--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have the most expensive compliance…" description: "\"We have the most expensive compliance system in the world. The IRS brags that they spend 35 cents for every $100 they collect. They're very efficient c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/t-r-reid-18579_brag_we-have-the-most-expensive-compliance-sy_83589.jpg" --- # We have the most expensive compliance system in the world… ![“We have the most expensive compliance system in the world. The IRS brags that they spend 35 cents for every $100 they collect. They're very efficient collectors. And the reason is they stick the real cost on you and me.” quote by T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/t-r-reid-18579_brag_we-have-the-most-expensive-compliance-sy_83589.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/t-r-reid-18579_brag_we-have-the-most-expensive-compliance-sy_83589.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95f/t-r-reid-18579_brag_we-have-the-most-expensive-compliance-sy_83589.jpg) > “We have the most expensive compliance system in the world. The IRS brags that they spend 35 cents for every $100 they collect. They're very efficient collectors. And the reason is they stick the real cost on you and me.” [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) ## 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 critiques how tax agencies shift the true cost of compliance onto taxpayers, making the system appear cheap for the agency while burdening individuals. **In simple terms:** Tax compliance appears cheap for the agency but costly for citizens. Key Takeaway Hidden costs of tax enforcement Themes tax policy government efficiency public finance burden shifting bureaucracy Mood critical skeptical Type observation critique When to use this quote - filing taxes - budget planning - policy debate - tax reform discussions Key Concepts tax collection administrative cost public perception Practical Applications - designing fair tax systems - educating taxpayers about hidden costs Questions to Reflect On - How does shifting compliance costs affect public trust? - What alternatives could reduce taxpayer burden? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Those who had nothing substantial to brag about bragged the loudest. Stay silent and ignore the chattering crowd - this was proof you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-f-kuang/those-who-had-nothing-substantial-to-brag-about-bragged-the-loudest/) [R.F. Kuang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-f-kuang/) > [“Bear in mind then, that Brag is a good dog, but Holdfast is a better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/bear-in-mind-then-that-brag-is-a-good-dog-but-holdfast-is-a-better/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I can't catch her by copying her, I can't draw her with a borrowed stencil. She is all the things a lover should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-can-t-catch-her-by-copying-her-i-can-t-draw-her-with-a-borrowed/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“All's well that ends well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-s-well-that-ends-well/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes, I get so annoyed when other people brag. And sometimes, I know that I'm better than that or I've got something better in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-christensen/sometimes-i-get-so-annoyed-when-other-people-brag-and-sometimes-i/) [Erika Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-christensen/) > [I don't wish to brag, but I'm very intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-don-t-wish-to-brag-but-i-m-very-intelligent/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [Humble yourself and people will respect you more for that then anything you brag about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/humble-yourself-and-people-will-respect-you-more-for-that-then/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Depending on who it is, but I can't stand men who brag about themselves, and all they do all day is talk about themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-krupa/depending-on-who-it-is-but-i-can-t-stand-men-who-brag-about/) [Joanna Krupa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-krupa/) > [I don't mean to brag, but I'm kind of a big deal, if you know what I mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana/i-don-t-mean-to-brag-but-i-m-kind-of-a-big-deal-if-you-know-what-i/) [Ariana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana/) > [I'm not one of those actors who romanticizes his trials working out and brags that he can bench press a panda now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/i-m-not-one-of-those-actors-who-romanticizes-his-trials-working-out/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [Obama's gonna play Santa Claus with the minimum wage. He's got no successes to brag about. He cannot talk about a robust job market.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/obama-s-gonna-play-santa-claus-with-the-minimum-wage-he-s-got-no/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [People love to hear the brag of the local boy, because they want him to be great, but the foreigner must deny that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/people-love-to-hear-the-brag-of-the-local-boy-because-they-want-him/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [For God hates utterly the bray of bragging tongues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/for-god-hates-utterly-the-bray-of-bragging-tongues/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Don't eat with someone that's going to brag about feeding you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-eat-with-someone-that-s-going-to-brag-about-feeding-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Two went to pray? Better to say one went to brag, the other to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-crashaw/two-went-to-pray-better-to-say-one-went-to-brag-the-other-to-pray/) [Richard Crashaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-crashaw/) ## More by T.R. Reid > [President Trump repeatedly says that "America is the highest-taxed country in the world." This is an alternative fact. We pay less in taxes, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/president-trump-repeatedly-says-that-america-is-the-highest-taxed/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [The Value-Added Tax, a sales tax that applies at every level of business transactions, is an easy tax for governments to collect, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/the-value-added-tax-a-sales-tax-that-applies-at-every-level-of/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [“When I was traveling the world on my quest, I asked the health ministry of each country how many citizens had declared bankruptcy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/when-i-was-traveling-the-world-on-my-quest-i-asked-the-health/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [When it comes to taxation, Americans are still banging out letters on a typewriter and dropping them in the mail box while everybody else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/when-it-comes-to-taxation-americans-are-still-banging-out-letters-on/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [If you get rid of all these giveaways and loopholes and deductions and credits, then you can sharply lower the rates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/if-you-get-rid-of-all-these-giveaways-and-loopholes-and-deductions/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [If you ask any economist, they'll tell you all the mortgage interest deduction does is raise the price of the house. So a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/if-you-ask-any-economist-they-ll-tell-you-all-the-mortgage-interest/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [It turns out a VAT - a value-added tax - is a very easy tax to collect and a very hard tax to evade.