While taxes in Europe are a bit higher, here is what you get in return: 1. Paid-for healthcare. In the US, I pay close to $2K/month premium for a high-deductib

While taxes in Europe are a bit higher, here is what you get in return: 1. Paid-for healthcare. In the US, I pay close to $2K/month premium for a high-deductible health insurance plan. 2. Subsidized child-care (kindergarten, etc.) 3. Paid-for higher education. That in itself is worth at least $250K/child. 4. Great public transport, which eliminates the need to have more than 1 car (as opposed to 3-4 per household in the US) 5. Decent infrastructure in general (airports, train stations, etc). The US looks like a third-world country. Also, please keep in mind that while income taxes in the US are a bit lower, they are still significant: - State tax (usually 5-7%) - Real-estate taxes. It is not uncommon to pay $1000/month for a very average house in a Boston suburb with good schools. - "Invisible" taxes, such as excise taxes (cars, oats, etc), alcohol, tobacco, gasoline taxes.