No, In-N-Out Does Not Print “Taxation Is Theft” on Its Cups

In-N-Out Burger is a West Coast fast-food chain that prints Bible verses on its packaging. A recent social media claim suggests the company prints the slogan “TAXATION IS THEFT” on its cups.

Social Media Posts

Social media users have shared a photo of an In-N-Out soda cup with the text “TAXATION IS THEFT” printed under the rim, gaining widespread attention on multiple platforms.

Source | Archive

Source | Archive

Fact-Check

Upon investigation, we used the Reverse Image Search feature to trace the origin of the photo and found the original version on Taco Relish website, which shows the text “John 3:16” under the soda rim. 

This original image matches In-N-Out’s well-known practice of printing Bible verses on their packaging

In-N-Out and its Packaging Gimmicks

In-N-Out prints Bible verses on its packaging. The practice was introduced in 1987 by Rich Snyder, son of the founders, after becoming a born-again Christian. His niece Lynsi Snyder, the current CEO, maintains this practice by including scripture references on cups, wrappers, and other packaging items.

The Bible verses featured on In-N-Out’s packaging include:

• Soda cups: John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
• Milkshake cups: Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
• Burger wrappers: Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
• Double-Double wrappers: Nahum 1:7 – “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”
• Fry trays: Proverbs 24:16 – “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.”.

Lynsi Snyder has emphasized her commitment to maintaining her family’s values of quality and faith through this tradition while honoring her uncle’s legacy. (Source: Today, USA Today)

“Taxation Is Theft” Slogan

The phrase “taxation is theft” is a well-known libertarian and anarcho-capitalist argument, popularized by thinkers like Murray Rothbard, who argued in The Ethics of Liberty (1982) that taxation is involuntary and thus immoral (Source).

In-N-Out’s Official Response

The Marketing Communications Specialist of In-N-Out confirmed to Fact Crescendo team that the social media posts displaying an image of their cups with the mentioned phrase were a hoax and were not created by them.  

Conclusion

Based on the our findings, the claim about In-N-Out printing “TAXATION IS THEFT” on its cups is false. The viral image showing this slogan is digitally manipulated, In-N-Out exclusively prints Bible verses on its packaging, a long-standing family tradition that began in 1987.