I live in tax hell!!!

[superfluent]

I just did my tax calculation for 2007 today (or rather, my accountant strapped me tight into the share and gave me a damage report after he had poored me a huge single malt).

Let's just make this clear; If you havn't lived in Sweden, you don't know what taxes are (I'm on my 7:th pint by the way and I still don't feel good at all...)!

I is ***INSANE***. I have my own company and just to visualize my sufferings I'll explain how taxation in Sweden works:

Let's say my company earned 1000 bucks that I want to transfer to me as the owner and as an employee (or to give any employee a paycheck for that matter):

First, because my company is transferring money as a paycheck (salary to an employee) the company has to pay sales tax(!) on the earnings transferred to the paycheck. This would be a minor issue if it wasn't for the fact that in Sweden the sales tax is 25 f****ing percent!!!!

OK, so there's still $750 left, right. Not! Since it is sallary, the company has to pay "labour tax", a tax that the company has to pay, "hidden" to the employee.

The labour tax is a bone chilling 31,68%... OK, fine you think, the employee (me) gets atleast some $500 (now 50% of the earnings).

Yeah, you wish... You have $500 left, but then you have to pay income tax...at the very least 31-32 percent, but anything above $40000 a year and you'll get hit with a mindboggling 50%-55% income tax for everything above that. left to spend is about $250-$300 bucks to buy food, beer (that's food, isn't it?) or whatever you need to buy for your hard earned cach.

Getting $300 (I like to be optimistic) out of a 1000 bucks to buy food (beer) might not soud totally devestating (I'm still pretending I'm a glass half full kind of guy).

If it just stopped there! As I said, the sales tax here in Sweden is a friggin 25%, what ever you purchase the government will rip you off another 25%, leaving you with about $240 for every $1000 bucks earned... THAT sucks *ss (i'll leave it to you guys to calculate the total tax)!

H (ninth pint and still unhappy...)

 

[TheJadedDog]

I've heard that much of Europe ends up paying somewhere between 40-60% of their income in taxes and that Sweden is as bad as it gets. Sorry to hear your troubles mate.

 

[beergears]

Wasn't there some sort of taxation rebalancing within the E.U. in the past few years May have been for investments (think Luxembourg) and such, not earned income..?


Would you say that the vast array of social services found in Scandinavia is too costly?

 

[Iordz]

At least Sweden isn't using it's tax money to only pay off their debts.

 

[superfluent]

Wasn't there some sort of taxation rebalancing within the E.U. in the past few years May have been for investments (think Luxembourg) and such, not earned income..?

Would you say that the vast array of social services found in Scandinavia is too costly?

Well, I beleave Sweden has the highest tax pressure in the free world (a little bit depending on how you count, but we're allwaysin the top three...).

My take on the social security in scandinavia (which is really Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland) is that having an exceptional social security system with (basically) free of charge medical services and very generous unemployment suport is fantastic, but it also wide open for people that want to exploit the generous social security system we have. If you can get 80% of your salary from the government as unemployed, it is easy to get picky about job opportunities. I have no problem helping people in real need, but I really dispice people that take advantage of the system.

H

 

[Beerthoven]

I sympathize with you. At least, as a consolation, your government seems to use its tax dollars well.

Sweden has the second highest standard of living in the world (after Norway). It consistently ranks as one of the highest in terms of life expectency, literacy, education, standard of living, and over all well-being.

I would happily pay taxes like that if I thought my government would be responsible with the money and not go off starting wars and such.

 

[superfluent]

It must be going to pay for that military........

Ah, dont even get me starting... In Sweden military service was mandatory (I did 15 months. Pay: 5 bucks a day...). I say "was" becaus it isn't (sort of) anymore. I have the highest military ranking you can have without joining the army as a professional, and still I hated every second of it.

H

 

[superfluent]

I would happily pay taxes like that if I thought my government would be responsible with the money and not go off starting wars and such.

Point taken. I agree, but my view (perhaps somewhat clouded by the gazillion of american ales and ambers I have drunk tonight to figure out my next brew) is that governments sure do a lot of stupid s**t but (not that I think you'll doo) never ever let that spill over to the poor guys actually beeing caught up in the sh*t storm. As my ol' major used to say: "War is f**ing dangerous!".

H

 

[superfluent]

Wasn't there some sort of taxation rebalancing within the E.U. in the past few years May have been for investments (think Luxembourg) and such, not earned income..?


Would you say that the vast array of social services found in Scandinavia is too costly?

No, perhaps not, but it's way too easy to take advantage of it. At a certain point, it gets highly profitable to just hang around, do some "jack of all trades" kind of work on the side and still collect a handsome social security check every month.

(BTW, I used to live in Boston, up at Cleveland Circle, right in between C-line and D-line...)

H

 

[Mutilated1]

Remember Folks, vote for Hillary or Barack and we too can be blessed with massive taxes like Sweden.

 

[olllllo]

{Citation needed}
EDIT: No politics please.
Not relevant to the OP.

 

[Seabee John]

From those by their ability / to those by their need

 

[cd2448]

@Seabee

I'm all for that. There has to be a balance between the mad tax rates of europe (I lived in Germany for 12 years so I know from tax) and providing a cushion for people falling on hard times.

