# nothing is certain but death and taxes

> English word · Proverb

## Definitions
1. Nothing in life is certain nor can be taken for granted, except (humorously) that one will die one day and that one is required to pay taxes.

## Etymology
Variant of a 1789 quotation from Benjamin Franklin, used in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/nothing-is-certain-but-death-and-taxes