Is The U.S. Really a Low-Tax Country?
Many U.S. taxpayers feel that our country’s taxes are too high, no matter which economic class you’re in. Likewise, regardless of which side of the political world you rest, most people would agree that the U.S. tax system needs some serious upgrading, and not just some fine-tuning. However, it appears that compared to many of the other developed countries in the world, the U.S. is actually on the low end of the tax scale.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, some of the most recent numbers show that about 30 other developed economies have higher taxes than the United States. In 2014, the U.S. government collected 26 percent of the gross domestic product revenue, which was way below the average of the rest of the world, which is 34.4 percent.
Of the 30 countries included in the report, there were only three economies that had a smaller tax percentage than the United States: South Korea, Chile and Mexico. Denmark leads the list with the highest percentage; a whopping 50.9 percent, and France, Italy, the U.K. and Germany were all over 30 or even 40 percent as well.
So why do U.S. taxpayers complain so much about taxes, if the country is actually towards the bottom of the list? It’s because the U.S. is the only country on the list that doesn’t use a Value Added Tax, or VAT. A VAT helps supplement revenue from other sources, which raises nearly 7 percent of the GDP in these countries. The U.S., on the other hand, has to count on other taxes to supplement its revenue because it does not have a VAT. And that won’t likely change any time soon.
Tax Forms & Publications
Tax Forms & Publications The publications listed below are located on the IRS web site and require Adobe Acrobat to view. Visit the Adobe Web Site to install the latest version of Acrobat Reader. Publication 1 Your Rights As a Taxpayer Publication 3 Armed Forces’ Tax Guide Publication 15 Circular E, Employer’s Tax Guide Publication…
Hall Of Laughter
Hall Of Laughter In memory of Steve Gardner 1958-2010 Thanks for the accounting humor and endless hours of laughter. We love you! Three Blind Mice Audit The IRS Agent uses a math joke in his audit of the three blind mice. Accounting Puppets 2 Puppets tell Accounting and Audit Jokes. Accounting Puppets Puppets tell Accounting…
The Roth Way to Riches
The Roth Way to Riches By Roy Lewis With all the recent tax-code changes, it seems a number of taxpayers have forgotten the Roth IRA. That’s a shame, because it’s far more than an ordinary retirement savings account. Roth IRAs are tax-favored accounts to which qualified taxpayers can make non-deductible, after-tax contributions. Those contributions can…
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) Medicare legislation enacted in December 2003 provides for a prescription drug benefit that won’t exist until 2006. But also part of the new law is a provision that went into effect on January 1, 2004—the creation of the Health Savings Account (HSA). By opening an HSA, you may be allowed to…