Yikes!! August 8 is Tax Freedom Day in Sweden
Last Saturday (August 8), Sweden "celebrated" its Tax Freedom Day, the day in the year that the average citizen finishes paying all taxes to the government, and can keep their salary for the remainder of the year, according to Swedish blogger Hus Langford, who writes:
Sweden's total tax burden for a single worker: 48.6%. The US is 30%, and the UK 29.7%. (Belgium is over 55%. Whoa.) On top of that is VAT, which at 25%, is the highest in the world, adding a quarter to the cost of any good or service.
MP: For the U.S., Tax Freedom Day this year was April 13, compared to April 21 last year and April 27 in 2007. The worst Tax Freedom Day for the U.S. was May 3, 2000. In the early 1900s, Tax Freedom Day was as early as January 19, 1910, and was in mid-February in 1920 and 1930 (historical data here).
7 Comments:
Does that include state and local taxes, social security and medicare, property taxes, and other taxes and fees? I'd be curious to know approximately when the average person at each income level is done paying for all of these things.
Don't you watch Jon Stewart? Sweden is paradise.
I just wish that August 8 was "tax freedom day" for Stewart and his audience of bobbleheads.
I just thought: "what about if we include the deficit"? But they had thought of that in one of your links - May 29.
Do payroll taxes include SocSec? If so, then this is somewhat misleading, unless they include the dole as negative taxes.
If they do, then my dad would probably have Tax Freedom day of Last November (i.e. -45 days+-).
anon @ 9:06 AM says: "Does that include state and local taxes, social security and medicare, property taxes, and other taxes and fees?"...
Its even worse than that, Sweden has 25% VAT...
"...(August 8), Sweden "celebrated" its Tax Freedom Day"
I don't START working till the end of August. Does that mean I don't have to pay taxes?
---Just a substitute teacher ;)
And what percentage of Swedes pay no income taxes at all, meaning their income tax freedom day is 1 Jan. I think the figure is greater than 50%, but would appreciate a comment from anyone who knows, even if it contradicts my information.
Thanks,
People who pay no income tax, or very little, whatever that percentage may be, look at income tax as a benefit, not a burden, something like Robin Hood style stealing from the rich to give to the poor or spread the wealth or income redistribution, and would therefore vote for politicians who support raising income taxes. This is, I fear, the real reasoning behind any Obama administration income tax reform; get the percentage of people who pay no income tax above 50%, and there will always be support for raising income taxes more. We (US) are, BTY, very close to the 50% figure of non-income tax payers already.
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