Par lay voos?

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...foresail as the "foq" (or some such)....

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I think the Finns do also. Seem to remember it being mentioned Eric Newby's "The Last Grain Race". I sqirrelled it away in case I ever find myself on a Finnish square-rigger and someone shouts "Furl the fokking sail".
 
UK Income tax i pay 40%, NI 11% =51% total stoppage and 17.5% VAT immediately I buy anything. Total Government tax 68.5% of my purchasing power.

Now what is the French government total take? It cant be that dissimilar
 
The structure is different and therefore it is difficult to make comparisons. Income taxes are significantly linked to family size and could vary from say 10% for a family with 3 kids to 40% for a bachelor. These are figures off the top of my head just to give an idea of the structure. VAT is higher at 19.6% and Social security deductions are say about 20% - but the employer has to spend about 50% of your gross salary on NI.

Various accounting firms try to make comparisons from country to country based on typical life-styles. Often a Big Mac price is a quick comparison...

John
 
income tax works out almost exactly the same - few minor differences -

VAT=TVA 19.6%!!!!!

Interest rates at the moment in the UK around 6% (I'm told) here its 4% at best... Death duties/Inheritance tax START at €76000 (£50,000) and are then 50%.....

You do not stop paying your NI contributions at retirement but they go on till the day you die - about £1000 PA.

Costs 8% in tax on the total price of any house or flat you buy plus legal fees...

Boat tax on an annual basis - only around £150-250 for AWB

Wages lower, marina prices very low, housing low priced - all possibly to do with France having the same population but at least double the land area - a better continental climate and Napoleonic Law.

The worker has lots of protection - an employer has to add almost 50% to the take home wage but that entitles the employee to stacks of paid holidays, sickness pay, future unemployment pay (around 75% at the start) good pensions and retirement home payments... Also nearly impossible to sack them - even if there is no work for them... Job for life.
 
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The worker has lots of protection - an employer has to add almost 50% to the take home wage but that entitles the employee to stacks of paid holidays, sickness pay, future unemployment pay (around 75% at the start) good pensions and retirement home payments... Also nearly impossible to sack them - even if there is no work for them... Job for life.

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And therein lies start of the problems.....................
 
I seem to remember reading something about the total tax burden of citizens in civilised countries all being very similar.
People wail on about the UK being highly taxed with a high cost of living, but go to US or Oz and see how much your healthcare costs you.
 
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All I know is that the French refer to the foresail as the "foq" (or some such). Always a cause of amusement.

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Also used often in the UK when getting the foresail out of the fo'c'sl and having occasion to pass wind, as in "Let's get the foq out of here!"

/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
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UK Income tax i pay 40%, NI 11% =51% total stoppage and 17.5% VAT immediately I buy anything. Total Government tax 68.5% of my purchasing power.

Now what is the French government total take? It cant be that dissimilar

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According to the OECD:

Taxation - contribution by richest 30% of population:

1) France - 67.9%
2) United States - 65.3%
7) UK - 62%
Average 59.4%

Total TaxWedge - single worker

1) Belgium - 55.6%
5) France - 48.3%
21) United States - 30%
22) UK - 29.7%

Total TaxWedge single income family

1) Turkey - 43.2%
4) France - 39.4%
21) United States - 19.4%
23) UK - 17.8%

Total taxation as a percentage of GDP

1) Sweden - 54.2%
5) France - 45.3%
11) UK - 37.4%
17) United States - 29.6

Where you fit into all of this depends on your personal circumstances, you may find the higher tax is off-set by lower living costs, but as a French friend of mine says, the English come to France to retire, the French go to England to work! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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It's not the tax, it's the not being able to make redundancies or sack workers, even for gross misconduct, without massive pay offs. That is dangerous. Many firms in Europe daren't hire people except as contractors or through agencies. That's bad for all.

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that's not all - try starting a small - tiny business in France... almost frightening and dreadfully costly - even if its not registered for TVA - VAT... changes your social security situation.. you immediately have to make large payments (000s) into a fund for employees even if its only you. You become a manager and an employee - your wife becomes responsible for your debts. You have to start paying into a retirement fund, retirement home, trades union..... Frankly its not worth doing unless you have serious financial backing and are very serious - not just earning pin money or testing the water... Their economy (and I love the dearly) is in a dreadful mess but their social conscience and sense of equality and ability to go violently on strike at the drop of a right wing comment makes it difficult for them to get out of their employment legislation problems.... Makes sense - retire to France - wonderful - start a business here????
 
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