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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

#71

Post by crdoconnor »

alkonaut wrote: post #54
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…

> Somebody, somewhere made a campaign contribution You are assuming that the chance of being elected to public office increases with the amount of money you can spend on trying. That's cute. Edit: You aren't american. But still so cynical about politics :)

>You are assuming that the chance of being elected to public office increases with the amount of money you can spend on trying. That's cute.

Clearly politicians solicit campaign contributions just for the hell of it.

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

#72

Post by crdoconnor »

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?

>Where's the extra money coming from?

Assuming that's true, by ramping up public borrowing (most likely), increased tax receipts from increased employment (less likely) or seigniorage (least likely).

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

#73

Post by pjc50 »

unknown_apostle wrote: post #70
pjc50 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Then you'll probably be OK. It's just that immigration is no longer welcome in general. Great place if you avoid the spiders and the bogans, though.

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

#74

Post by toomanybeersies »

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…

I think New Zealand probably has one of the most streamlined tax systems in the world, at least for the average person.

GST (essentially sales tax) is levied at 15% on all goods and services except for domestic rent and financial services (and one or two rare exceptions that don't apply to the vast majority of cases).

Your income tax rate is figured from a flowchart, it's really simple: https://www.ird.govt.nz/resources/b/f/bf9db1804ba3cfc08a6ebf...

As for tax returns, it's as simple as going online, adding up your interest earned during the year (most banks will do this for you and send it to you) and adding your dividends earned. It's a bit more work if you do any contracting or freelancing, but it's still simple enough that the vast majority of people can do it while drinking a beer or two on a Sunday afternoon.

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

#75

Post by simonh »

pjc50 wrote: post #62
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…

Seconded, as a Brit the only times I've ever needed to fill out a tax return it was over some business expenses reimbursements.

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

#76

Post by splintercell »

VeejayRampay wrote: post #37
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…

Let's be serious here. I'm French, all for high taxes and all but please let's not delude ourselves thinking that American people pay "around 50%" taxes. As soon as you have enough money to afford it, you'll pay a tax lawyer to get that down to about 15% or something, thanks to a bajillion hidden tax system loopholes allowing the rich to get an advantage on the less fortunate. And even if you take into account the pr…

> And even if you take into account the price of college, health care and everything, you'll get to about the same amount but the whole point in the US system is that you do NOT have to pay for other people, cause who needs solidarity in a society.

If I wanted solidarity then I'd have stayed in my home country. I like the idea that I am free(er) to chase my dreams and suffer the consequences of my actions. More importantly I like the idea that there are other people who think like me in this country.

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

#77

Post by alkonaut »

crdoconnor wrote: post #71
alkonaut wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Somebody, somewhere made a campaign contribution You are assuming that the chance of being elected to public office increases with the amount of money you can spend on trying. That's cute. Edit: You aren't american. But still so cynical about politics :)

>You are assuming that the chance of being elected to public office increases with the amount of money you can spend on trying. That's cute. Clearly politicians solicit campaign contributions just for the hell of it.

If Denmark is like Sweden (It has a very similar political system, as do all the Nordic countries) then donations usually aren't solicited by politicians but by parties. Individual politicians rarely campaign at all.

Obviously parties can be indebted to donors just like individual politicians - but the result at least superficially seems to be lot less shady dealings since buying something off a major party will take a lot more than buying an individual.

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

#78

Post by rayiner »

dpatru wrote: post #55

The fallacy here is to aggregate the people. Democracy has been compared to two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner. Proposals to cut government will fail when more than 50℅ figure they are net beneficiaries. This does not mean the system is just or that the lambs approve of their exploitation.

I love how the rich and privileged in this hypothetical are the lambs.

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

#79

Post by MrBuddyCasino »

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 Germany

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

#80

Post by ZeroGravitas »

VeejayRampay wrote: post #37
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…

Let's be serious here. I'm French, all for high taxes and all but please let's not delude ourselves thinking that American people pay "around 50%" taxes. As soon as you have enough money to afford it, you'll pay a tax lawyer to get that down to about 15% or something, thanks to a bajillion hidden tax system loopholes allowing the rich to get an advantage on the less fortunate. And even if you take into account the pr…

> And even if you take into account the price of college, health care and everything, you'll get to about the same amount but the whole point in the US system is that you do NOT have to pay for other people, cause who needs solidarity in a society.

You seem to be angrily agreeing with the person you replied to.

Paying money to the government or a private monopolies that are heavily, and often bizarrely, regulated by the government is basically comparable.

Any sense that you "do NOT have to pay for other people" is mostly fictional.

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