Biden wants to Raise Taxes on those making 400k or more !

Discussion in 'Economics' started by derektrader, Oct 13, 2020.

  1. Sig

    Sig

    Those are interesting choices. I've spent some time in all three, I'm guessing you have not? Let's start with Singapore. It reads like your vision dream list of the "far left" in the U.S. Universal health care. One of the toughest gun control laws in the world, you get caned just for getting caught possessing one. Religious groups and especially evangelical christians have absolutely no say in government. Legal abortion. A "nanny state" that is so strict you're not even allowed to chew gum. Welcomes immigrants (and that's you now, remember) Your tax rate may initially appear lower with a top marginal rate of 22%, but then you also have to take into account a VAT of 7% and import duties of up to 20% plus the fact that everything has to be shipped there. The result are some of the highest prices in the world for pretty much everything from a bottle of beer (about $8 USD at the grocery store) to a car ($100,000 USD for Toyota Corolla for example). I lived in San Francisco and Hawaii for several years, both hugely expensive for the U.S., and I was shocked at the cost of living in Singapore. So bottom line is that the country is pretty much the opposite of what U.S. conservatives espouse and it would be idiotic to think that you'd end up better off financially there than the U.S. based on taxes alone. That's all assuming you're fine with living on a country that's entirely a city on a small island.
    Switzerland? Very similar, although they do have the federated state thing down even better than the U.S. and are fine with everyone having a gun. Also insanely expensive regardless of tax rate.
    Virgin Islands? Also not a very welcoming place for an American style conservative and and also very expensive with huge import duties and basic things like electricity costing multiples of the most expensive in the U.S. And if you think the U.S. is sinking into failure, it's got a long way to go to reach BVI's economic and social development level.
    Bottom line is absent some pretty dangerous places like Somalia there isn't anywhere in the world where the U.S. conservative's version of utopia exists....because it simply doesn't work. You would be simply laughed at if you were to try to espouse your ideas in pretty much any western first world democracy. Highly recommend getting out of the U.S. some day and seeing the world for real rather than through the lense of conservative media. You'll find the real world is nothing like what you seem to think.

    And then there's the ultimate hypocrisy of the anti immigrant right wingers who think somehow it's different if they're the one moving to another country for economic reasons.....
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2020
    #41     Oct 14, 2020
  2. virtusa

    virtusa

    Whether people work or not is irrelevant. Less than 2% of all Americans are affected by the tax. The 2% is calculated on the total US population. So the absolute number of affected people will not change. 98% of the American population will not be affected.

    My statement is correct.

    Edit: watch my posting #8 with the chart. It is not on the population, but on the US household income distribution. So your argument is invalid. Each household that has an income is included in the calculation. No underaged as they are part of a household.
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2020
    #42     Oct 14, 2020
  3. ids

    ids

    All these promises are usually ending up badly for naïve people thinking that they are not affected.
     
    #43     Oct 14, 2020
  4. virtusa

    virtusa

    People have to compare THE WHOLE PACKAGE of living costs. Most however just pick 1 item to judge where to go.
    What most people forget to mention is that US citizens will have to pay taxes in the US on their worldwide income. Even if they move abroad. So what's the point to discuss moving abroad for them? They are lifetime prisoners of the IRS.
     
    #44     Oct 14, 2020
  5. Sig

    Sig

    Presumably they would become one of the evil migrants they despise (except they have white skin so it's OK?) and revoke their U.S. citizenship and take citizenship of whatever country they choose and presume will allow them. Otherwise you're right, Puerto Rico and the USVI are really the only two places you can go as a U.S. citizen and avoid U.S. taxes in limited circumstances.
     
    #45     Oct 14, 2020
  6. OK, thanks for clarifying. I stand corrected.
     
    #46     Oct 14, 2020
  7. Well for Switzerland speaks the high quality of life and people, almost everybody is educated on a level equal to a college degree. The poor are poor there too, but not as poor that they were dangerous (US gang members) and the countryside is just outright awesome. There are no perfect places on earth, but IMO Switzerland gets pretty close to it. You could consider Scandinavian countries too. But they suck in regards of taxation.
     
    #47     Oct 14, 2020
  8. virtusa

    virtusa

  9. Sig

    Sig

    I couldn't agree more that Switzerland would be a great place to live. I even wouldn't mind living in Singapore or BVI. But I'm not a Trump Republican bemoaning what the U.S. will become when he and his brand of beliefs are repudiated.

    My point is that if you're "saying goodbye" to the U.S. because you're convinced that it's going to turn into some socialist liberal hell hole, then you're jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire (from a Trumpian perspective) if you go to pretty much any first world democracy. So any crying about "saying goodbye" to the U.S. by conservatives is not only irrational but adds the hypocrisy of why being a migrant is fine for a Trump supporter but not anyone else.
     
    #49     Oct 14, 2020
  10. virtusa

    virtusa

    I know at least 1 trader on ET who left Switzerland. One of the reasons was the high taxes and additional costs (social security and health insurance).
    So I would careful study very hard all information on Switzerland before going there.
    What looks good is not always really good.

    Best Country for Trading (Tax efficiency)
     
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2020
    #50     Oct 14, 2020