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What is exorbitant about U.S. taxes? Is the overall tax burden relatively high compared with other countries? Compared with the past?

• Swizec 8y ago
  Fine maybe they’re not exorbitant comparatively but paying 30 to 50% of my income to taxes and seemingly not getting much if anything in return feels wrong. I’m okay paying taxes, I’d just like them to be used better (meaning for things I can see/experience)
  • forapurpose 8y ago
    > not getting much if anything in return Wow - security, both from war and crime, a legal system, safety in everything from water to food to airplanes, almost the entire transportation infrastructure, most of the education everyone receives including college and post-grad, research in everything from history to cancer to basic physics to fracking to computer science and integrated circuits (let's recall that the industry that probably employs you was founded on government research), a stable business environment both domestically and internationally, healthcare, democracy, freedom ... I kinda feel like I underpay.
    • jpatokal 8y ago
      In most European countries, your taxes get you all that and universal health care, reliable unemployment benefits and free higher education.
      • forapurpose 8y ago
        That's because their health care is half the cost!