Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019
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@dyasny said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
I'ts like with bus management companies. If they want to take over a popular route which is sure to bring in money, they are required to establish operations on less popular routes, and maintain them. The same works in Israel for medical providers - if they want a chunk of the tax money, they have to maintain hospitals and ERs as well.
Right, but that's not actually private. It's just government by another name to trick people into thinking it is private. Same as in the US.
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US system makes tons of money on medical tourism, too. But the good healthcare goes to the foreigners not the Americans. Because when it is private, they can sell top dollar to those from the outside, and provide whatever the government mandates to the citizens.
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So the US is very interesting. We have possibly the world's largest inbound medical tourism market and the world's largest outbound!
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@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@dyasny said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
- Free-ish medicare
You know this doesn't exist anywhere - right? If it's free - it's paid by taxes.. Now that said - I have no clue what the actual typical tax rate is in Europe say compared to the USA ( I know that my tax rate between state and Fed is around 17% - that doesn't seem right, but this is based on my actual pay, not the post standard deductions pay, which would clearly be much higher.
Don't forget the sales tax, gas tax, airport tax, and hotel tax, etc... you probably pay quite often. It all adds up. Americans pay a lot more tax than they think they do.
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@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Carnival-Boy said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
Do people with unhealthy life styles end up having higher health care costs though?
They do from studies that I know. But universal healthcare lowers all of the costs way, way more. So his concern would make him totally passionate about it if cost was actually his concern.
Where is the proof in that - and how is it accomplished? does it remove high paid doctors? does it remove high paid administrators? does it remove wasteful spending in hospitals to keep costs respectable? Where is this savings coming from?
Also how long as the lines for non cold/flu related issues - like cancer treatments, or organ transplants? I've had friends in Canada say the lines/wait times are epic.
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@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@JaredBusch said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Mike-Davis said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
I like the Dutch system of health care vouchers. It gives everyone coverage, but is competitive because private companies compete for the voucher money.
I may be too American, but I refuse to believe that privatized healthcare can ever actually be valid.
I agree. Privitization sounds good, but it ignores the fact that the bulk of healthcare is a utility and has no possibility of being in a competitive position.
now that I completely agree with.
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@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
Doesn't matter how much or how little you pay in taxes when a major medical problem will guarantee you go bankrupt in the US. All that money you saved on taxes goes out the window, plus your house, your truck, and your savings.
I know Scott believes in the public healthcare solution - I just have a hard time paying for everyone else's lack of giving a shit about their health that leads to huge health care costs. if we could hold people accountable for their expenses (not counting things like accidents against them) I think that would make me 'feel' better.
I see the value in some public services - law enforcement/roads/national defense, but I still have a hard time seeing public healthcare as a public good.
I suppose if there is proof that public healthcare raises the quality of life of it's citizens more than it costs those citizen, that would go a long way to convincing me.
I understand the reasoning, but in practice US pays more for worse health outcomes overall:
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-u-s-similar-public-spending-private-sector-spending-triple-comparable-countriesIn practice the savings of getting rid of the bureaucracy and milking by execs is vastly more than the cost from people going to the doctor more.
Exactly. Although his argument, like those of most Americans, is that they don't care how much they pay, they only care that they pay fairly. This is the fundamental reasons why Europeans and Americans argue and NEVER agree on healthcare - they fundamentally want different outcomes.
Europeans want everyone to be healthy and to pay as little as possible. Americans want to pay their fair share, regardless of if it is more than necessary or how many people don't get healthcare because of it.
So Europeans say "we pay less and get more" and Americans go "you idiots, that isn't fair!"
That's because we don't believe it. I only hear about ridiculous tax rates in Europe in the 60%+ range.
I said above that my tax rate on actual income is around 17% (state/fed/fica). I add the cost of my insurance on that (which I also have to add to my income as well) and it brings it up to 21.4% I can't get anywhere near your 52% number... I must be doing something wrong. Again, I'm using my whole income, not the post allowed deduction income.
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@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Obsolesce said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
If I need to go somewhere rural or outside train or bus convenience, I will simply rent a car, which is cheap.
