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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
 Posted - 09/23/2005 : 07:03:18 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by chaloobi
Well, actually 34% is our highest income tax bracket. If you make over 250k per year or so, you'll pay that much. If you make 10 million a year, you'll pay that much. I don't know, but my guess is Dr. M makes less than that and those making 250k plus in his country are probably paying a much higher tax rate. Though I could be wrong on all counts . . . .
I make ~35k/year, and in Sweden this is roughly where the income tax goes from being mostly linear (fixed ~32% depending on where you live, there are local differences, mostly within +/- 2%), to more progressive.
Since I live in a condo, I don't have to deal with the property tax. If you're good for ~200k (US $) you'll have to pay "rich mans" tax, but since I don't have that much I haven't bothered to figure out how that works.
(edit: formatting) |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
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Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 09/23/2005 15:50:38 |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2005 : 07:17:41 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Starman
quote:
And actually, I'm fine with that, because I know what I'm getting.
I would be if I got what I am supposed to get. But when I or my family has needed health care or help from the police that has not always been the case.
Yes, there are flaws and inefficiency inherent to all systems. I know about several cases in which hospitals and police have neglected to perform their duty.
I was thinking of an American friend the other day, when she told us that she couldn't afford to get the proper medication because she made too much to qualify for medicaid(?), but not enough to afford it.
In Sweden, perscription drugs and other medicins are sold by a monopoly, and the common health insurance limits the amount you have to pay for medications prescribed by doctors. The cap is set at $250/year. If you need more medication, then it's free. And it covers ALL citizens regardless of income. It's arraged this way so that none should fall through the net like my friend did.
I'm signing out medications for at least $600 each year for my hip, so fo me, this is very neat. |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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chaloobi
SFN Regular
1620 Posts |
Posted - 09/23/2005 : 09:51:23 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
quote:
Originally posted by chaloobi
Well, actually 34% is our highest income tax bracket. If you make over 250k per year or so, you'll pay that much. If you make 10 million a year, you'll pay that much. I don't know, but my guess is Dr. M makes less than that and those making 250k plus in his country are probably paying a much higher tax rate. Though I could be wrong on all counts . . . .
I make ~35k/year, and in Sweden this is roughly where the income tax goes from being mostly linear (fixed ~32% depending on where you live, there are local differences, mostly within +/- 2%), to more progressive.
Since I live in a condo, I don't have to deal with the property tax. If you're good for ~200k (US $) you'll have to pay "rich mans" tax, but since I don't have that much I haven't bothered to figure out how that works.
Interesting. I'd be interested to know how your tax structure goes up from there. Folks making 35k per year around here don't pay that much in income tax. Here's a link to the 2004 US tax rates. http://www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/2004taxrates.asp As you can see, if you lived in the US, you'd pay 25% income tax. However, there's a bit of Social Security and Medicare tax you'd have to pay as well on top of that. This link says that amount is an additional 15.3 % of income. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1118127/posts It also goes on to claim that the average American pays a total of 42% of their earnings to taxes. Wow.
Just a word about disparaties between rich and poor, the US's elite - the old wealth, the people that run the place, don't pay most of their taxes via income tax. That's because most of their 'income' is in the form of interest, dividends and capital gains. And GW has really nailed back capital gains and dividend taxes to take care of those people who don't actually do any work for their income. They'd been unfairly oppressed, you see.
So, if I were born filthy rich and never worked a day in my life, inheriting, say, a ten million dollar portfolio from Mom and Dad when I graduated from Ivy League U, I'd pay taxes sorta like this: I'd earn a conservative 6% in dividends from the portfolio (about 600k a year) and I'd pay a 15% tax rate on that, or 90k per year. So me, being very rich and not having to work, I only pay 15% in taxes on my income, whereas the average American middle-class worker pays 42% of HIS income, every % point of which means a hell of a lot more to his and his family's well being than I can say for me. And on top of all that, 45 million working Americans don't have any health insurance coverage either. So not only is he taxed more than me, but chances are he's got no access to regular health care.
And yet I, as the filthy rich kid, still benefit equally and more from all the services that tax money supports. And I'm not just talking about infrastructure, law and order, but also the rules, regulations and safeguards that make sure business in America can be conducted for my rich-ass benefit. Oh, and get this, MY patron president, GW Bush, was voted into office primarily by all those working class dip shits who're paying 42% in taxes. How sweet is THAT? |
-Chaloobi
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| Edited by - chaloobi on 09/23/2005 09:52:44 |
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