Taxes around the world
 

http://www.kpmg.com/SiteCollectionDo...urvey_2009.pdf

If I hear ever again an American complain about taxes, I'm going to blow a fuse :D

Enjoy this pleasant reading material. It is quite informative.

And guess who's topping the list? That's right, good old Holland. No surprises there. :shifty:

I swear, living in Holland is more like continuous ongoing extortion than anything else. :stare:

*well, at least when it comes to "Highest Rates of Personal Income Tax"

**nvm, Denmark and Sweden have it even worse. :damn:

Bahamas here I come! I didnt know we had lower taxed in Norway than Sweden and Denmark.

Those are just highest rates of personal income tax. Now take the effective income tax and social security rates and I'd rather live in Holland any day of the week. Frankly, the new tax that Croatia has levied most probably puts it on the top of the list, but I'm sure everyone would rather live in the Netherlands than in Slovenia/Croatia.

I just hope our politicians look at this and decide that it's time to stop stealing money and give the people back what they paid for. We pay a lot, we also receive a lot, particularly social security, pensions and healthcare which is extremely good, which it should be as we pay the rates comparable with most western states.

Just remember gentlemen, lower taxes do not mean better service or social security. Most probably on the contrary.

Didja ever think that our constant complaining about taxes is the main reason we aren't being raped like you guys?

I know your arguments, I've read them, even though I have not replied to them. You say rape, I say I sleep easy at night knowing my health bill, not matter the cost or the complexity of the procedure will be paid; that even though I may lose my job, I shall have something to feed myself and in the future my family; I know that my children won't have to pay to receive excellent education, as best as Slovenia can provide, or any other European state can (England and Wales being the odd ones in the bunch) and that I rest assured that I shall have at least something to put into my mouth in my elder days, even though it might not be luxurious if I don't take care of it myself.

Does it cost a lot? It does. Is it unnerving at time? You can bet it is. Has it made me a happier man? You can count on that.

Good i'm glad you're happy. Allow us to do things our own way and we'll be happy too.

august is right if it aint broke dont fix it simplez

However it is good to have a nationalised health service but it costs billions for us brits each year which means other things get put on hold where as the american system is you must have healthcare insurance to pay for your medical stuff the money that may fund the health care service could be put to other things.

Thanks Kapitan.

For the record i'm not philosophically opposed to nationalized health care, I just know that it's not going to be run efficiently, it will be riddled with abuse, it will end up costing us more than private health care, and it is a spectacularly bad time economically to be trying to implement it.

This, this this this.....it all sums it up.

I don't really have a problem with america doing things differently. What I find disturbing is that some americans (certainly not all, but still, some,) call this communism. It. Is. Not. And hey, if it would be communism, then call me a commie, 'cause I like it. Why? Because it works. And as Kapitan said: Don't fix what ain't broken.

Thank you. :salute:

In less than 7 generations the U.S. went from a handful of frontier hicks to the most powerful nation in the world--in all respects, including economically. We must be doing a great deal that works. The core of our success is individual freedom, small government (until now), capitalism and the ability of the people to throw out the politicos every 2, 4 and 6 years--depending on the office.

The U.S. was founded on the concept that we were to be very different than Europe. It was a good idea then and just as good an idea now. Apparently many former Europeans agree because a great many came here from there, including my own ancestors. The flow of immigrants from the U.S. to Europe? A few Hollywood guys and a handful of others.

I won't even try and tell you how complex the set of question you set are as it is too late for me to concentrate properly. Suffice to say, there are many variables which concern immigration in the past and present.

Plus I was never, and I believe most Europeans do the same as I do, talking about the greatness of a state. That is purely subjective, limited only by ones ability of self-denial about the true state of the world. No, we are talking about human beings which make up the state and the society. A state may be great, yet at what human cost. How does the old maxim go, What you do not see, doesn't hurt you? Yes, you might have a great state if measured in the number of people, troops, technology. Do you have any idea how many natural resources the USA have/had? Christ, put Europeans there (which is in fact a stupid division, as we are the same, the differences we perceive today appeared after your separation from the United Kingdom).