Here, cars are a luxury and is how I feel it should be. I agree with the purposely created rural problem in the States.Even living in suburban Texas, one of the most "need a car" states, I'm at a point where I'd not buy another one. When my current one dies, I'm done.
And then what?
Until recently, the nearest store of any kind to my house was 3.5 miles (a Casey's gas station opened about a month ago that's 9 blocks away).
I don't consider a cab/uber really reasonable in the area I'm in - there are no public buses anywhere near where I live - I think I'd have to go the 3.5 miles at best to get to a bus stop.
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@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
Doesn't matter how much or how little you pay in taxes when a major medical problem will guarantee you go bankrupt in the US. All that money you saved on taxes goes out the window, plus your house, your truck, and your savings.
I know Scott believes in the public healthcare solution - I just have a hard time paying for everyone else's lack of giving a shit about their health that leads to huge health care costs. if we could hold people accountable for their expenses (not counting things like accidents against them) I think that would make me 'feel' better.
I see the value in some public services - law enforcement/roads/national defense, but I still have a hard time seeing public healthcare as a public good.
I suppose if there is proof that public healthcare raises the quality of life of it's citizens more than it costs those citizen, that would go a long way to convincing me.
I understand the reasoning, but in practice US pays more for worse health outcomes overall:
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-u-s-similar-public-spending-private-sector-spending-triple-comparable-countriesIn practice the savings of getting rid of the bureaucracy and milking by execs is vastly more than the cost from people going to the doctor more.
Exactly. Although his argument, like those of most Americans, is that they don't care how much they pay, they only care that they pay fairly. This is the fundamental reasons why Europeans and Americans argue and NEVER agree on healthcare - they fundamentally want different outcomes.
Europeans want everyone to be healthy and to pay as little as possible. Americans want to pay their fair share, regardless of if it is more than necessary or how many people don't get healthcare because of it.
So Europeans say "we pay less and get more" and Americans go "you idiots, that isn't fair!"
That's because we don't believe it. I only hear about ridiculous tax rates in Europe in the 60%+ range.
I said above that my tax rate on actual income is around 17% (state/fed/fica). I add the cost of my insurance on that (which I also have to add to my income as well) and it brings it up to 21.4% I can't get anywhere near your 52% number... I must be doing something wrong. Again, I'm using my whole income, not the post allowed deduction income.
Are you adding in the full 15% for the Social Security tax? Don't forget local sales tax, property tax, and government fees. It all adds up. In a low sales tax county in Ohio, I figured my total actual taxes paid was around 57% on ~$38,000 back in 2016 when I sat down and figured it all out.
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@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@dyasny said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
The Israelis found a way to combine government/tax based care with private sector competitiveness.
But we established that when it matters... emergencies... there is no competition. So private not only doesn't have to be competitive, but without government controls can overcharge by anything that they want since you can't agree to the price ahead of time (that's how the US does it, all prices are after the fact.)
Healthcare by definition can't be a competitive market for the parts that matter and anyone actually discusses.
What percentage of cases in the US are in this emergency - can't decide where/how to be treated? 1%? 4%? more? I'm curious.
My wife had cancer - was it life or death? yes - was it emergent? I'd say yes - but not this instant emergent - like a week emergent. So she had time to 'shop' around on price, etc if she wanted to. So again I ask - what percentage of cases are - car wreck, unconscious, can't decide how/where to be treated?
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@JasGot said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@dyasny said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
- Free-ish medicare
You know this doesn't exist anywhere - right? If it's free - it's paid by taxes.. Now that said - I have no clue what the actual typical tax rate is in Europe say compared to the USA ( I know that my tax rate between state and Fed is around 17% - that doesn't seem right, but this is based on my actual pay, not the post standard deductions pay, which would clearly be much higher.
Don't forget the sales tax, gas tax, airport tax, and hotel tax, etc... you probably pay quite often. It all adds up. Americans pay a lot more tax than they think they do.
Oh, believe me I know that. Though Europeans pay even more.
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@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
Doesn't matter how much or how little you pay in taxes when a major medical problem will guarantee you go bankrupt in the US. All that money you saved on taxes goes out the window, plus your house, your truck, and your savings.