For all the talk of people baulking the system, the good done by a social welfare system is worth that cost, IMHO.

 

[Seabee John]

@Seabee

I'm all for that. There has to be a balance between the mad tax rates of europe (I lived in Germany for 12 years so I know from tax) and providing a cushion for people falling on hard times.

For all the talk of people baulking the system, the good done by a social welfare system is worth that cost, IMHO.

I certainly hope you know I was being sarcastic! There is absolutely nothing good that comes from robbing people of their money or freedom.

I'm a generous person. I even took in a homeless kid for about a year until he got on his feet. He is now enrolled in law school (much to my dismay, I think less lawyers = good!) anyway... The last group that should be lending a helping hand when someone falls on hard times is the government. The government is incapable of feeling... it cannot "care" for anything. People on their own... voluntarily, are the only viable source of help that will not infringe upon the freedoms of others.

I know, most people out there think that the general population is too self absorbed to help out. But look at Minneapolis Minnesota when the I35W bridge collapsed... it was regular joes who risked their lives to save other victims... not fema. People as a person are generally kind, compassionate, and generous with whatever they have.... it's when you get the government involved that they all think.."the state will do it for me..."

Look at the fellow brewers around you... most here will jump in at the slightest indication of a noob problem and offer to even drive over to help you out. If HBT taxed us all for "brewing services" you'd never see a fellow brewer, and we'd all be brewing the same kind of swill.
-course, I'm working on my EAC certification so I'm more likely to say nasty belittling things to you..

I'm seriously not wanting to start any fights here. I just believe in freedom. It's what I live for, it's what I've spent the last 16 years in the Navy protecting, and if given that glorious opportunity, I hope I would be brave enough to count myself in with the great Americans who paid for it with their lives. Freedom isn't free.

 

[cd2448]

Larf. We'll just have to agree to disagree. I think there's a role for government in all this. Now back to our regular "is my brew ruined?" programming...

It goes without saying that I have every respect for people that serve in the Military, you are much appreciated.

 

[Seabee John]

Larf. We'll just have to agree to disagree. I think there's a role for government in all this. Now back to our regular "is my brew ruined?" programming...

It goes without saying that I have every respect for people that serve in the Military, you are much appreciated.

Thank you for your nice comment. It's good to be appreciated. Even though we disagree, I do respect your point of view. I respect even more your civility in the matter.

I have a friend I serve with who happens to be at the opposite end of the political spectrum as I am. We sit for hours arguing politics, but we remain good friends because we both believe in two things : civility and the respectful exchange of ideas.

...now what's wrong with your beer?

 

[cd2448]

not much wrong with the beer, was just a reference to the usual fare in the forum! just trying to steer us away from the troubled political waters.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

Remember Folks, vote for Hillary or Barack

they were the first people to climb Mt Everest weren't they ???


look, taxes suck. But as an Australian tax accountant, I love it !!!!!!!

 

[ScubaSteve]

Hold on there, Mr. Fancy Pants Foreigner! You just broke my Bro's arm! Now you 'bout to get tasered! Say hello to Dr. Watts!

 

[ScubaSteve]

Wait. What?

 

[Vels]

Hi there neighbour.

Let's just make this clear; If you havn't lived in Sweden, you don't know what taxes are

Well, have a trip over the bridge (if you can afford the insane bridge toll) and have a look at Denmark.

We too pay 25 % VAT, and i get taxed 67% effectly of my last earned $'s because i am in the highest tax group - btw, im not richie rich, i think 1/3 of all Danes are in the highest group.

Besides that we have all the "good stuff" that get taxed more on top...
BEER , Fuel (all solid, liquid and gas), electricity, tobacco, alcohol, sugar, coffee, tea, data and music storage media, cars (180% ), Plastic containers of any kind, refundable bottle tax, chocolate, gambling machines, any kind of competition or lottery prize......

I could go on for hours.

But in the end big brother let me keep enough to have a roof over my head, drive my own car, and own a pretty decent home brewery.

I do feel bad for you on one account though, you live in Sweden where everybody speak swedish

Cheers
Jakob

 

[beergears]

I do feel bad for you on one account though, you live in Sweden where everybody speak swedish

Hmm, wasn't Sweden a Danish "territory" at some point..?!!

(stirring the pot)

 

[Evan!]

Ain't socialism grand!?

 

[Vels]

Southern Sweden (Skåne) was Danish at some point. A recent poll has revieled that they want to be Danish again - who can blame them

Some guy on tv the other day put it just right "I dont drink mold wine - it taste like the smell of Sweden"

The yearly highligt of our relationship is the national soccer match. Last time Sweden won because a Danish spectator ran on to the field and hit the referee after he ruled against Denmark, the referee ruled Sweden as winner and stopped the match.

Well, we get along with our naighbours pretty well, we just love to pick on each other - a little like US and CA.

You know - Canada, the big one on top of you over there

Cheers
Jakob

 

[Joker]

I thought you meant California, because we like to pick on them too.

 

[david_42]

I remember when Howard Hughes died, California & Texas both wanted to tax the estate along with the Feds. Would have been 102% of the base.

1945: 94% tax on income over $200,000 and wasn't the Beatles Taxman about the 95% rate?