Interesting read. Lets all move to Sweden, it's only 52.4%...!!!

[url]http://money.msn.com/articles/tax/basics/9196.asp[/url]

At the time of the American Revolution, the colonists were complaining about a tax rate of about 5%.  

During feudal times, it was considered a certain way to have a peasant's revolt, if the taxes exceeded 10%.

Isn't progress grand?

Disinformation at it's best.

The article is pretty much worthless, since they don't bother to mention that we have more levels of taxation and that state/local governments pick up a lot of what the feds don't do.  The overall tax burden in this country was over 50% last time I heard a figure, and -- at least for me here in Washington state -- it's been going up steadily.

Taxes is the only thing pisses me off more with the government then gun laws. That article is bogus. We pay about %50 of our income to taxes. Once you add in federal, local, state, property, sales, social security and all the other taxes its about 50%. Social security is my biggest pet peeve. Most people think that it is 6.2%. That is what they take out of your check. What most people don't know is that your employer pays IIRC 9% of what your salary is straight to the feds. Now if employers didn't have to pay that 9% to the feds most of it would goto the employees. So really we pay 15% to SS. The average person collecting SS gets $800 a year. Now I know damn well if I saved 15% of what I made my entire working life I'd have a hell of alot more to show for it then $800 a month.

Dammit... I hate when Americans talk about how great the "cradle to grave" welfare services are in Europe. I'm a Brit who move to the US because I'm sick of all the BS in my homeland.

I'm GLAD I get to have employer-subsidized private health insurance. Its a lot more efficient than anything the Euro governments can deliver. I hear all the time about folks in the UK who can't get operations for years because the Govt only budgets for so many of a certain type in each fiscal year... if you need a hip replacement or cataract operation be prepared for a long wait(my grandmother-in-law needs both, and she's into year 3 and counting).

Don't even get me started on salary comparisons, sales tax (17.5% in the UK) or gas prices ($5/gallon).

Welcome, Stealthy.  Didja bring us some good English beers?  Be sure and stock up on some cool guns as soon as you're able, the likes of which you can't get in the U.K. anymore.

$5 per gallon for gas?  Can you still measure gas like that?  I thought the EU made made the U.K. go metric on all things large and small.  Including the traditional pint.