Taxes are to high!
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What's amazing from living abroad is how you see corruption. In the US we point to places like Italy and their crazy levels of corruption - and it is bad enough that it really causes problems. But it is really, really obvious and in your face. Need a permit, you slip someone $50. Everyone knows exactly who is corrupt, how and how it works.
In the US people often say that there is so little corruption that you never even see it happen. The problem is, the corruption is so intense and so big that we don't see it any longer. We are conditioned to a level of corruption that makes "corrupt" countries look downright forthright. But it isn't your local mailman expecting an extra dollar for delivering the mail, it's in big government and huge businesses paying people off and stuff like that. It's massive money on a massive scale and it is so mixed into the whole thing that we stop seeing it.
Imagine a sound so loud that you stop hearing it because you go deaf. That's how the difference feels.
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@scottalanmiller said:
What's amazing from living abroad is how you see corruption. In the US we point to places like Italy and their crazy levels of corruption - and it is bad enough that it really causes problems. But it is really, really obvious and in your face. Need a permit, you slip someone $50. Everyone knows exactly who is corrupt, how and how it works.
In the US people often say that there is so little corruption that you never even see it happen. The problem is, the corruption is so intense and so big that we don't see it any longer. We are conditioned to a level of corruption that makes "corrupt" countries look downright forthright. But it isn't your local mailman expecting an extra dollar for delivering the mail, it's in big government and huge businesses paying people off and stuff like that. It's massive money on a massive scale and it is so mixed into the whole thing that we stop seeing it.
Imagine a sound so loud that you stop hearing it because you go deaf. That's how the difference feels.
I realized that without having to leave the country to do it.... not that it's not blindingly obvious to anyone with a little sense.
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@travisdh1 said:
@scottalanmiller said:
What's amazing from living abroad is how you see corruption. In the US we point to places like Italy and their crazy levels of corruption - and it is bad enough that it really causes problems. But it is really, really obvious and in your face. Need a permit, you slip someone $50. Everyone knows exactly who is corrupt, how and how it works.
In the US people often say that there is so little corruption that you never even see it happen. The problem is, the corruption is so intense and so big that we don't see it any longer. We are conditioned to a level of corruption that makes "corrupt" countries look downright forthright. But it isn't your local mailman expecting an extra dollar for delivering the mail, it's in big government and huge businesses paying people off and stuff like that. It's massive money on a massive scale and it is so mixed into the whole thing that we stop seeing it.
Imagine a sound so loud that you stop hearing it because you go deaf. That's how the difference feels.
I realized that without having to leave the country to do it.... not that it's not blindingly obvious to anyone with a little sense.
I guess the question is not do people realize that there is corruption (in surveys, most Americans say that there is so little as to be a non-issue) but do Americans feel that places famous for corruption are more or less corrupt than the US is?
Like... I've been shaken down for cash by a Nicaraguan cop. But in day to day life, I feel corruption affects me more in the US.
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Of course, in the US I've been pulled over for "appearing to swerve" by a cop that was actually drunk (I was not) so...
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I was talking with Dash the one day and I told him a good way to get people to realize how much money is involved with this stuff.
For a $1 Trillion bill, if you handed me a $100 bill every second of every day without stopping it would take you 3,200 years to pay it off. I've found that's a good way to get people to understand these amounts.
Kind of like when I worked for the paving company. A ton is a lot of weight. We would put down 2,000 tons or more of asphalt in one shift. When you start talking about jobs that take 80,000 tons or more and multiply that by many jobs, a ton doesn't seem like that much until you have to move a ton with a shovel.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@travisdh1 said:
@scottalanmiller said:
What's amazing from living abroad is how you see corruption. In the US we point to places like Italy and their crazy levels of corruption - and it is bad enough that it really causes problems. But it is really, really obvious and in your face. Need a permit, you slip someone $50. Everyone knows exactly who is corrupt, how and how it works.
In the US people often say that there is so little corruption that you never even see it happen. The problem is, the corruption is so intense and so big that we don't see it any longer. We are conditioned to a level of corruption that makes "corrupt" countries look downright forthright. But it isn't your local mailman expecting an extra dollar for delivering the mail, it's in big government and huge businesses paying people off and stuff like that. It's massive money on a massive scale and it is so mixed into the whole thing that we stop seeing it.
Imagine a sound so loud that you stop hearing it because you go deaf. That's how the difference feels.
I realized that without having to leave the country to do it.... not that it's not blindingly obvious to anyone with a little sense.