I know Scott believes in the public healthcare solution - I just have a hard time paying for everyone else's lack of giving a shit about their health that leads to huge health care costs. if we could hold people accountable for their expenses (not counting things like accidents against them) I think that would make me 'feel' better.
I see the value in some public services - law enforcement/roads/national defense, but I still have a hard time seeing public healthcare as a public good.
I suppose if there is proof that public healthcare raises the quality of life of it's citizens more than it costs those citizen, that would go a long way to convincing me.
I understand the reasoning, but in practice US pays more for worse health outcomes overall:
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-u-s-similar-public-spending-private-sector-spending-triple-comparable-countriesIn practice the savings of getting rid of the bureaucracy and milking by execs is vastly more than the cost from people going to the doctor more.
Exactly. Although his argument, like those of most Americans, is that they don't care how much they pay, they only care that they pay fairly. This is the fundamental reasons why Europeans and Americans argue and NEVER agree on healthcare - they fundamentally want different outcomes.
Europeans want everyone to be healthy and to pay as little as possible. Americans want to pay their fair share, regardless of if it is more than necessary or how many people don't get healthcare because of it.
So Europeans say "we pay less and get more" and Americans go "you idiots, that isn't fair!"
That's because we don't believe it. I only hear about ridiculous tax rates in Europe in the 60%+ range.
I said above that my tax rate on actual income is around 17% (state/fed/fica). I add the cost of my insurance on that (which I also have to add to my income as well) and it brings it up to 21.4% I can't get anywhere near your 52% number... I must be doing something wrong. Again, I'm using my whole income, not the post allowed deduction income.
Are you adding in the full 15% for the Social Security tax? Don't forget local sales tax, property tax, and government fees. It all adds up. In a low sales tax county in Ohio, I figured my total actual taxes paid was around 57% on ~$38,000 back in 2016 when I sat down and figured it all out.
If you're going to add 15% for FICA - then you'd have to up your income by the whole amount the company is paying as well - that would be a company expense, not an expense to you personally, so I don't add it - I stop at the 7.5% FICA that the employee is responsible for. Though that would still only add at best another 1% to my total.
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@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
Doesn't matter how much or how little you pay in taxes when a major medical problem will guarantee you go bankrupt in the US. All that money you saved on taxes goes out the window, plus your house, your truck, and your savings.
I know Scott believes in the public healthcare solution - I just have a hard time paying for everyone else's lack of giving a shit about their health that leads to huge health care costs. if we could hold people accountable for their expenses (not counting things like accidents against them) I think that would make me 'feel' better.
I see the value in some public services - law enforcement/roads/national defense, but I still have a hard time seeing public healthcare as a public good.
I suppose if there is proof that public healthcare raises the quality of life of it's citizens more than it costs those citizen, that would go a long way to convincing me.
I understand the reasoning, but in practice US pays more for worse health outcomes overall:
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-u-s-similar-public-spending-private-sector-spending-triple-comparable-countriesIn practice the savings of getting rid of the bureaucracy and milking by execs is vastly more than the cost from people going to the doctor more.
Exactly. Although his argument, like those of most Americans, is that they don't care how much they pay, they only care that they pay fairly. This is the fundamental reasons why Europeans and Americans argue and NEVER agree on healthcare - they fundamentally want different outcomes.
Europeans want everyone to be healthy and to pay as little as possible. Americans want to pay their fair share, regardless of if it is more than necessary or how many people don't get healthcare because of it.
So Europeans say "we pay less and get more" and Americans go "you idiots, that isn't fair!"
That's because we don't believe it. I only hear about ridiculous tax rates in Europe in the 60%+ range.
I said above that my tax rate on actual income is around 17% (state/fed/fica). I add the cost of my insurance on that (which I also have to add to my income as well) and it brings it up to 21.4% I can't get anywhere near your 52% number... I must be doing something wrong. Again, I'm using my whole income, not the post allowed deduction income.
Are you adding in the full 15% for the Social Security tax? Don't forget local sales tax, property tax, and government fees. It all adds up. In a low sales tax county in Ohio, I figured my total actual taxes paid was around 57% on ~$38,000 back in 2016 when I sat down and figured it all out.
