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Comment by cpursley | Hacker News Reader

citricsquid,

Don't forget state income tax, sales tax and various other embedded tax. Realistically, taxes are around 40% - 50%.

Also keep in mind that we get very little benefits for those tax dollars compared to Europe for example. Our healthcare costs and higher education are not covered by that tax the same way most European countries are. The only thing we do get for that money is perpetual war and bank/industry bailouts. Kind of a raw deal.

Preferably, I'd love to see a mixed system. A VAT tax, a flat income tax and capital gains tax. Something like 13/13/13 across the board (or maybe less if the US could get unnecessary spending down - not likely). This has worked brilliantly for several eastern European countries ever since they implemented them.

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    Also keep in mind that we get very little benefits 
    for those tax dollars compared to Europe for example.

I'd always assumed that US taxes were lower than European taxes due to this (no national health service for example) but from what you and others have pointed out that seems not to be the case. Using the example provided by mikiem of California I would be paying more tax in the US than I do in England (according to this calculator: http://www.paycheckcity.com/calculator/netpay/us/california/...).

California is pretty much dollar for dollar equivalent to Australian taxes (which, funnily enough, the IRS classifies as a "high tax country") too.

And you get much more for your money in Australia.

That's why a lot of US-ians are anti-tax. I think it has a lot to do with not seeing any benefits to paying it -- so they'd rather keep their money and fund private institutions. Of course, that's lose-lose and the country has almost no new infrastructure, terrible health care and no safety net and 8% unemployment. So there's that.

But most of these people choose to ignore the elephant in the room, which is military spending. But I presume you can't just say "divert all military spending to Euro-style 'socialist' paradise spending" because then a lot of people would no longer have jobs in the military-industrial complex.

TL:DR: nothing is going to change.

Yeah, I was actually surprised to find how low UK taxes seem to be (or how high US taxes are) when I was investigating it for work several months ago. US spending levels are just outrageous. It would be interesting to compare the national budgets of the US, UK, and a few other countries, perhaps over time.

UK taxes are low but that is because public infrastructure and healthcare there are comparatively cheap and shoddy. It is not really a European country in that sense.

Don't forget the hidden NI contribution from your employer, council tax, massive fuel tax, tax on alcohol, etc. That said, I always see California and Europe as the same tax wise.

Those bank bailouts ain't gonna pay for themselves! Now tighten your belt /s!

Flat taxes don't work brilliantly except for rich people.

Flat tax is never going to happen.

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