Sweden second in global tax league
Whohoo! Wer'e not in first place anymore!
"The overall amount of tax levied in the 30 OECD countries in 2006, the latest year for which data is available, was 35.9 percent of output, close to the record of 36.1 percent in 2000.Denmark and Sweden came first, each with a ratio of 49.1 percent."
"Provisional figures for 2007 showed tax revenues in Sweden dropping to 48.2 percent of output, while Denmark registered a 48.9 percent rate. "
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Among the other OECD figures, the ratio for the United States was 28.0 percent, Canada 33.3 percent, Japan 27.9 percent, Finland 43.5 percent, Germany 35.6 percent, Ireland 31.9 percent, Poland 33.5 percent, Britain 37.1 percent and France 44.2 percent.
So no now I'm being taxed 0,9% less than before! Break up the Champaigne...
Well that's... Just swell.
Not to mention that everything- everything is cheaper in the USA than here. I mean- I can get a pair of Levi's jeans for half the sum in NYC that I would have to cough up here. Cars are two thirds a penny in USA. The only thing that the states can compete with us is energy prices, but we are getting there- really quick (except for the gasoline prices, which are half as much as they are here).
About the energy prices, and I mean electricity- we here in Sweden only produces 2/3 of the capacity we have. We have access to clean cheap energy in form of water turbine and nuclear power but we don't use it! Instead we import energy from the continent. Being that that energy is mostly from coal and oil energy plants (which means that it's much more expensiver, and-uhum- not really clean and environmetally friendly) and the fact that the energy prices are derived from the most expenivest source on the spot market, it means that ALL energy prices are set at the highest market prices.
How hard is it to understand? Krikey, I think I have to run for office. Nah! Then I would be just another crooked bastard.
Spot market! WTF?
posted by pela68 at 00:10
1 Comments:
Interesting piece.
Although I'm not surprised that the U.S. comes in at 28%, it should be noted that here, over 40% of the people pay no income tax! They do, however pay FICA taxes (for things like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.), so that the top 10% of income earners pay about 70% of all income taxes!
I doubt there's another nation in the industrialized world with such a skewered income tax ratio.
The problem I have with ALL tax schemes that tax/punish income/productivity is that they all mistake INCOME for "WEALTH."
In any country, there is generally very little overlap between the top 10% of income eanrners and the "wealthiest 10% of the nation's population," as income is one of the least effective means of generating real wealth.
Great post!
Sunday 19 October 2008 at 20:18:00 CEST
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