Happy July 4th, America!

July 4, 2010

July4-vintage-postcard 

Happy Independence Day!

There are three things every American should do today:

Celebrate! This is our birthday. Enjoy it with friends, family and neighbors. And please do so safely.

Give thanks to those who had this grand idea 234 years ago and to all who have and continue to safeguard us.

Remember not only why we declared our independence, but the responsibilities of each of us to live up to the vision of a new country that our founding fathers had.

Taxes and the Declaration of Independence: A lot of lip service is given, especially in election years like this one, to the famous “no taxation without representation” mantra popular just before we broke away from England.

So I thought it appropriate today to look at just what the Declaration of Independence says about taxes.

Not being one to reinvent the wheel, especially on a long holiday weekend, I direct you to a guest post from a few years ago on TaxProf Blog by Neil H. Buchanan, now an associate professor at George Washington University Law School, on What the Declaration of Independence Says About Taxes.

UPDATE: TaxProf re-ran this post today, along with an addendum from Chris Bergin, president and publisher of Tax Analysts, on what July 4th means to him.

Now enough with the education. Where’s my barbecued brisket and potato salad!?

Related posts:

Want to tell your friends about this blog post? Click the Tweet This or Digg This buttons below or use the Share This icon to spread the word via e-mail, Facebook and other popular applications. Thanks!

Share:

The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

Latest Posts
Don’t miss these June 15 tax filing and paying deadlines

June 14, 2026

June 15 is Tax Day for millions of U.S. taxpayers. Those living and working abroad…

Read More
Tax Season 2026 Continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2025 is finally over. For most of us. When the filing season started on Jan. 26, millions who were expecting refunds filed immediately. Most of us got our returns to the Internal Revenue Service by April 15. But plenty of taxpayers also got extensions. They are looking at an Oct. 15 filing deadline.

Those procrastinating filers aren’t a problem. In fact, the IRS appreciates taxpayers who take time to fill out their 1040 forms correctly. It also is grateful that tax submissions are spread out a bit, especially now that the IRS is a leaner agency. Processing returns is easier when they arrive throughout the year instead of in massive bunches.

But enough about Uncle Sam’s tax collection issues. The focus now is on all y’all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Since your new mid-October due date will be here before you know it, let’s get started now on meeting it.

The ol’ blog is here to help you finish up your extended Form 1040. You can start with January’s tax tips page, which has links to the rest of the year’s tips by-month collections. You also can peruse various tax categories for more tailored advice by clicking on the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of this (and every) page.

And to make sure you don’t miss your new filing deadline, the count-down clock below will let you know just how much time you to file by Oct. 15. At the latest.e. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

Comments