If you're going to add 15% for FICA - then you'd have to up your income by the whole amount the company is paying as well - that would be a company expense, not an expense to you personally, so I don't add it - I stop at the 7.5% FICA that the employee is responsible for. Though that would still only add at best another 1% to my total.
Then I wish I knew how you got your overall tax rate that low. Seems exceptionally low to me.
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@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
Doesn't matter how much or how little you pay in taxes when a major medical problem will guarantee you go bankrupt in the US. All that money you saved on taxes goes out the window, plus your house, your truck, and your savings.
I know Scott believes in the public healthcare solution - I just have a hard time paying for everyone else's lack of giving a shit about their health that leads to huge health care costs. if we could hold people accountable for their expenses (not counting things like accidents against them) I think that would make me 'feel' better.
I see the value in some public services - law enforcement/roads/national defense, but I still have a hard time seeing public healthcare as a public good.
I suppose if there is proof that public healthcare raises the quality of life of it's citizens more than it costs those citizen, that would go a long way to convincing me.
I understand the reasoning, but in practice US pays more for worse health outcomes overall:
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-u-s-similar-public-spending-private-sector-spending-triple-comparable-countriesIn practice the savings of getting rid of the bureaucracy and milking by execs is vastly more than the cost from people going to the doctor more.
Exactly. Although his argument, like those of most Americans, is that they don't care how much they pay, they only care that they pay fairly. This is the fundamental reasons why Europeans and Americans argue and NEVER agree on healthcare - they fundamentally want different outcomes.
Europeans want everyone to be healthy and to pay as little as possible. Americans want to pay their fair share, regardless of if it is more than necessary or how many people don't get healthcare because of it.
So Europeans say "we pay less and get more" and Americans go "you idiots, that isn't fair!"
That's because we don't believe it. I only hear about ridiculous tax rates in Europe in the 60%+ range.
I said above that my tax rate on actual income is around 17% (state/fed/fica). I add the cost of my insurance on that (which I also have to add to my income as well) and it brings it up to 21.4% I can't get anywhere near your 52% number... I must be doing something wrong. Again, I'm using my whole income, not the post allowed deduction income.
Are you adding in the full 15% for the Social Security tax? Don't forget local sales tax, property tax, and government fees. It all adds up. In a low sales tax county in Ohio, I figured my total actual taxes paid was around 57% on ~$38,000 back in 2016 when I sat down and figured it all out.
If you're going to add 15% for FICA - then you'd have to up your income by the whole amount the company is paying as well - that would be a company expense, not an expense to you personally, so I don't add it - I stop at the 7.5% FICA that the employee is responsible for. Though that would still only add at best another 1% to my total.
Then I wish I knew how you got your overall tax rate that low. Seems exceptionally low to me.
OK - I found my error - I'm up to 33.8% now - still no where near 50% This does not include thing like sales tax or housing tax, etc.
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@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
Doesn't matter how much or how little you pay in taxes when a major medical problem will guarantee you go bankrupt in the US. All that money you saved on taxes goes out the window, plus your house, your truck, and your savings.
I know Scott believes in the public healthcare solution - I just have a hard time paying for everyone else's lack of giving a shit about their health that leads to huge health care costs. if we could hold people accountable for their expenses (not counting things like accidents against them) I think that would make me 'feel' better.
I see the value in some public services - law enforcement/roads/national defense, but I still have a hard time seeing public healthcare as a public good.
I suppose if there is proof that public healthcare raises the quality of life of it's citizens more than it costs those citizen, that would go a long way to convincing me.
I understand the reasoning, but in practice US pays more for worse health outcomes overall:
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-u-s-similar-public-spending-private-sector-spending-triple-comparable-countriesIn practice the savings of getting rid of the bureaucracy and milking by execs is vastly more than the cost from people going to the doctor more.
Exactly. Although his argument, like those of most Americans, is that they don't care how much they pay, they only care that they pay fairly. This is the fundamental reasons why Europeans and Americans argue and NEVER agree on healthcare - they fundamentally want different outcomes.
Europeans want everyone to be healthy and to pay as little as possible. Americans want to pay their fair share, regardless of if it is more than necessary or how many people don't get healthcare because of it.
So Europeans say "we pay less and get more" and Americans go "you idiots, that isn't fair!"
