Relocating
Jun 6th 2010, 10:03 am
#76
Banned
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1
Re: Relocating
The U.S. economy the strongest, but also a high degree of concern in the region - New York City, the city's great economic vitality and strength.
Jun 6th 2010, 4:06 pm
#77
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Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Used to be New York, now North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,610
Re: Relocating
The classic example is someone like me, who could spend almost all of their working life in the US, pay almost all of my taxes here, and then retire back to the UK. Sure, I would be paying some taxes in the UK, but hardly enough to pay for the level of healthcare the typical retiree is likely to need. Meanwhile, in such an eventuality, all the Medicare taxes I've paid over my working life would essentially become a free gift to the US government.
They would also have to be OK with the new immigrant who finds he has cancer being refused treatment. They would, quite literally, have to be OK with people dying for lack of health care while living in Britain. Who knows ... Americans seem to be fine with the idea. They just block it out I guess. But I somehow feel the British wouldn't accept it - not after all these years of having such a fantastic system.
Brits don't pay more tax than Americans when you take into account state taxes, sales tax and property tax. In actual fact they pay less and yet what they get for it is so much more. If money is tight, I hope they raise taxes rather than become the kind of country America is.
Jun 6th 2010, 4:09 pm
#78
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 236
Re: Relocating
Brits don't pay more tax than Americans when you take into account state taxes, sales tax and property tax. In actual fact they pay less and yet what they get for it is so much more. If money is tight, I hope they raise taxes rather than become the kind of country America is.
I have not yet moved to the US, so maybe I will find this the case, but my initial research makes me think this is not the case.
*Edit - Actually, I have a question on this. Do you mean more in absolute terms, or more in percentage terms? *
Last edited by srefre; Jun 6th 2010 at 4:14 pm. Reason: Added extra line.
Jun 6th 2010, 4:33 pm
#79
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Relocating
Reality is, it is about the same, they just hide it better in the US.
You also generally have to pay far more for healthcare in the US via more expensive medical insurance premiums, something people in the US don't count as an expense.
Also more expensive over all for self employed in the US than the UK.
Jun 6th 2010, 4:38 pm
#80
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Relocating
They would also have to be OK with the new immigrant who finds he has cancer being refused treatment. They would, quite literally, have to be OK with people dying for lack of health care while living in Britain. Who knows ... Americans seem to be fine with the idea. They just block it out I guess. But I somehow feel the British wouldn't accept it - not after all these years of having such a fantastic system.
Jun 6th 2010, 5:43 pm
#81
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Relocating
The UK system is pretty crap and unsustainable.
It only looks good compared to the US.
PS Both the UK and US have a system for not being refused treatment at Hospitals, something that is bankrupting both.
It only looks good compared to the US.
PS Both the UK and US have a system for not being refused treatment at Hospitals, something that is bankrupting both.
Jun 6th 2010, 6:10 pm
#82
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Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Relocating
The amount the US takes in tax (be it federal, state, local etc) is about 7% lower share of GDP than the UK according to the Economist. Of course, this whole difference and more is made up for in terms of the cost of healthcare (16% of GDP versus about 9% in the UK).
Jun 6th 2010, 6:13 pm
#83
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Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Relocating
Right, but my original point still stands. If they changed the system and made it so you couldn't do that, people in Britain would have to be OK with the fact that when you came back home, you had no health care. Your family would have to accept that you couldn't get care when you needed it.
Jun 6th 2010, 7:20 pm
#84
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 236
Re: Relocating
So it seems in the US, you will pay less actual tax on more money, but then spend a load of your 'own money' on healthcare. Assuming you are Mr or Mrs Average of course.
Jun 6th 2010, 7:23 pm
#85
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Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Relocating
And additionally without the security that a single-payer healthcare system brings.
Jun 8th 2010, 11:57 pm
#86
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,048
Re: Relocating
Right, but my original point still stands. If they changed the system and made it so you couldn't do that, people in Britain would have to be OK with the fact that when you came back home, you had no health care. Your family would have to accept that you couldn't get care when you needed it.
They would also have to be OK with the new immigrant who finds he has cancer being refused treatment. They would, quite literally, have to be OK with people dying for lack of health care while living in Britain. Who knows ... Americans seem to be fine with the idea. They just block it out I guess. But I somehow feel the British wouldn't accept it - not after all these years of having such a fantastic system.
Brits don't pay more tax than Americans when you take into account state taxes, sales tax and property tax. In actual fact they pay less and yet what they get for it is so much more. If money is tight, I hope they raise taxes rather than become the kind of country America is.
They would also have to be OK with the new immigrant who finds he has cancer being refused treatment. They would, quite literally, have to be OK with people dying for lack of health care while living in Britain. Who knows ... Americans seem to be fine with the idea. They just block it out I guess. But I somehow feel the British wouldn't accept it - not after all these years of having such a fantastic system.
Brits don't pay more tax than Americans when you take into account state taxes, sales tax and property tax. In actual fact they pay less and yet what they get for it is so much more. If money is tight, I hope they raise taxes rather than become the kind of country America is.
