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Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

bloomberg.com

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Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#61

Post by guard-of-terra »

sausman wrote: post #46
atemerev wrote: post #10

In other countries, taxes are complicated (no citation needed). There's income tax, but there are also social security payments, industry-specific taxes, etc. And you have to pay for your own education and healthcare! Danish tax is simple and all inclusive. It is around 50%, which is about the same as in US if all hidden obligatory payments are taken into account. But it is all inclusive: all education and healthcare…

Another thing to consider is the size of Denmark compared to the US. It's a much smaller political unit which tends to translate into more responsive politicians. Danes have about half the number of representatives we have in the US but less than 5% of our population. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_congressional_...

Relevant - Number of seats in the national parliament by country in Europe

https://jakubmarian.com/number-of-seats-in-the-national-parl...

If only they had scatter plot!

Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#62

Post by pjc50 »

atemerev wrote: post #10

In other countries, taxes are complicated (no citation needed). There's income tax, but there are also social security payments, industry-specific taxes, etc. And you have to pay for your own education and healthcare! Danish tax is simple and all inclusive. It is around 50%, which is about the same as in US if all hidden obligatory payments are taken into account. But it is all inclusive: all education and healthcare…

British system: tax and social security deducted by employer. Council sends you an annual bill vaguely related to the value of your home, paid over 10 months. Healthcare free at the point of use, apart from the £7 prescription charge in England.

I was in my mid-30s before I had to file a tax return, and that's only because I'd set up a limited company. The Inland Revenue (HMRC) can be nasty, but nowhere near as nasty as the benefits accountants. HMRC website is also rather good and you can calculate and file online.

Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#63

Post by tobltobs »

EJTH wrote: post #32

As a dane I can tell you the headline is a lie, almost everyone I know thinks that we pay way too much for the mediocre services we get.

Even people in Switzerland think the same, although they have low taxes and top notch public services.

Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#64

Post by guard-of-terra »

purplelobster wrote: post #50
hedgew wrote: post #35

I'm not in Denmark but in a very similar European country. I don't want the high taxes. The current taxes and mandatory payments feel unfair. The generations before us worked during the greatest economic boom in history, were mostly employed in safe and high paying government jobs (still are), bought houses before their values tripled, and are now receiving monthly pension payments that are almost twice what most you…

Another view is: I could definitely invest especially the forced pension better myself. The problem is most people would use that money for consumption if they had a choice, and then at old age they would blame society for having to live on the street (and in the end probably get a handout anyway). Perhaps in the end all of us are better off if we "force" these saving for most people.

However, we probably should withhold paying obviously unsustainable pensions to current generation of retired citizens.

There's this desperate feeling that despite paying a large chunk of money into pension fund, my generation won't get any pensions at all, because of population ageing there just won't be any money for that. But brace yourself. And have a nice mood. (c)

We're just giving those money to aged people without hopes of getting anything back.

And no, immigration won't solve this, because every immigrant you bring today will retire (or try to), too.

Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#65

Post by guard-of-terra »

manarth wrote: post #21
crdoconnor wrote: post #12

>The government's plan involves cutting the top rate of income tax by 5 percentage points >The main idea behind the change, which is now being discussed by parliament, is to make salaried work more attractive and woo some 40,000 people off welfare in the process. Not a bad plan for a country that faces labor shortages and growing pressure on its costly social safety net from an aging population. This is a sales pitch…

and raising personal allowances so as to boost the salaries of the lowest earners by an average of 7 percent So the plan is to cut the taxes of high-earners, as well as improving the tax-free allowance for everyone… Without increasing other taxes, or reducing spending? Where's the extra money coming from?

From creating jobs, taking people off welfare and making them pair their taxes, albeit reduced.

Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#66

Post by verinus »

mstade wrote: post #42
hedgew wrote: post #35

I'm not in Denmark but in a very similar European country. I don't want the high taxes. The current taxes and mandatory payments feel unfair. The generations before us worked during the greatest economic boom in history, were mostly employed in safe and high paying government jobs (still are), bought houses before their values tripled, and are now receiving monthly pension payments that are almost twice what most you…

This sounds like Sweden or Norway, and I couldn't agree more.

or austria

Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#67

Post by pjc50 »

hedgew wrote: post #35

I'm not in Denmark but in a very similar European country. I don't want the high taxes. The current taxes and mandatory payments feel unfair. The generations before us worked during the greatest economic boom in history, were mostly employed in safe and high paying government jobs (still are), bought houses before their values tripled, and are now receiving monthly pension payments that are almost twice what most you…

The intergenerational inequality is an increasingly serious problem, and as you suggest might kill the welfare state if it's no longer percieved to be fair. The flashpoints are more likely to be in the south of Europe, such as Greece.

Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#68

Post by pjc50 »

unknown_apostle wrote: post #58
EJTH wrote: post #32

As a dane I can tell you the headline is a lie, almost everyone I know thinks that we pay way too much for the mediocre services we get.

(Caution: serious venting ahead ;-) Same here in Belgium. Both the situation and the propaganda about it. Total tax pressure is extremely high. Government services in Belgium are mediocre at best. Imagine every public institute disease possible (rent seeking, no skin in the game, resistance to reform, employees not giving a shit, impossible size, …). Then multiply it by the fragmentation between Belgium’s many govern…

Good luck immigrating to Australia if you think the US has "closed down" - you might get stuck in a concentration camp on an island.

Belgium is a little special because of the fragile Flemish vs. Walloon "ethnic tension". It seems to be stable so long as both sides are permitted equal subsidy.

Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#69

Post by ximeng »

vixen99 wrote: post #26
jonatron wrote: post #7

Not mentioned is that Denmark has the OECD's lowest inequality. Having visited a couple of times, it does feel like they're doing something right.

That's a metric that evidently appeals to you. So be it. It's a relative measure and my preference, possibly shared by others, is for an absolute one. Human nature and entrepreneurship being what it is, as general wealth increases thus does inequality increase. We have seen this happening on a grand scale across the world during the last 20 years or more. One other point: what suits the Danes wouldn't necessarily sui…

Think there's room for more nuance around saying inequality increases as wealth increases. Eg a public transit system and a limousine service could both increase the wealth of a community but might have different effects on inequality. Services like Facebook or google naturally lead to extreme inequality due to the information availability differing between the company and consumers.

Re: Most Danish voters oppose government plans to cut the top rate of income tax

#70

Post by unknown_apostle »

pjc50 wrote: post #68
unknown_apostle wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Caution: serious venting ahead ;-) Same here in Belgium. Both the situation and the propaganda about it. Total tax pressure is extremely high. Government services in Belgium are mediocre at best. Imagine every public institute disease possible (rent seeking, no skin in the game, resistance to reform, employees not giving a shit, impossible size, …). Then multiply it by the fragmentation between Belgium’s many govern…

Good luck immigrating to Australia if you think the US has "closed down" - you might get stuck in a concentration camp on an island. Belgium is a little special because of the fragile Flemish vs. Walloon "ethnic tension". It seems to be stable so long as both sides are permitted equal subsidy.

Yes. Flemish/Walloon stuff is a lot, but it doesn't stop there. France has similar problems with out of control government.

Why not Australia? My occupation is on the list of wanted occupations?

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