need info on European tax rates

[NewJeffCT]

In response to a person that responded to my letter. My original letter was about how the American dream is being lost due to regressive taxation, poor health care, wal-mart wages, etc...

A person responded saying that the tax rates in Europe averaged 70%, and then went on the usual freeper rant about socialists ruling Europe.

Is the tax rate that really that high?

edit: Oh, I should have said it was for a LTTE, not just "letter"

[brainshrub]

1. I'm curious as well.

[liberaliraqvet26]

2. thier rates are higher....

but remember that would include fica (social security & medicare) and health insurance (which would enable your wages to be higher because your company wouldn't have to pay it)

[Massacure]

3. According to the Heritage Foundation,

Europe's tax rate eats up 42% of the GDP on average while the U.S. is about 27%. But the U.S. spends 13-15% of its GDP on healthcare depending on who you quote. That means if the government spent the 13-15% instead of the people, you would end up nearly equal. Europe tends to spend more on social programs while the U.S. spends on military.

[tsuki]

4. Does that include local and state taxes? For my Father, tax-free day

was Feb. 14th. Now, it is sometime in May, I forget the exact date.

[Massacure]

6. Yes that includes local and state taxes.

Here is a link if you want to read the article for yourself:

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/wm476.cfm

[tsuki]

7. Thanks.

[NewJeffCT]

5. thanks - I found similar info

The EU itself says its tax rate is a little over 40%...

[Stinky The Clown]

8. A comparison of our taxes to theirs is unfair and largely meaningless

Yes, Europeans pay higher taxes than we do. But those taxes go far more to make their lives better than do ours. Much of our tax goes to paying for the military and all the 'security' crap that keeps us trapped in endless lines at airports and when visiting office buildings.

I Europe, they get health care and liveable wages and social support and old age security.

I would gladly pay more tax to see our poor raised out of poverty, our young educated, our disabled cared for, our sick cured, and to know I'd have a secure twilight for my wife and me.

European taxes, by and large, pay benefits to their people. Our taxes, by and large, pay our government who in turn pays big business who in turn supports government who in turn keeps them in the flush who in turn cotrol the government who in turn ...... and all the while the people despair.