Death and taxes (idiom)

"Death and taxes" is a phrase commonly referencing a famous quotation written by American statesman Benjamin Franklin:

"Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

- Franklin

Though Franklin is not the progenitor of the phrase, his usage is the most famous, especially in the United States. Earlier versions from the 18th century include a line in Daniel Defoe's The Political History of the Devil (1726), and a quotation from The Cobbler of Preston by Christopher Bullock (1716), which is the earliest known iteration.

"You lye, you are not sure; for I say, Woman, 'tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes"

- Christopher Bullock