Right you are. Also, folks with agendas to prove often prop up argument with the proposition that equations can exist in the abstract on one side of the equals mark only.
If I pay $25 for a fishing license, but take $100 worth of fish, I haven't paid but have been paid. Same if hunters pay $1,000,000 in fees and taxes, but take $1,000,000 worth of game. The bottom line is zero.
Reminds me of something I was told early in my career. "I don't care if you tax me at 100%, so long as I get to determine what is taxed."