Quote:
Originally Posted by kathyspear
On a river cruise through The Netherlands and Belgium, tour guide tells us how great it is that they get free college and free healthcare. I ask what they pay in taxes. He says anyone making the equivalent of 50k USD pays about 2/3 in taxes.
k.
|
So I looked that up. NETHERLANDS: For 2019 the income tax rate for someone making 50K US = 44K Euro is abt 7K Euro or just short of 8K USD. Whereas 2/3 of 50K would be 33K USD. There are no local income taxes, no additional soc security or Medicare taxes in Netherlands, and the top marginal income tax rate is 51%
Belgium is slightly higher taxes. The marginal rate at 50K USD is 45%. There are some local and SSec taxes. The average Belgian pays 42% taxes. The average American pays 26%. This does not include adjustments for employers' payments.
US healthcare cost is now at over 11K per person per year That alone is 22% of that 50K person's income taxed from 1st dollar earned. And if we are only talking about one wage earner in a family of 4, a total of 44K spent on health care with a 50K income. This is why something needs to change.