I guess the question is not do people realize that there is corruption (in surveys, most Americans say that there is so little as to be a non-issue) but do Americans feel that places famous for corruption are more or less corrupt than the US is?
Like... I've been shaken down for cash by a Nicaraguan cop. But in day to day life, I feel corruption affects me more in the US.
Oh, I know the vast majority of people would say that the US has very little corruption. Guess I'll just have to continue playing the modern Jeremiah.
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@travisdh1 said:
@johnhooks had to bring this up in "that other thread that got out of hand". So I decided to start a thread dedicated to taxes, and what is or is not reasonable.
For the record, I make less than $40k/year currently, have 20.5% taken in deductions, and a 7.5% local sales tax. Also, yes, I'm getting the resume and precis ready for a job hunt.
Does anyone think 28% when making less than 40k is reasonable? (Actually get to spend ~28,800.) That doesn't include the healthcare crazy.
There are a ton more taxes you are paying too - property tax (even if you rent, someone's paying it, and that cost is being passed along to you), wheel tax, driver license, etc, etc, etc,
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@travisdh1 said:
@johnhooks had to bring this up in "that other thread that got out of hand". So I decided to start a thread dedicated to taxes, and what is or is not reasonable.
For the record, I make less than $40k/year currently, have 20.5% taken in deductions, and a 7.5% local sales tax. Also, yes, I'm getting the resume and precis ready for a job hunt.
Does anyone think 28% when making less than 40k is reasonable? (Actually get to spend ~28,800.) That doesn't include the healthcare crazy.
you're paying 20.5% on what you earn and 7.5% on what you spend so you're not at 28% tax with $28.8k to spend. it's $31.8k spendable
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@IRJ said:
It's sick how many people don't have jobs and have nicer vehicles and other stuff than I have. It just makes me sick. I know two guys that haven't worked for 10 years and they both have really nice vehicles. ($40k +)
Yeah, but they probably live in a shit hole.
I'm not willing to live in a shit hole to have a nice care.
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@scottalanmiller said:
What's amazing from living abroad is how you see corruption. In the US we point to places like Italy and their crazy levels of corruption - and it is bad enough that it really causes problems. But it is really, really obvious and in your face. Need a permit, you slip someone $50. Everyone knows exactly who is corrupt, how and how it works.
In the US people often say that there is so little corruption that you never even see it happen. The problem is, the corruption is so intense and so big that we don't see it any longer. We are conditioned to a level of corruption that makes "corrupt" countries look downright forthright. But it isn't your local mailman expecting an extra dollar for delivering the mail, it's in big government and huge businesses paying people off and stuff like that. It's massive money on a massive scale and it is so mixed into the whole thing that we stop seeing it.
Imagine a sound so loud that you stop hearing it because you go deaf. That's how the difference feels.
I think a difference there is the little man can't see that - he doesn't play in the same sandbox so he can't see the huge payoffs to the political powers, etc.
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Looking at the UK at a similar £40k salary just 24% tax on that and healthcare is included. sure vat is higher at 20% but it's already calculated into the costs for goods and food is 0 rated along with a bunch of other stuff.
the value I get here for the tax I pay is like I've won the lottery compared to when I was in the us. and saying that, the lottery winnings here are 0 rated too - no taxes to pay if you win it big.
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@travisdh1 said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@travisdh1 said:
@scottalanmiller said:
What's amazing from living abroad is how you see corruption. In the US we point to places like Italy and their crazy levels of corruption - and it is bad enough that it really causes problems. But it is really, really obvious and in your face. Need a permit, you slip someone $50. Everyone knows exactly who is corrupt, how and how it works.
In the US people often say that there is so little corruption that you never even see it happen. The problem is, the corruption is so intense and so big that we don't see it any longer. We are conditioned to a level of corruption that makes "corrupt" countries look downright forthright. But it isn't your local mailman expecting an extra dollar for delivering the mail, it's in big government and huge businesses paying people off and stuff like that. It's massive money on a massive scale and it is so mixed into the whole thing that we stop seeing it.
Imagine a sound so loud that you stop hearing it because you go deaf. That's how the difference feels.
I realized that without having to leave the country to do it.... not that it's not blindingly obvious to anyone with a little sense.
I guess the question is not do people realize that there is corruption (in surveys, most Americans say that there is so little as to be a non-issue) but do Americans feel that places famous for corruption are more or less corrupt than the US is?
Like... I've been shaken down for cash by a Nicaraguan cop. But in day to day life, I feel corruption affects me more in the US.
