Unlike in the U.S, those lower mid earners are the people bearing the tax burden in much of W/NW Europe. The overall tax rate for a person earning less than med

Unlike in the U.S, those lower mid earners are the people bearing the tax burden in much of W/NW Europe. The overall tax rate for a person earning less than median income is over 50% in Sweden (granted some of that is about mandatory charges for services like health insurance, which differ in being technically optional to Americans in the 5-45th percentile, and somewhat universal to those below).