most taxy country

[jckdry]

i have been here since june 2009 - almost 1 and half years
this country has alot of taxes and not many opportunities for new immigrants -
high rent
high expenses
pay about 12 -15 % tax when u spend of anything
and pay 30 % tax when u earn from anywhere
so they have 45 % of your pay and then rest u spend in high car insurances and rents and high groceries
hard to survive here without 2 jobs
some even do 3 jobs

please please dont leave your jobs in your current country in lie of getting permanent residency in canada

its a country for u if u r billionaire and want to spend your money here
i am seriously considering going back to my previous country where i left a good job to come here
its all about taking the money u have - instead of giving u anything
please evaluate and think 5 to 10 times before moving here

 

[jamesbond]

Hi,

Sales tax in Canada depending on province varies from 5% (in Alberta) to 15% (in PEI and NS).
In a lot of European countries sales tax is above 20%, the only difference is that the sales tax in put in the price by merchants so you have an impression that there are no sales tax, at least for me.
Not everybody pays 30%, it depends on your province and tax bracket.
There are a lot of ways to defer taxes, investment options and tax returns. You just have to know them and use.
With no taxes a country's government cannot function. You cannot have police, health care, education and other critical needs of a society without taxes and responsible citizens.
I believe you it's hard to find jobs - but where is easy?
Nobody should come to Canada, just because it's cool. Everybody has to analyze their prospective future and what are they prepared to compromise.

 

[CharlotteJ]

I am sure he hasn't been livinig in Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany and/or a few other countries out there with really high taxes.

For instance, in Denmark, you pay like 52% income tax and all is left for you to live of is just a bit to keep you sweet and so one does not protest. You can survive life in there for sure since off course many options are possible for those who lose their jobs and/or are lazy to work or just because they are taught to live within their own means.

I don't mind Canada's taxing system at all, taxes are a necessity into any wealthy industrialized country to have a healthy source of government revenues so the government can pay off its debt to central banks and/or IMF etc etc and keep it balanced.

What he forgets to mention is the strong banking system to call at least upon that has held this country through one of the worse recessions ever!!!!

So, Canada is still a good place to live and perhaps even better if you do have two jobs! or 3 or 4 hahaha

 

[arron]

Maybe he's been living in Toronto? I could understand his point about the high taxes and cost of living there.

 

[rubyalabar]

jckdry,

you have posted the exact same thing before in "i dont like living in canada" thread, i don't know why you created another thread with the same thing.

i know you said you're just trying to inform people about the reality of living in canada...but it comes off as if you're trying to discourage people in this forum posting the same message twice.

it's not like taxes just go to government officials' pockets, Canadians do benefit from the taxes collected.


...from what i read in the other thread he lives in BC and pays $50+ for healthcare

 

[CharlotteJ]

Sharp eyes Ruby! that is a good one ...

I never hear anybody either in ON or BC complain about such. Either he can't adjust himself to life here or is indeed trying to discourage newcomers.

If we all donate 1$, we can easily buy him a one way ticket to Denmark or Norway where he doesn't need to pay for his Healthcare at all

Will he be happier there? maybe, maybe not.

 

[rubyalabar]

hi charlotte,

maybe he just has unrealistic expectations about life in Canada. anywhere we go there will be challenges right? that's what makes life interesting. so i do hope he figures out what he wants so he'll be happy, in Canada or some other country. ;D

I've been reading your experiences on your other thread, seems you're having fun, that you're on an adventure. I can't wait for my turn to start the adventure of starting fresh in a new country!

 

[CharlotteJ]

Hello Ruby,

Yes, you are all right. These are simply the people who have such great expectations of being/coming in/to Canada and once here, they are off course deeply disappointed as well as bigoted or bittered and so they take up on any possible chance to downplay on the country wherever it is and it reminds me of the famous book by Charles Dickens called " The great expectations".

It isn't his fault, he is just not flexible enough and that causes such trouble. Also people who have never really been living/working elsewhere and not used to much, are among those who can only complain.

But off course there are people here in Canada who don't like newcomers and he might be one of those who pretend to be an immigrant and so with a made up story is trying to discourage people.

I am on an adventure and it hasn't been easy, but I manage and am sure once you come over here, you too will manage it all.See it all as an adventure and one of a kind that only happens once in your lifetime, enjoy it while going through it so you can look back at these days when you are older and can only smile and be proud of yourself. ;D

 

[aerogurl87]

I'll agree things are a bit more expensive in Canada (and I'm from the USA) but the pay is also more so it kinda evens everything out more. Also they're sales tax is cheaper in Alberta than what I have to deal with now. I'd rather pay 5% than pay 6.75%. And when you factor in healthcare they still have a better deal. To get decent coverage here you have to pay upwards $100 a month unless you have insurance through your job. And even then the pharmaceutical companies and hospitals have astronomical rates for services and medicines. Yep Canada sounds like a much better deal to me.

 

[toby]

Yes, a government needs tax revenues to provide services. The problem is that government is inherently inefficient, and only a part of each tax dollar actually benefits citizens; the rest goes to pay government workers' nice salaries and benefits and pensions.

I worked in government for some years, and every year the Auditor General issued a report detailing government waste. The reaction of government was not to clean up its act, but rather to spend many, many hours (and tax dollars) concocting defences to make the Ministers look good, and the result was a continuing waste of tax dollars.

Ottawa and Calgary have similar populations, yet at one time Ottawa had 10X the number of municipal government workers than Calgary had. Was Ottaws more complex to administer? Not at all; the Ottawa bureaucracy was allowed to build empires while in Calgary they were held on a shorter leash.

What's the point? Sure, by all means value the social benefits available in Canada, but be aware that they come at a high cost, and where you can, agitate for greater government efficiency. If you see a wasteful program or practice, write to your local MP. If you passively accept growth in the ranks of the bureaucracy, and passively tolerate wasteful government programs, government employees will take advantage of you, will grow, will demand higher salaries, and eventually government salaries will consume the lion's share of your tax dollars. It has happened before.