Quoting:
What is the level of taxation in the US?

In the UK, personal tax is equal to:
20% National insurance
23% Income tax (40% over 30kGBP/annum)
Poll tax (varies with property value)
Then...
17.5% VAT paid on most goods (excluding 'essentials')

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So in the UK a person who makes 35,000lbs pays the same percent of his earnings as someone who makes 100,000lbs.  60% does seem high but it seems more fair than our system.

Quoting:
i live in canada where taxes are very high but i feel it is necessary in keeping the free health care system and keeping the homeless rate lower..
the province in which i live also has the highest income tax in canada... making it one of the highest taxed places in the world.
i don't care and i don't complain. i plan to live here all my life.
we also have the lowest crime rate in canada and the lowest homocide numbers in canada by far.

some people have different meanings of the word 'luxuries'
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Maybe If you guys had lower taxes, jobs may open up for some of those homless people.  Then they could afford thier own home and you wouldn't have to pay for it.

Quoting:
Yes!!!
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Ditto.

Quoting:
So in the UK a person who makes 35,000lbs pays the same percent of his earnings as someone who makes 100,000lbs.  60% does seem high but it seems more fair than our system.
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35,000lbs would be a heavy earner - that's more than 17tons!

There's also an extremely confusing set of tax allowances (e.g. the first 2k or thereabouts is tax-free, unless you're married in which case one partner can get 5k of tax allowance, but if you have a company car or similar perk, this comes off your tax allowance.)

The guy on £35k would be paying most of his income tax at 23%, only the last bit at 40%, whereas the guy on £100k would be paying circa £60k at 40% - except that guys on that sort of money will usually spend a few grand on an accountant to save a few grand in tax...

Still it beats the old labour 95% income tax above £100k - I remember (I was politically active at a very young age :-)) this being used as the reason for giving top executives humungous salaries, as the government took most of it.  Strange, I don't remember any of them taking a pay cut when tax rates went down, though >:(

Phil

Quoting:
Yes!!!
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Gee, great minds think alike...that's what I was going to say! :)

Quoting:
No.

Big Business never pays any and actually get money FROM the taxpayers to support them. Semantically speaking, it's called a "subsidy," but, ladies and germs, this can also be called "corruption," "robbery," "injustice," and "business as usual." Hooray for Enron! Give me an E. Give me an N. Give me an R. Give me an O. Give me an N. What does that spell? "YOUR money at work!"

Tarzan Boy
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Lets just forget the fact that the richest 1% of the population pays 98% of the taxes.  Maybe some buisness use subsidies to create Jobs.  Buisness pays taxes, just like everyone else.

Quoting:


Try telling that to the poor saps who lost their LIFE savings on the Wall Street pyramid schemes.

What a bunch of poppycock ::) Big Business caused this recession and the loss of TRILLIONS of dollars from the US economy.

No. Big Business does not pay taxes. Ever hear of the concept of a "shell corporation." It's a trend among Big Business. Perhaps you could do a little research on this and find out that a lot of businesses practice this sort of thievery.

Tarzan Boy
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Maybe your the one who needs to research the facts there buddy. Who really caused this resession? the US government, not big buisness.  do your research before you acuse me of not doing mine.

But thats OK, go on believing what they tell you at that Liberal University.  Every big buisness wants to fail, they want to screw you over, they are out to get you,  Capitalism Bad. Socialism good.  

Quoting:
I was just wondering what everyone thought of our current tax system. When you first get your check they take taxes. You buy general Items your taxed.  You Invest your money, your taxed.  The list goes on and on.
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Dear Screwball.
I guess you are from the states or...?
Where I live we pay about 50% of our salary - some a little more, and some a little less.
A lot of people here think its all too much, but I'm no sure that they're right, coz you have to remember all the things you get in return: Nurcing, education, childcare, roads a.o., and whole bunch of other stuff. That means, that if you're poor, you dont have to worry what will happen if you have to go to the hospital for an example. Thats how we use the tax-money over here.

How are they spent where you live, since you're discontended?

Quoting:
I wouldn't mind so much paying taxes if the government did not waste 80 percent of it.

I do think inheritance tax is ridiculous, tho'.
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I'm with you!  Let me get this straight-my parents work hard for their $, they get taxes taken out of it, they will it to me, and I have to give a sizable chunk back because of the inheritance tax?  Hmmm...I will probably catch a lot of flack for this, but how is this fair? Isn't this money getting taxed twice?  And I am not talking about great sums of money...

And this is hypothetical...my Mom is still alive, and I would rather have her alive and spending her money in a totally selfish way on herself than the alternative, thank you.

Quoting:


I will probably catch a lot of flack for this, but how is this fair? Isn't this money getting taxed twice?  And I am not talking about great sums of money...

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No flack from me. You're absolutely right... it's a double tax. But of course since it only happens to the "rich"  ::)  no one really clamors for change.

Quoting:


Dear Screwball.
I guess you are from the states or...?
Where I live we pay about 50% of our salary - some a little more, and some a little less.
A lot of people here think its all too much, but I'm no sure that they're right, coz you have to remember all the things you get in return: Nurcing, education, childcare, roads a.o., and whole bunch of other stuff. That means, that if you're poor, you dont have to worry what will happen if you have to go to the hospital for an example. Thats how we use the tax-money over here.

How are they spent where you live, since you're discontended?
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Your happy with someone else deciding how to spend the money you earn.  How often do you really use those extra services you pay for? Thats your money thier spending on someone else, If you want to give to charity, thats one thing, but governments (even the US government) allready do this for you, involuntary.

Quoting:
Isn't this money getting taxed twice?End Quote

Actually, it's being constantly taxed.
The country only has a finite amount of money, this simply goes round and round. Everytime it changes hands, tax is taken.
You pay tax when you receive your salary
You pay sales tax when you buy something (in the UK at least)
This money then becomes the storeowners salary, he pays tax on this
He buys something, etc......

Quoting:

A lot of people here think its all too much, but I'm no sure that they're right, coz you have to remember all the things you get in return
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Ah, perhaps we should stop having gov "services" for things that all people should be able to handle on their own - as both their right and responsibility.  This would be a moot point.  Because as our Consitution recognizes, these are not things to be "provided" (i.e., CONTROLLED) by gov.  Unfortunately, fewer and fewer people/representatives have obeyed this principle and so we have more such wonderful "services" - which also have an ugly backside of control and obligation, and often complacency and dependency.  Only basic essential services like protection (for the nation), criminal and civil prosecution, and infrastructure really should be handled by gov.

We wouldn't have to pay many taxes if we could get off the plantation.

Quoting:

Website: Smallreality.com has some interesting posts on the issue.
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Do you run this website? I like it a lot.