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Helsinki Relocation Package: City as a Service

helsinkibusinesshub.fi

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Re: Helsinki Relocation Package: City as a Service

#211

Post by ponker »

Devils-Avocado wrote: post #27
brryant wrote: post #2

This is honestly a great way for tech entrepreneurs to experience Nordic living. The fact is Finland has one of the most startup friendly environments around: — top schools (Aalto U. produces incredibly talented engineers) — startup friendly ecosystem (cheap rents, cheap internet) — Finnish work culture (direct, no nonsense, hard working but balanced) — fantastic food and beverage scene in downtown Helsinki My wife i…

Also: 24% VAT (sales tax) 18% employer payroll taxes 10% employee payroll taxes 20-30% typical income tax Take your American disposable income and cut it in half. Still worth it for 'free' education and 'free' healthcare? Also a lot of cold and darkness.

I doubt the co-founder of Webflow gives a crap.

Re: Helsinki Relocation Package: City as a Service

#212

Post by ponker »

eru wrote: post #141
socialdemocrat wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not like taxes disappear into a black hole never to be seen. Most of that money comes back to you in the form of services Americans would have to pay for anyway. What matters is what the taxes give you. A lot of American taxes don’t give people much of anything. Maintaining the worlds largest prison population is expensive but what exactly does that give the Average American? Worlds largest military also sucks…

You can have lower taxes (than in America) and excellent public services in Singapore. Eat your cake and have it, too. Very startup friendly as well and excellent food. The tropical weather takes a bit of getting used to, though. I much prefer gloomy European skies.

If you are not ethnically Chinese you are an underclass in Singapore. If you are not black you are not an underclass in the United States. I have no idea what it is like to be black in Singapore but for anyone else, I would think "not being an underclass" is high on anyone's list.

Re: Helsinki Relocation Package: City as a Service

#213

Post by usr1106 »

todsul wrote: post #63
Devils-Avocado wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also: 24% VAT (sales tax) 18% employer payroll taxes 10% employee payroll taxes 20-30% typical income tax Take your American disposable income and cut it in half. Still worth it for 'free' education and 'free' healthcare? Also a lot of cold and darkness.

There are certainly downsides to living in Finland, but you picked a poor comparison in taxes. Taxes in the US are NOT low. Income tax is only one of many taxes in the US. In some states/cities, your property tax can exceed income tax. My state has extremely high taxes on cars too. It all adds up to a lot of money and a relatively high total tax rate. I wouldn't be surprised it a significant number of people in the U…

Not an expert an the area, but from what I read the US is a tax heaven for the super rich, Finland certainly is not. Progressive tax rates are high. There are creative ways to get your (should I say their?) income avoiding progression, then it's flat 30%.

Both are taxing the normal mortals, Finland probably slightly higher.

Re: Helsinki Relocation Package: City as a Service

#214

Post by wikibob »

hestefisk wrote: post #186
eru wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can have lower taxes (than in America) and excellent public services in Singapore. Eat your cake and have it, too. Very startup friendly as well and excellent food. The tropical weather takes a bit of getting used to, though. I much prefer gloomy European skies.

I live in Singapore and my experience is healthcare is extremely expensive unless you have insurance (which I have). Schools for expats are incredibly expensive too unless you want to put them in local ones. Cost of living is very high. I pay SGD 6000/mo to live centrally but with no trees around me.

What are tech industry salaries like in Singapore compared to Silicon Valley FAANG companies?

Re: Helsinki Relocation Package: City as a Service

#216

Post by triceratops »

siavosh wrote: post #93
socialdemocrat wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is not like taxes disappear into a black hole never to be seen. Most of that money comes back to you in the form of services Americans would have to pay for anyway. What matters is what the taxes give you. A lot of American taxes don’t give people much of anything. Maintaining the worlds largest prison population is expensive but what exactly does that give the Average American? Worlds largest military also sucks…

I wish humanity didn't need a military but saying the world's largest military doesn't give anything back is a bit misleading. Some would argue the world's largest military enable the post WW2 order and with it the free trade that most of the world depends on. So in a very concrete way, the American tax payer subsidizes much of the world's economy. Now in a post cold war with the growing isolationist tendencies of Am…

> Some would argue the world's largest military enable the post WW2 order

I thought nukes and MAD did that.

Re: Helsinki Relocation Package: City as a Service

#217

Post by [deleted] »

deanc wrote: post #190

Overall my experience in Helsinki has been hugely positive. I’ve been here now over a decade and have settled with work and family life. Work life balance is great, there’s a beautiful outdoors to enjoy all year, and the people are warm and kind, if not difficult to start with. All that said, there’s a lot of bullshit and hot air here in this thread: - public healthcare is great until you have something difficult to…

[deleted]

Re: Helsinki Relocation Package: City as a Service

#218

Post by rendall »

dfrsol wrote: post #29
suyash wrote: post #18

What's the catch here?

You pay for everything including travel there, housing, etc.

I thought this was not a true statement but there it is, in the ToS:

Participants are responsible for the travel expenses to Finland and for any insurances the participants are willing to take.

Participants are responsible for the living costs and all other personal expenses during their stay in Finland.

https://www.helsinkibusinesshub.fi/90-day-finn-terms-and-con...

Re: Helsinki Relocation Package: City as a Service

#219

Post by ensiferum »

All fun & games until you realize:

- The cost of living is on par with some of the most expensive cities while being a small town at the ass end of Siberia.

- The incredibly aggressive Finnish income tax (and high tax on everything basically) means that no matter how much you earn at the end of the month you're basically broke

- Helsinki features in the top 5 of world's coldest capital cities. In winter you can expect down to -30 and a whipping wind from the Baltic sea. Summers are only 2-3 months when it can be pleasant.

On the plus side it's actually quite international. Some 20% of Helsinki residents are foreigners. So you can easily get by by not speaking Finnish. It's also very walkable and public transportation is adequate so no car needed (also that'd cost you an arm and a leg)

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