That's because we don't believe it. I only hear about ridiculous tax rates in Europe in the 60%+ range.
I said above that my tax rate on actual income is around 17% (state/fed/fica). I add the cost of my insurance on that (which I also have to add to my income as well) and it brings it up to 21.4% I can't get anywhere near your 52% number... I must be doing something wrong. Again, I'm using my whole income, not the post allowed deduction income.
Are you adding in the full 15% for the Social Security tax? Don't forget local sales tax, property tax, and government fees. It all adds up. In a low sales tax county in Ohio, I figured my total actual taxes paid was around 57% on ~$38,000 back in 2016 when I sat down and figured it all out.
If you're going to add 15% for FICA - then you'd have to up your income by the whole amount the company is paying as well - that would be a company expense, not an expense to you personally, so I don't add it - I stop at the 7.5% FICA that the employee is responsible for. Though that would still only add at best another 1% to my total.
Then I wish I knew how you got your overall tax rate that low. Seems exceptionally low to me.
OK - I found my error - I'm up to 33.8% now - still no where near 50% This does not include thing like sales tax or housing tax, etc.
Yeah, that's more what I'd expect. Most places in the US don't hit the 50% range until you get everything added in.
If you want to see how bad it can get, ask @scottalanmiller's dad about his situation in NewYork.
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@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
Doesn't matter how much or how little you pay in taxes when a major medical problem will guarantee you go bankrupt in the US. All that money you saved on taxes goes out the window, plus your house, your truck, and your savings.
I know Scott believes in the public healthcare solution - I just have a hard time paying for everyone else's lack of giving a shit about their health that leads to huge health care costs. if we could hold people accountable for their expenses (not counting things like accidents against them) I think that would make me 'feel' better.
I see the value in some public services - law enforcement/roads/national defense, but I still have a hard time seeing public healthcare as a public good.
I suppose if there is proof that public healthcare raises the quality of life of it's citizens more than it costs those citizen, that would go a long way to convincing me.
I understand the reasoning, but in practice US pays more for worse health outcomes overall:
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-u-s-similar-public-spending-private-sector-spending-triple-comparable-countriesIn practice the savings of getting rid of the bureaucracy and milking by execs is vastly more than the cost from people going to the doctor more.
Exactly. Although his argument, like those of most Americans, is that they don't care how much they pay, they only care that they pay fairly. This is the fundamental reasons why Europeans and Americans argue and NEVER agree on healthcare - they fundamentally want different outcomes.
Europeans want everyone to be healthy and to pay as little as possible. Americans want to pay their fair share, regardless of if it is more than necessary or how many people don't get healthcare because of it.
So Europeans say "we pay less and get more" and Americans go "you idiots, that isn't fair!"
That's because we don't believe it. I only hear about ridiculous tax rates in Europe in the 60%+ range.
I said above that my tax rate on actual income is around 17% (state/fed/fica). I add the cost of my insurance on that (which I also have to add to my income as well) and it brings it up to 21.4% I can't get anywhere near your 52% number... I must be doing something wrong. Again, I'm using my whole income, not the post allowed deduction income.
Are you adding in the full 15% for the Social Security tax? Don't forget local sales tax, property tax, and government fees. It all adds up. In a low sales tax county in Ohio, I figured my total actual taxes paid was around 57% on ~$38,000 back in 2016 when I sat down and figured it all out.
If you're going to add 15% for FICA - then you'd have to up your income by the whole amount the company is paying as well - that would be a company expense, not an expense to you personally, so I don't add it - I stop at the 7.5% FICA that the employee is responsible for. Though that would still only add at best another 1% to my total.
Then I wish I knew how you got your overall tax rate that low. Seems exceptionally low to me.
OK - I found my error - I'm up to 33.8% now - still no where near 50% This does not include thing like sales tax or housing tax, etc.
Yeah, that's more what I'd expect. Most places in the US don't hit the 50% range until you get everything added in.
If you want to see how bad it can get, ask @scottalanmiller's dad about his situation in NewYork.
Yeah, how "great" it is in the US is an illusion.
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If you want to compare taxes you should look at tax revenue as % of GDP. That's how you can compare taxes between countries. You can't just look at any one thing like income taxes.
