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Tax Rates
So, if you want nationalized healthcare and nationalized education and little to no military, this is what you can expect to pay in personal income taxes. These figures are rough, because I am sure there are caveats to each figure and in each country, which I am too busy and not smart enough to discover. But, here is a pretty good estimate of PERSONAL Income taxes for the following nations (does not include sales taxes, corporate, or payroll taxes):
Denmark: 62%
Sweden: Up to 57%
Norway: Up to 48%
Finland: Up to 30% national. Up to 21% municipal.
The Netherlands: Up to 52%
Canada: Up to 24% provincial, Up to 29% federal
Australia: Up to 45%
By comparison, the U.S. rates are up to 35% federal and up to 11% states.
When I see my DH's paycheck, I want to know that we are getting to SELF direct as much of his take home paycheck as possible. I don't want the government in my checkbook any more than some of you ladies what the government in your bedroom or in your reproductive organs.
Do you honestly love taxes THAT much? I don't.
Re: Tax Rates
More taxes + Fewer medical bills = No net difference
You're holding everything constant except for taxes, you forget the return in investment.
Take it from a former Canuck. If me and DH's careers allowed, I'd move back in a heartbeat.
ACA =/= nationalized healthcare. HTH.
What is this "nationalized education" you speak of?
Your information is wrong. You're looking at top marginal tax brackets, not the actual rate paid by people. Even the richest people in Denmark don't pay 62%.
http://www.taxindenmark.com/article.69.html
Their tax rates are high, no question - the highest in the world. But they also receive tons of social services in exchange for this (they're not paying anything in health insurance premiums, for example, so take what you pay in insurance premiums and add that to your tax rate, see how much you're paying then). And Danes are consistently ranked the happiest people on the planet, so it clearly doesn't bother them very much.
http://www.frugalconfessions.com/miscellaneous/denmark-highest-tax-rate-and-happiest-people.php
Also, taxes in the United States used to be that high not that long ago:
http://taxfoundation.org/article/us-federal-individual-income-tax-rates-history-1913-2011-nominal-and-inflation-adjusted-brackets
As it happens, they were about that high during some of our most economically prosperous years as a nation.
Guess which countries have lower tax rates, though? Maybe you'd prefer to live in one of these places:
Uruguay - 0-25%
Qatar - 0%
Kazakhstan - 10%
Bulgaria - 10%
Afghanistan - 0-20%
Syria - 5-15%
what about those of us that go to the doctor once a year. more taxes suck bottom line.
I cannot believe people are defending socialist countries saying they're better off than we are. WTF! This is America. Do you know anything about what this nation stands for or how it was built? To get away from socialism (monarchy back then) and government controlling the people and their money. With everything this country has gone through to gain it's independence. It's called freedom people. And capitalism. Freedom to determine our own destiny. Freedom to choose what we do with our money. Freedom of religion. Not to be told we're idiots and the government needs to take care of us, because we're incapable. DISGUSTING. What a lack of patriotism, and disrespect for our country and the great men, founding fathers and those who died in war, who got us there.
i know i can't believe it either. it's sad
i know i can't believe it either. it's sad
The US ranks 12th in prosperity
2nd in child poverty
22nd in math education
17th in science
14th in reading
16th in adults with college degrees
But yeah, MURRICA!!
You can be patriotic and still accept that we need to do some major work here.
Please correct me if those stats are wrong.
Secondly, this country was founded on slavery and genocide.
Most of these countries pay for doulas, high-quality daycare and healthcare. If I added those costs up that my family's paid over the last year, I would be MUCH better off living in Sweden with a higher tax rate than living in the US with mediocre healthcare coverage. It's simple math.
Who said they hated America?
You know that they still pay higher insurance premiums/medical bills due to our system, right?
Also, this year's healthy person is next year's cancer patient, car accident victim, etc.
Exactly. Just because you're healthy now doesn't mean it will always be that way.
My son right now is healthy but if my next baby is born with a condition I'm very glad he/she won't be denied health coverage as a result.
either way, i don't want to be paying more taxes just on a chance I will be in the hospital one day. I would like to keep my money, thanks. I agree with the preexisting and child being insured on parents until 26 clauses. but what about all the other taxes that will take affect soon. do you guys not think that employers will drop employees health insurance just because they would rather pay the fine. people will only get free health insurance if they are on the poverty level. at least that was my understanding of it all
My cousin married a woman from Sweden, she does not
refer to Sweden as socialist. The above is how she and
her family would, and do describe their country.
You're not getting it. You're not keeping the difference in taxes - you're losing it to a bloated healthcare system. The same procedure here costs significantly more than it does in other countries because our system blows.
I also think it's ironic that you're suddenly concerned someone might get dropped from their health insurance. Y'know, now that there's a solution to that problem.
i misunderstood you. yes i agree doctor services are insanely high. a couple times I had a service or my DD had a service done that was not covered by the insurance. I told the billing dept of the doctor office about it and they gave me a 40% discount. I don't blame the health insurance companies. I blame the doctors, they have 2 different prices: 1 for the insurance and 1 for the un-insured and the un-insured is much cheaper. It almost makes me think that not having insurance is the most affordable way to go.
regarding getting dropped from insurance, yeah there is a solution to that problem if you are at poverty level, but what if you are not. You are screwed in the fact that you have to buy your own because your company is not providing it.
Who's screwed? If you can't afford it then you get a tax credit, am I wrong?
And the alternative is that you don't have insurance, then if you get hurt or sick you're not just screwed you're completely a$$ fcuked.
Were you this opposed to Obamacare when it was Romneycare?
also, doctors are starting to charge more if you ask too many questions at your appt.
lolololol!