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Poll: Income tax: how much do you have to pay in your country of residence?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Sep 14, 2016

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Income tax: how much do you have to pay in your country of residence?".

This poll was originally submitted by Michael Harris. View the poll results »



 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 16:53
Member (2006)
German to English
Wow Sep 14, 2016

One of my polls has actually been posted☺

I was wondering how much income tax you have to pay in New Zealand, anyone know?

Here I am by 39% and except for earning less, cannot do anything about it and I have a good accountant


 
Anton Konashenok
Anton Konashenok  Identity Verified
Czech Republic
Local time: 16:53
French to English
+ ...
Czech Republic Sep 14, 2016

I am incorporated as a limited liability company, so I pay 19% of my net profit, which comes to less than 5% of the total revenue even with accountant's fees lumped into the tax. If I were a sole proprietor instead, I'd pay 15%, but the profit would be imputed at 50% of revenue, giving me an effective rate of 7.5%. Besides the income tax, there are also social security and medical insurance contributions, which in my situation make about 8.5% of my revenue, so the total is some 13%.

 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Not enough Sep 14, 2016

Taking into account standard tax allowances, UK income tax comes out below 20%.

Which is pitifully low and explains our poor public services.


 
Cecilia Civetta
Cecilia Civetta  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 16:53
Member (2003)
Italian to Spanish
+ ...
Italy Sep 14, 2016

Chris S wrote:

Taking into account standard tax allowances, UK income tax comes out below 20%.

Which is pitifully low and explains our poor public services.



At least it "explains" your poor public services, which is not the case in Italy


 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Maths Sep 14, 2016

Anton Konashenok wrote:

I pay 19% of my net profit, which comes to less than 5% of the total revenue


You're a freelance translator (=negligible expenses) and yet only a quarter of your revenue comes out as profit? How do you manage that?!


 
Annamaria Amik
Annamaria Amik  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:53
Romanian to English
+ ...
Tax Sep 14, 2016

Income tax is 16% in Romania, but we also have to pay social security and health insurance, which adds another 16%.

The problem is we get almost nothing in return for that health insurance. If you're unlucky enough to need hospitalization, you have to bribe everyone there, paying astonishing unreported amounts to the doctors, some of whom openly ask for such amounts, and then some to the nurses, and even the cleaning lady. And even then, the services are deplorable. The only benefit
... See more
Income tax is 16% in Romania, but we also have to pay social security and health insurance, which adds another 16%.

The problem is we get almost nothing in return for that health insurance. If you're unlucky enough to need hospitalization, you have to bribe everyone there, paying astonishing unreported amounts to the doctors, some of whom openly ask for such amounts, and then some to the nurses, and even the cleaning lady. And even then, the services are deplorable. The only benefits I ever got from paying compulsory health insurance were the maternity benefits.
Since the pension system is very shaky, I have no hope that I'll ever see that money again.

[Edited at 2016-09-14 09:32 GMT]
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neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 16:53
Spanish to English
+ ...
15% (for now) Sep 14, 2016

Spain: 15% Income tax, 21% VAT, the last time I looked, which was yesterday (a client informed me that I had billed them with the wrong tax rate and I had to rectify the invoice).
Actually I preferred it when both income tax and VAT were at 21%, because the gross amount on my bill was the same as the net amount, which made calculations easier. Moreover, since they cut the income tax rate to 15%, this is the first year I've had to pay tax at the end of the year rather than getting a rebate,
... See more
Spain: 15% Income tax, 21% VAT, the last time I looked, which was yesterday (a client informed me that I had billed them with the wrong tax rate and I had to rectify the invoice).
Actually I preferred it when both income tax and VAT were at 21%, because the gross amount on my bill was the same as the net amount, which made calculations easier. Moreover, since they cut the income tax rate to 15%, this is the first year I've had to pay tax at the end of the year rather than getting a rebate, which used to be the case. However, the workings of Hacienda are a mystery to me and I'm too busy with other things to try to find out why this happened.
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Armorel Young
Armorel Young  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:53
German to English
It depends Sep 14, 2016

The question doesn't really make sense to me - I earn enough to pay the higher tax rate of 40%, but only on income over £43,000. Below that in the UK we pay 20%. So some of my income is taxed at 20% and some at 40%. I assume that most countries have a similar tiered system - so how do we answer the question?

 
Thomas Pfann
Thomas Pfann  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:53
Member (2006)
English to German
+ ...
UK: Less than 20% Sep 14, 2016

Armorel Young wrote:

The question doesn't really make sense to me - I earn enough to pay the higher tax rate of 40%, but only on income over £43,000. Below that in the UK we pay 20%. So some of my income is taxed at 20% and some at 40%.


Not to forget the part of your income which is taxed at 0%.

Armorel Young wrote:

so how do we answer the question?


The easiest option is probably to interpret the 'you' in the question as 'you personally' and answer it for your own personal circumstances.

Besides, it won't make much of a difference. Even most so called 'higher rate tax payers' will pay less than 20% income tax. With a profit of £50,000, for example, the income tax you pay still only amounts to 18% of this profit. A profit of £30,000 means you pay 12.6% income tax, with a profit of £40.000 the income tax comes to 14.5%.


 
Sebastian Witte
Sebastian Witte  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 16:53
Member (2004)
English to German
+ ...
I don't see the point of the question either Sep 14, 2016

Armorel Young wrote:

The question doesn't really make sense to me - I earn enough to pay the higher tax rate of 40%, but only on income over £43,000. Below that in the UK we pay 20%. So some of my income is taxed at 20% and some at 40%. I assume that most countries have a similar tiered system - so how do we answer the question?


One of the most interesting poll questions in a long time.

But then, like Armorel, I wonder: is it not the case that most countries have a tiered tax system, where the tax rate depends on the actual amount of taxable profit achieved in the year in question? I.e. how much you have actually made at the end of the day? Also, I have not noticed that we make the same every year.

On another note: happy to pay the very high German taxes year in year out, as the German state does quite a bit for the people, really. They're giving back on an ongoing basis, quite a bit, actually. To the people.


 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 16:53
English to Italian
over 40% Sep 14, 2016

In Italy your income is divided in several parts and to each part a different % is applied.
Anyway, generally speaking when you are a freelancer, in this country, 50% of your income goes in taxes and if you consider that you have to pay also for your retirement scheme...
The problem is what you get in return... NOTHING.

[Edited at 2016-09-14 16:58 GMT]


 
EvaVer (X)
EvaVer (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:53
Czech to French
+ ...
Not directly comparable Sep 14, 2016

as deductible items (and generally, calculation of taxable income) vary greatly between countries. x% of what? That is the question.

 
Minna Bäckman
Minna Bäckman  Identity Verified
Finland
Local time: 17:53
Swedish to Finnish
+ ...
Over 40 % Sep 14, 2016

Greetings from Finland. I have had some very good years so I last year I paid over 40 % in income taxes (progressive taxation).

BUT I have promised never again to complain about our taxation: my younger son was diagnosed with JIA (children's rheumatism) last autumn and now I realize how much we get in return!


 
SteveMcD
SteveMcD  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:53
German to English
Negligible? Sep 14, 2016

Chris S wrote:

Anton Konashenok wrote:

I pay 19% of my net profit, which comes to less than 5% of the total revenue


You're a freelance translator (=negligible expenses) and yet only a quarter of your revenue comes out as profit? How do you manage that?!


Perhaps you need a better accountant


 
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Poll: Income tax: how much do you have to pay in your country of residence?






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