The hardest thing in the world to understand is income taxes (attrib Albert Einstein Feb 22 1963)

[Garson O'Toole]

The other Einstein quotation about taxes mentioned in the Time
magazine letter apparently dates from 1944 when it appeared in a
widely distributed Associated Press story.

Cite: 1944 March 11, New York Times, Tax Form Baffles Even Prof.
Einstein [Associated Press], Page 1, New York. (ProQuest)

Asked what his reaction was to the maze of income tax questions,
Professor Einstein, whose theory of relativity is supposedly
understood by only seven persons in the world, replied:

"This is a question too difficult for a mathematician. It should be
asked of a philosopher."

End excerpt

Both sentences of the quotation above differ somewhat from the version
in Time magazine on February 01, 1963 and the version in Time on
February 22, 1963.

"This is too difficult for a mathematician," said Einstein. "It takes
a philosopher."
End excerpt

Textual differences of this type mean little to the reader, but
sometimes mean quite a bit to a database searcher. Relativity
(simplified).
Garson

On Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 8:17 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: The hardest thing in the world to understand is income taxes
>              (attrib Albert Einstein Feb 22 1963)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 8:12 PM -0500 2/27/11, Garson O'Toole wrote:
>>The hardest thing in the world to understand is income taxes.
>>
>>The Yale Book of Quotations lists a version of this saying with
>>slightly different phrasing (YBQ has "is the income tax") attributed
>>to Einstein in the Wall Street Journal in 1971. I did not see anything
>>relevant in the ADS archive or Barry Popik's website.
>>
>>In preparation for April 15th I decided to investigate. Below is a
>>letter to Time magazine that I suspect is the origin of the quote:
>>
>>Letters: Feb. 22, 1963
>>
>>Einstein on Taxes
>>
>>Sir: I was interested in the article on taxes [Feb. 1] in which it was
>>pointed out that "the late great Albert Einstein once admitted that
>>figuring out his U.S. income tax was beyond him--he had to go to a tax
>>consultant. 'This is too difficult for a mathematician,' said
>>Einstein. 'It takes a philosopher.' "
>>
>>  >From the time Professor Einstein came to this country until his death,
>>I prepared his income tax returns and advised him on his tax problems.
>>However, contrary to the statement that you quote, at no time did he
>>allude to me as a philosopher.
>>
>>One year while I was at his Princeton home preparing his return, Mrs.
>>Einstein, who was then still living, asked me to stay for lunch.
>>During the course of the meal, the professor turned to me and with his
>>inimitable chuckle said: "The hardest thing in the world to understand
>>is income taxes." I replied: "There is one thing more difficult, and
>>that is your theory of relativity." "Oh, no," he replied, ''that is
>>easy." To which Mrs. Einstein commented, "Yes, for you." LEO
>>MATTERSDORF New York City
>
> Very nice--proving it's clearly all relative.  (I wish I knew whether
> her comment supported her husbsand's General or Special Theory.)
>
> LH
>
>>
>>http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,827992,00.html
>>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,827992,00.html
>>
>>Garson
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org