So look at the OECD data. https://data.oecd.org/tax/tax-revenue.htm
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@Obsolesce said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@travisdh1 said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@scottalanmiller said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
@Nic said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
Doesn't matter how much or how little you pay in taxes when a major medical problem will guarantee you go bankrupt in the US. All that money you saved on taxes goes out the window, plus your house, your truck, and your savings.
I know Scott believes in the public healthcare solution - I just have a hard time paying for everyone else's lack of giving a shit about their health that leads to huge health care costs. if we could hold people accountable for their expenses (not counting things like accidents against them) I think that would make me 'feel' better.
I see the value in some public services - law enforcement/roads/national defense, but I still have a hard time seeing public healthcare as a public good.
I suppose if there is proof that public healthcare raises the quality of life of it's citizens more than it costs those citizen, that would go a long way to convincing me.
I understand the reasoning, but in practice US pays more for worse health outcomes overall:
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/#item-u-s-similar-public-spending-private-sector-spending-triple-comparable-countriesIn practice the savings of getting rid of the bureaucracy and milking by execs is vastly more than the cost from people going to the doctor more.
Exactly. Although his argument, like those of most Americans, is that they don't care how much they pay, they only care that they pay fairly. This is the fundamental reasons why Europeans and Americans argue and NEVER agree on healthcare - they fundamentally want different outcomes.
Europeans want everyone to be healthy and to pay as little as possible. Americans want to pay their fair share, regardless of if it is more than necessary or how many people don't get healthcare because of it.
So Europeans say "we pay less and get more" and Americans go "you idiots, that isn't fair!"
That's because we don't believe it. I only hear about ridiculous tax rates in Europe in the 60%+ range.
I said above that my tax rate on actual income is around 17% (state/fed/fica). I add the cost of my insurance on that (which I also have to add to my income as well) and it brings it up to 21.4% I can't get anywhere near your 52% number... I must be doing something wrong. Again, I'm using my whole income, not the post allowed deduction income.
Are you adding in the full 15% for the Social Security tax? Don't forget local sales tax, property tax, and government fees. It all adds up. In a low sales tax county in Ohio, I figured my total actual taxes paid was around 57% on ~$38,000 back in 2016 when I sat down and figured it all out.
If you're going to add 15% for FICA - then you'd have to up your income by the whole amount the company is paying as well - that would be a company expense, not an expense to you personally, so I don't add it - I stop at the 7.5% FICA that the employee is responsible for. Though that would still only add at best another 1% to my total.
Then I wish I knew how you got your overall tax rate that low. Seems exceptionally low to me.
OK - I found my error - I'm up to 33.8% now - still no where near 50% This does not include thing like sales tax or housing tax, etc.
Yeah, that's more what I'd expect. Most places in the US don't hit the 50% range until you get everything added in.
If you want to see how bad it can get, ask @scottalanmiller's dad about his situation in NewYork.
Yeah, how "great" it is in the US is an illusion.
I have no illusions - we are taxed everywhere - though i consider the tax on buying stuff to be insidious - though I know many of you completely disagree with me. baking the tax in prevents the public from seeing how much they are actually paying - and potentially getting upset enough to become involved in the situation to make a change.
I'd be all for a dual price stick everywhere - showing the non tax and the post tax prices. Hell grocery stores now do that for per ounce pricing on a lot of items, no reason they couldn't have the large number be the post tax, and the small number being the pre-tax.
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@Pete-S said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
If you want to compare taxes you should look at tax revenue as % of GDP.
That really doesn't work. For example, the US requires you to pay (e.g. taxes you) for healthcare. So does France. But France counts it as tax revenue, and the US does not. So unless you have some auditor determining how much people (or companies) have to pay, even at the GDP level it is all smoke and mirrors.
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@Dashrender said in Top Ten Happiest Places on Earth in 2019:
though I know many of you completely disagree with me. baking the tax in prevents the public from seeing how much they are actually paying - and potentially getting upset enough to become involved in the situation to make a change.
That's not true. That happens just as much now. And in both cases, it only fools people who want to be fooled. But one situation makes pricing simple and fair, one makes it confusing and harder to ensure equality.
