Squirrel

Re the comment about 'taxed out of existance,' I don't agree, in fact I've worked out that both myself & DH will be about £14 a month better off in our April salaries. Of course, we aren't high earners so those who are may end up worse off than they would in the US.

joto

I didn't just mean the salary taxes. There's VAT on almost everything, tax on petrol/gas, fees for this, that and the other. I know there are taxes and fees on things here as well but it doesen't seem to be as many or as much, but there is the dreaded healthcare insurance here which takes quite a chunk of change.

Squirrel

I'm told by my in-laws that property taxes are enormous in some parts of the US (they live near Boston). Some places it is in the tens of thousands rather than single thousands like the UK.

I guess though at the end of the day it is just impossible to do a direct comparison because there are so many variables.

Anian

Some places have high property taxes and no sales tax, others lump it mostly onto income tax. I think those are the biggies.

Lothianlad

Council Tax in the UK is a local tax charged to all domestic residents living in each defined Local Authority area and is supported by Central Government grants - it is used to provide all the usual services such as refuse and waste collection, Police and Emergency Services among others.

For the first time ever since this new system replaced the highly controversal, much reviled Community Charge (levied on individuals separately resident in each property rather than the properties solely and widely and scathingly referred to as the Poll Tax) the new tax year which commenced on 01/04/11 and terminating on 31/03/12 has seen the Council Tax frozen - no change from the previous year in the amount to be charged by ten monthly instalments per household.

The amount charged on each property depends on which Property Band it falls into - ie the larger and more expensive the home the higher value rating is the Property Band - from A (lowest) to H (highest), with corresponding increase in the total amount of Tax levied.

The freezing of the Council Tax for this year is in clear contrast to the relentless rise in prices across the board here in the UK - everything from the cost of a wholemeal loaf to dog grooming and just about everything else.

At the same time National Insurance Contributions we salary and wage earners have deducted from our pay has been increased from 04 April and many social welfare benefits have been reduced, and employers can no longer force people to retire at 65 which is now illegal.

A new age of "Austerity" is now unavoidable if th UK is to avoid the fate of Portugal (the UK looks lilkely to be forced by EU rulings to contribute £15billions of UK taxpayers' money to bale out that country from the deep $hit it has landed itself in) - and to avoid the similar mess Ireland, Spain and Greece have been floundering in.

But we are British after all and history shows that we always manage to come up trumps in the end by muddling through aided by good luck and a favourable wind more than by anything else!

Seriously - we do get it right sooner or later....

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/scotla...atiscounciltax

AmerLisa

Those are always handy.... We tacked on a trip to France last time and as we are passing through the UK this summer, we're on to Greece.

Sheepdip

have been back several times (on business) in the three years that we've been here in the US and apart from seeing the family and a live football match I couldn't wait to get back on the plane!

Even the US immigration officers now say 'welcome home'

millicent

We moved back to the UK from Canada and hand on heart have done the right thing for all our family. I could not ever think of leaving them all again, it was like a bereavement.

millicent

It's swings and roundabouts, what you pay too much for on one thing you save on others. There's a balance in life. I have to say that the NHS is way better than any other country's system.

Ash UK/US

Another option is to pick a night and a pub or restaurant and tell people you are having a get together there. Do it all at once and make a night of it.

N1cky

Friends and nights are ok. It's family that's awkward. Having not seen hubby's Mum since we left 4 years ago, we can't really only see her once in that 2 weeks, but they never do anything. My Dad is recovering from his hip op and MRSA scare, so he can't go far either. So that's at least 4 days of sitting around doing nothing just seeing them.