Nothing against paying some taxes. But keep in mind that Germany is among the top ranking highest tax paying countries. And there are better "society functioning" countries than Germany, at much lower tax rate. Not every tax rate is fair. Some tax rates are unethically high b/c due to a overloaded govt. apparatus.
Not just "some taxes", but all of them. Keep in mind the author probably studied in germany and never had to pay any substantial fees to the university, his parents got money during his childhood and he will get money even if he does not immediately find a job after he closes his business.
Taxes do go both ways. And just because you think the government is too big, you don't get to decide how much you pay for it, thats what a social welfare state is. If you want to change things, you have to vote, lobby and/or take part in political processes.
Or you if you want things to change you leave the country. Chance of success: 100%
Chance of success with "vote, lobby and/or take part in political processes": 0,001%
I was paying over 50% of my income in taxes in Germany, now I live in a country where most things actually work better and pay around 10%.
Germany has become an absolut shit show for everyone who is capable and not in the business of scamming via Gov. The chancellor Scholz is literally the guy who helped to steal from gov. via Cum Ex in the biggest scandal of the country. And now the prosecutor to investigate and prosecut cum ex gets defunded. You can't make that shit up.
Can I guess? The 10% tax country has either 10th of Germany’s population, or rich with natural resources, or has no minimum wage and immigration of cheap labor.
I bet it's a tax haven leeching of the countries around it.
To be honest, I also don't accept the argument if only you are well off in a poor country where everyone suffers but you make big bucks with a low tax rate. Are they enjoying a comparable healthcare? Adequate pension? If so, you should have been taxed more. I am a social democrat by heart and think that in the end economy serves society and successful entrepreneurs have inherent social responsibility because of the economic power they have.
healthcare is better, pension i take care of myself.
Zero leeching, smaller country yes, but why does that matter?
But you are so indoctrinated of "Germany is the best" that you will only wake up when your Pension ponzi scheme in germany explodes. Already now 100% of the federal income taxes are needed to support this ponzi scheme. Just think about it Germany could remove all federal income tax if they just did not have the ponzi pension scheme.
oh come on. I don't think "Germany is the best". In fact, I am leaving germany soon for a new opportunity in the UK. I wouldn't otherwise, right? But it's because it's a great opportunity in a beautiful city I always wanted to live in.
I hope it's not Switzerland, internationally recognised tax haven. If your country profits from the tax-avoidance of the rich then I won't consider it.
I agree that the pension scheme is really the achilles heel of the german state, as the pensions schemes are not really determined bye their true worth. But that's literally only one function of many. And the it also has good sides, as you there's less risk of serious poverty in old age.
> Germany could remove all federal income tax
While it's certainly a big part, it's still the minority of the federal budget and so you could only reduce the federal income tax. Things like research, social safety net for work-seekers, healthcare or major transportation routes are in the hand of the federal state.
EDIT: In the end I am not really arguing that germany is best. But I am arguing that in germany the taxes fulfil important functions and in the end they manage to deliver on most points. You might not want to accept it, but then moving abroad or changing the system from within is the only way to do it, but not staying in germany and avoiding taxes. Pay your fair share if you do your business in germany. I am convinced that successful entrepreneurs have social responsibility, because economy serves society and not the other way around.
Hi Lionga, grandparent poster here and fellow German. Did exactly the same thing as you did. For the same reasons. With the same success. I congratulate us for leaving a, pardon me everyone else, highly corrupt state.
germany is usually ranked as one of the least corrupt states. I know there's corruption happening but it's just not comparable to highly corrupt states, I've been in a few e.g. venezuela. I also have at least some experience with the workings government via courts/day to day life of judges or the inner workings of the administration of munich and I haven't seen corruption at all.
Germany has become an absolut shit show for everyone who is capable and not in the business of scamming via Gov. The chancellor Scholz is literally the guy who helped to steal from gov. via Cum Ex in the biggest scandal of the country. And now the prosecutor to investigate and prosecut cum ex gets defunded. You can't make that shit up.
Still for me building up a company is not only for maximizing personal profit by any means, it’s also a social construct that should be valuable for the society. Paying taxes on economic activity, provide jobs and therefore a living for people, and ideally by producing something actually valuable for society itself (not just exploiting natural resources or siphoning off money from other players).
Also every country has tradeoffs one way or another. And by far not everyone has the same ideal of solidarity or wants to give back to the society that invested quite a lot in the person before he/she got into the situation of making a lot of money. Still some people (like me) notice it and it’s much more respectable than any billionaire.