Yet do you have a majority of the population which is happy? Are the people, which you Americans so fondly mention, with all their rights; are they truly happy? It is impossible for everyone to be happy (even the idea of happiness is subjective, let's just say it is connected with life in general), yet I believe Europeans do sleep and feel better knowing there is a net, created and fought for by them, which will help them when the laissez-faire will let them down, not by their action or their own volition, yet due to the system itself. The ending statement was adeptly said by Biggles, read his response.

Best point of the day!

I slept the best when I was a child, knowing that no matter what my parents has everything taken care of for me.

But to some people, life is about the liberty to make it what you want ... not the chain that ties you down while making you feel safe.

In other words, we decided to grow up, in a sense.

fact is... america and europe are two different places... America does its thing its way... europe does its thing its way...

why europe is concerned what america is doing is beyone me...

I think the American beef with taxes/government comes from the American reluctance to give the government credit for anything. The recent Craig T Nelson rant summed it up quite nicely (when whining about government spending: "I've been on food stamps and welfare, did anybody help me out? No.")

The general sense I get is that Americans and Europeans look at taxes from very different perspectives. I'm going to paint with a dangerously broad brush here, but I think it's worth saying. Europeans tend to focus more on what they get out of the government than what they put into it, while Americans tend to focus on what they put into the government instead of what they get out of it. In other words, when Europeans think of government, the first thing they think of are the social programs that the government gives them. The high taxes they have to pay are a secondary issue. Meanwhile, when Americans think of government, the first thing they think of is how much money they're paying the government. We tend to forget about government services that help us out, like Mr. Nelson's food stamps and welfare.

Of course, that isn't true for all Americans and Europeans, but I think the general trend is there.

We're supposed to have a government of the people by the people. Therefore the people should get the credit - not the government.

Also, as a side note, some people including me don't see welfare as helping people necessarily. I believe strongly in the principle behind teaching a man to fish rather than just feeding him a fish.

hahaha

We brits complain a plenty about taxation... don't change the fact we get shafted at every turn - not only with income tax, but VAT, fuel duty, national insurance, and never mind about pensions... (what pensions? unless you're fred goodwin).

We just got out TV licence renewal... it's almost 150 ******* quid! Just to watch television for a year! and all you get to show for is is ****ty programs like 'strictly come dancing' and 'X-factor', or 'britain's got (no) talent'. the ultimate lowest common denominator programming :down:

Utility companies run for the benefit of shareholders and not for the service they're supposed to give, knowing too well that we all have no other choice but to take what is offered because we can't do without gas/electricity/water, so every year the service costs more yet is of a successively lower quality of service... rrrrrrrg! :hulk:

I'm certain the level of voter apathy here is a direct result of the fact that no matter what we complain about and no matter what is promised by successive governments, everything is more expensive in terms of what we have to pay out and anything that is due to us is worth less year by year.

It's like the ultimate pyramid scheme, only on a national scale :know:

About the only half decent thing about living here is the NHS and even that's a shadow of what it was intended to be at its incept, having been bloated by endless middle management drones and ill informed government initiatives. Leave the running of the NHS to medical professionals like doctors, consultants and nurses, not sodding bean counters ffs. :damn:

Don't even get me started on employment, or the despicable lack of it for anyone with more than 2 braincells to rub together.

This last bunch of thieving crooks and liars and their 'opposition parties' all have their heads so deep in the communal trough they are no longer interested in what their job means to the country. The worst kind of politician is a career politician, and they're all we seem to have left these days. So, more pity for the rest of us who aren't privy to inner sanctum of the cathedral of profit, whilst we dress in rags they are flaunting the ermine robes of expense accounts and connections and 'old boys' networks, the sole purpose of which are to keep everything close at hand and away from the batteries of the economy.

soz, got a bit carried away there.

This is because we don't have stupid policies like forced Health Care run by the Damn government. There is a reason we are as strong as we are and as wealthy as we are. Seems some stupid people don't get that.

-S