Oh, I know the vast majority of people would say that the US has very little corruption. Guess I'll just have to continue playing the modern Jeremiah.
that's because the corruption isn't at the level of normal people - it's so far removed as to be nearly non existent.
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@larsen161 said:
Looking at the UK at a similar £40k salary just 24% tax on that and healthcare is included. sure vat is higher at 20% but it's already calculated into the costs for goods and food is 0 rated along with a bunch of other stuff.
the value I get here for the tax I pay is like I've won the lottery compared to when I was in the us. and saying that, the lottery winnings here are 0 rated too - no taxes to pay if you win it big.
You realize that £40k is $57K in the US - that's quite a difference.
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@Dashrender said:
@travisdh1 said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@travisdh1 said:
@scottalanmiller said:
What's amazing from living abroad is how you see corruption. In the US we point to places like Italy and their crazy levels of corruption - and it is bad enough that it really causes problems. But it is really, really obvious and in your face. Need a permit, you slip someone $50. Everyone knows exactly who is corrupt, how and how it works.
In the US people often say that there is so little corruption that you never even see it happen. The problem is, the corruption is so intense and so big that we don't see it any longer. We are conditioned to a level of corruption that makes "corrupt" countries look downright forthright. But it isn't your local mailman expecting an extra dollar for delivering the mail, it's in big government and huge businesses paying people off and stuff like that. It's massive money on a massive scale and it is so mixed into the whole thing that we stop seeing it.
Imagine a sound so loud that you stop hearing it because you go deaf. That's how the difference feels.
I realized that without having to leave the country to do it.... not that it's not blindingly obvious to anyone with a little sense.
I guess the question is not do people realize that there is corruption (in surveys, most Americans say that there is so little as to be a non-issue) but do Americans feel that places famous for corruption are more or less corrupt than the US is?
Like... I've been shaken down for cash by a Nicaraguan cop. But in day to day life, I feel corruption affects me more in the US.
Oh, I know the vast majority of people would say that the US has very little corruption. Guess I'll just have to continue playing the modern Jeremiah.
that's because the corruption isn't at the level of normal people - it's so far removed as to be nearly non existent.
Exactly it impacts them every day, in every paycheck. It's SO palpable, they've just been conditioned to ignore it.
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That's not far off what you'd pay in Canada, though our sales tax is nearly double that.
Edit: as a straight up single income no deductions for anything at all (aka me)
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@Dashrender sure, that's if you're converting like for like currency at an exchange rate today. live here and that isn't the best way to compare what we're discussing. Look at the US and UK minimum wage, the US is only 8% higher. £40k is more similar to $43k.
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@larsen161 said:
@Dashrender sure, that's if you're converting like for like currency at an exchange rate today. live here and that isn't the best way to compare what we're discussing. Look at the US and UK minimum wage, the US is only 8% higher. £40k is more similar to $43k.
When I worked for a major bank, they were willing to give me a promotion but with the promotion my $200,000 US salary would become a £45,000 one. Um.... not comparable
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@scottalanmiller said:
@larsen161 said:
@Dashrender sure, that's if you're converting like for like currency at an exchange rate today. live here and that isn't the best way to compare what we're discussing. Look at the US and UK minimum wage, the US is only 8% higher. £40k is more similar to $43k.
When I worked for a major bank, they were willing to give me a promotion but with the promotion my $200,000 US salary would become a £45,000 one. Um.... not comparable
Psst - I think you left a zero off
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@Dashrender said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@larsen161 said:
@Dashrender sure, that's if you're converting like for like currency at an exchange rate today. live here and that isn't the best way to compare what we're discussing. Look at the US and UK minimum wage, the US is only 8% higher. £40k is more similar to $43k.
When I worked for a major bank, they were willing to give me a promotion but with the promotion my $200,000 US salary would become a £45,000 one. Um.... not comparable
Psst - I think you left a zero off
Nope, they expected me to drop from $200K to £45K in exchange for an official "Senior VP" title.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@larsen161 said:
@Dashrender sure, that's if you're converting like for like currency at an exchange rate today. live here and that isn't the best way to compare what we're discussing. Look at the US and UK minimum wage, the US is only 8% higher. £40k is more similar to $43k.
When I worked for a major bank, they were willing to give me a promotion but with the promotion my $200,000 US salary would become a £45,000 one. Um.... not comparable
Psst - I think you left a zero off
Nope, they expected me to drop from $200K to £45K in exchange for an official "Senior VP" title.
I was kidding, I know you didn't.. clearly someone was just high that day.
