Jefferson’s view on TaxationDid you know for the first 140 years of America (1776-1916) there was virtually no direct taxation on American citizens? In 1802 when Thomas Jefferson took office he eliminated all direct taxation on US citizens. Tax-free America. This was Jefferson’s vision and I have quotes from him to back it up.
There were times in US history, like war, when it came back temporarily but the federal government was established to protect citizens against the burden of government. There were some excise taxes and duties on foreign imports but the government was kept to a minimum and each person was free and responsible for their own life. This was the vision of the founding fathers for establishing the United States of America.
During the tax-free time in America, citizens rich, poor and middle class of the United States grew richer and there was no social state, which was seen by the founding fathers as the road to serfdom. The whole world envied the US and tried to immigrate. If you want to read even more on the history of taxation in the United States including Jefferson’s views on taxation the US Treasury has an article.
Jefferson on taxes: they are wrongJefferson’s view on taxes was clear, they were wrong. I think it is better to look at people’s original words so I have put together some quotes by Jefferson on the issue. Jefferson believed large debt and direct taxes were a curse and something to be avoided as it was the source of oppression. Jefferson was one of the founding fathers whose vision of the United States was one of freedom for people to live their lives without the excess burden of government.
And the forehorse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression.
Thomas Jefferson in his state of the Union wrote about the “the freedom of labor from taxation”. He felt the government should protect its citizens from internal taxation.
Thomas Jefferson believed in times of war when a nation was fighting for its survival with enemies at the gate it could raise capital, but it should be paid off as soon as possible and with least burden to its citizens.
I can not but hope that Congress in reviewing their resources will find means to meet the intermediate interest of this additional debt without recurring to new taxes, and applying to this object only the ordinary progression of our revenue. Its extraordinary increase in times of foreign war will be the proper and sufficient fund for any measures of safety or precaution which that state of things may render necessary in our neutral position.
Jefferson continued to write addressing the Nation:
Direct taxation was to be avoided, this could be done by avoiding expense that are not necessary. when merely by avoiding false objects of expense we are able, without a direct tax, without internal taxes, and without borrowing to make large and effectual payments toward the discharge of our public debt and the emancipation of our posterity from that mortal canker, it is an encouragement, fellow citizens, of the highest order to proceed as we have begun in substituting economy for taxation, and in pursuing what is useful for a nation placed as we are, rather than what is practiced by others under different circumstances.
Jefferson even did not like the idea of accumulating wealth for a treasury for times of war in case it happened.
…but sound principles will not justify our taxing the industry of our fellow citizens to accumulate treasure for wars to happen we know not when, and which might not, perhaps, happen but from the temptations offered by that treasure.
Jefferson recommends no internal taxes on the citizens of the United States:
there is reasonable ground of confidence that we may now safely dispense with all the internal taxes.
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