> You can look at how much tax you've paid on your payslip, but you never feel like that money was yours in the first place since it never hits your bank. It i

> You can look at how much tax you've paid on your payslip, but you never feel like that money was yours in the first place since it never hits your bank. It is the same in the US - however, if you get a job offer in the US for a given salary - that is a pre-tax number. I believe the grandparent was making the point that in Russia, salary and wages are discussed purely in after-tax terms.