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On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 02:26:51 +1200, Stephen Worthington wrote:

>>Yet Sweden, with a personal tax rate of around 60%, has a higher GDP per
>>capita, around a 3rd of the population and a 20th of the land area.
>
> I do not believe that Sweden actually taxes 60% of your income. That
> will be the top marginal tax rate, not the overall average tax rate.

I am unsure: my point is that it was some of the highest taxation in the
world. And yet the Swedes are not running from the country en mass.

It seems to me that taxation is not the factor the Right pretend it is. It
seems to be more WHAT the tax is spent on.

--

.... Brendan

"I like the word 'indolence'. It makes my laziness seem classy." -- Bern Williams

Note: All my comments are copyright 24/07/2004 2:44:18 p.m. and are opinion only where not otherwise stated and always "to the best of my recollection". www.computerman.orcon.net.nz.

Brendan wrote:

> On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 02:26:51 +1200, Stephen Worthington wrote:
>
>>>Yet Sweden, with a personal tax rate of around 60%, has a higher GDP per
>>>capita, around a 3rd of the population and a 20th of the land area.
>>
>> I do not believe that Sweden actually taxes 60% of your income. That
>> will be the top marginal tax rate, not the overall average tax rate.
>
> I am unsure: my point is that it was some of the highest taxation in the
> world. And yet the Swedes are not running from the country en mass.
>
> It seems to me that taxation is not the factor the Right pretend it is. It
> seems to be more WHAT the tax is spent on.
>

And Australia has a top marginal rate of 47% and you don't get
lots of Australians leaving in droves.
Possibly because they get free medical, including doctors visits.
And if you do chose a private hospital the government will pay
25% of your costs.
Not to mention the brilliant weather!

Harry <> wrote:

>Brendan wrote:
>
>> On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 02:26:51 +1200, Stephen Worthington wrote:
>>
>>>>Yet Sweden, with a personal tax rate of around 60%, has a higher GDP per
>>>>capita, around a 3rd of the population and a 20th of the land area.
>>>
>>> I do not believe that Sweden actually taxes 60% of your income. That
>>> will be the top marginal tax rate, not the overall average tax rate.
>>
>> I am unsure: my point is that it was some of the highest taxation in the
>> world. And yet the Swedes are not running from the country en mass.
>>
>> It seems to me that taxation is not the factor the Right pretend it is. It
>> seems to be more WHAT the tax is spent on.
>>
>
>And Australia has a top marginal rate of 47% and you don't get
>lots of Australians leaving in droves.
>Possibly because they get free medical, including doctors visits.
>And if you do chose a private hospital the government will pay
>25% of your costs.
>Not to mention the brilliant weather!
>
Just to toss another stone into the pond. Paraguay has almost no
taxes. There are no duties either. This makes the place a very popular
destination for Argentinians and Brazilians to buy stuff cheap.

Economically the place doesn't provide much evidence for the
contention that low tax rates add to prosperity .......

Ian Boag wrote:

> Harry <> wrote:
>
>>Brendan wrote:
>>
>>> On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 02:26:51 +1200, Stephen Worthington wrote:
>>>
>>>>>Yet Sweden, with a personal tax rate of around 60%, has a higher GDP
>>>>>per capita, around a 3rd of the population and a 20th of the land area.
>>>>
>>>> I do not believe that Sweden actually taxes 60% of your income. That
>>>> will be the top marginal tax rate, not the overall average tax rate.
>>>
>>> I am unsure: my point is that it was some of the highest taxation in the
>>> world. And yet the Swedes are not running from the country en mass.
>>>
>>> It seems to me that taxation is not the factor the Right pretend it is.
>>> It seems to be more WHAT the tax is spent on.
>>>
>>
>>And Australia has a top marginal rate of 47% and you don't get
>>lots of Australians leaving in droves.
>>Possibly because they get free medical, including doctors visits.
>>And if you do chose a private hospital the government will pay
>>25% of your costs.
>>Not to mention the brilliant weather!
>>
> Just to toss another stone into the pond. Paraguay has almost no
> taxes. There are no duties either. This makes the place a very popular
> destination for Argentinians and Brazilians to buy stuff cheap.
>
> Economically the place doesn't provide much evidence for the
> contention that low tax rates add to prosperity .......

You are probably right.
I suppose that is why NZ taxes the poor so heavily.