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/it-turns-out-a-vat-a-value-added-tax-is-a-very-easy-tax-to-collect/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [Corporations use all sorts of complex stratagems to move their profits overseas, and thus escape the U.S. income tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/corporations-use-all-sorts-of-complex-stratagems-to-move-their/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [The Value-Added Tax, a sales tax that applies at every level of business transactions, is an easy tax for governments to collect, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/the-value-added-tax-a-sales-tax-that-applies-at-every-level-of-2/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [“But Nikki White was a citizen of the world’s richest country, the United States of America.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/but-nikki-white-was-a-citizen-of-the-world-s-richest-country-the/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [Starting in the '80s or so, after the United States sharply cut its rates, other countries decided they better do it too, and here's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/starting-in-the-80s-or-so-after-the-united-states-sharply-cut-its/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [If your employer pays your health insurance, that's not counted as income to you. And any economist would say that's your income, because they'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/if-your-employer-pays-your-health-insurance-that-s-not-counted-as/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [You also get a deduction in America for taking a night school course, growing sugarcane, moving to a new city for a job, replanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/you-also-get-a-deduction-in-america-for-taking-a-night-school-course/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [Professor Eric Zolt of UCLA, said to me, "The VAT is such a good idea, mark my words, within five years, the U.S. will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/professor-eric-zolt-of-ucla-said-to-me-the-vat-is-such-a-good-idea/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [“It’s one of the finest highway networks in the world—and nobody seems to care that the basic idea was copied from the Nazis.6  …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/it-s-one-of-the-finest-highway-networks-in-the-world-and-nobody-seems/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) [Explore all 34 T.R. Reid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) ## More Brag quotes > [“Those who had nothing substantial to brag about bragged the loudest. Stay silent and ignore the chattering crowd - this was proof you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-f-kuang/those-who-had-nothing-substantial-to-brag-about-bragged-the-loudest/) [R.F. Kuang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-f-kuang/) > [Don't eat with someone that's going to brag about feeding you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-eat-with-someone-that-s-going-to-brag-about-feeding-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For God hates utterly the bray of bragging tongues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/for-god-hates-utterly-the-bray-of-bragging-tongues/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [People love to hear the brag of the local boy, because they want him to be great, but the foreigner must deny that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/people-love-to-hear-the-brag-of-the-local-boy-because-they-want-him/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Obama's gonna play Santa Claus with the minimum wage. He's got no successes to brag about. He cannot talk about a robust job market.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/obama-s-gonna-play-santa-claus-with-the-minimum-wage-he-s-got-no/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I'm not one of those actors who romanticizes his trials working out and brags that he can bench press a panda now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/i-m-not-one-of-those-actors-who-romanticizes-his-trials-working-out/) [Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/) > [I don't mean to brag, but I'm kind of a big deal, if you know what I mean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana/i-don-t-mean-to-brag-but-i-m-kind-of-a-big-deal-if-you-know-what-i/) [Ariana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana/) > [Depending on who it is, but I can't stand men who brag about themselves, and all they do all day is talk about themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-krupa/depending-on-who-it-is-but-i-can-t-stand-men-who-brag-about/) [Joanna Krupa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-krupa/) > [Humble yourself and people will respect you more for that then anything you brag about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/humble-yourself-and-people-will-respect-you-more-for-that-then/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't wish to brag, but I'm very intelligent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hodgman/i-don-t-wish-to-brag-but-i-m-very-intelligent/) [John Hodgman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hodgman/) > [Sometimes, I get so annoyed when other people brag. And sometimes, I know that I'm better than that or I've got something better in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-christensen/sometimes-i-get-so-annoyed-when-other-people-brag-and-sometimes-i/) [Erika Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-christensen/) > [“All's well that ends well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-s-well-that-ends-well/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't catch her by copying her, I can't draw her with a borrowed stencil. She is all the things a lover should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-can-t-catch-her-by-copying-her-i-can-t-draw-her-with-a-borrowed/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Bear in mind then, that Brag is a good dog, but Holdfast is a better.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/bear-in-mind-then-that-brag-is-a-good-dog-but-holdfast-is-a-better/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Two went to pray? Better to say one went to brag, the other to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-crashaw/two-went-to-pray-better-to-say-one-went-to-brag-the-other-to-pray/) [Richard Crashaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-crashaw/) Browse all 241 Brag quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have the most expensive compliance system in the world. The IRS brags that they spend 35 cents for every $100 they collect. 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