we-the-people-who-have-been-taxed-enough/) [Sharron Angle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharron-angle/) > [Though tax records are generally looked upon as a nuisance, the day may come when historians will realize that tax records tell the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-adams/though-tax-records-are-generally-looked-upon-as-a-nuisance-the-day/) [Charles Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-adams/) > [The problem is government spends too much. So raising taxes is what politicians do, instead of reducing spending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/the-problem-is-government-spends-too-much-so-raising-taxes-is-what/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we've been tempted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/in-this-present-crisis-government-is-not-the-solution-to-our-problem-3/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we've been tempted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/in-this-present-crisis-government-is-not-the-solution-to-our-problem-2/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government IS the problem. It isn't so much that liberals are ignorant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/in-this-present-crisis-government-is-not-the-solution-to-our-problem/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [In the present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/in-the-present-crisis-government-is-not-the-solution-to-our-problem/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem. ... Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them. Government's view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/government-is-not-a-solution-to-our-problem-government-is-the-problem-2/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Government is not a solution to our problem government is the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/government-is-not-a-solution-to-our-problem-government-is-the-problem/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [We must move from revenue-neutral to revenue-reducing tax reform, because the federal government spends far too much money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/we-must-move-from-revenue-neutral-to-revenue-reducing-tax-reform/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [Even if the government spends itself into bankruptcy and the economy still does not recover, Keynesians can always say that it would have worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/even-if-the-government-spends-itself-into-bankruptcy-and-the-economy/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. 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The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [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/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! 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George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More Government quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. 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We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/louisiana-s-spicy-colorful-politics-have-saddled-our-state-with-a/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [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/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. 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