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I am european and I think our countries are in a massive state of decline Slovakia introduced tax on digital financial transactions for next year. As a Europea

I am european and I think our countries are in a massive state of decline Slovakia introduced tax on digital financial transactions for next year. As a European I want OUT of this hellhole.

lifestyleguru 2y ago
So... crypto will be taxed the same as stocks? The pathology is that in Europe the only untaxed gains are on crypto and real estate (after some years of ownership usually). That's how you arrive to a pathetic state the EU is now dwelling in. Slovakia economically sits on the lap of German automotive. When you visit you see many luxury cars and prices of real estate in village of Bratislava are through the roof, weird isn't it?
- brnt 2y ago
  Not all of Europe is like Slovakia... In NL, bitcoin gains are taxable and there is a real estate tax.
- piva00 2y ago
  > The pathology is that in Europe the only untaxed gains are on crypto and real estate (after some years of ownership usually). Where in the developed world do you get untaxed gains on anything? Not even the USA has untaxed gains... Many loopholes if you are rich but you probably don't have access to those mechanisms.
  - lifestyleguru 2y ago
    In Poland you don't pay gains tax on real estate if you own longer than 5 years. If you own shorter than 5 years you can skip tax when buying another real estate right away. The prices increased 100% in the last 5 years. No limitations for foreigners. Please come buy and invest to make the bubble spectacular. People needing a place to live cannot afford anymore so it doesn't matter.
  - jsnell 2y ago
    Switzerland doesn't have capital gains tax, except for real estate.
barrenko 2y ago
This continent is hellbent on descending into irrelevancy and self-destruction. Bright spots include AI research and some spots related to it, like Paris AI community, but the regulators can quickly kill that. To just register a digital business and make one euro, an average American would cry out laughing.
- littlestymaar 2y ago
  > just register a digital business and make one euro, an average American would cry out laughing. At least in my country (France) it's not any harder than registering as an independent worker (you often use the exact same legal vehicle for both). The real problem with European tech is that it's too easy for US company to land on the continent, and since they have a biggest market to begin with they always end up stronger than European companies when it comes to addressing the other European markets. The “single market” is a fantasy, every country has its own language, culture and business practices, things that EU's homogenization of regulations between country since the 80s have never overcome and never could have, and because of that it's not harder for an American company to do business in an EU country that it is for another European country. Since forced homogenization isn't gonna do it, the correct approach would be to put barriers to foreign entry like Evey successful Asian country did in the second half of the 20th century with great success. Advocating for free trade with a much more powerful country than your is as insane as it would be to advocate to remove the fences in a zoo…
  - mathverse 2y ago
    The problem is euro-racism and not much integration of workers and businesses in EU. A successful french startup means a loss of jobs and wealth to other countries. DACH customers will prefer working with DACH companies, French customers will prefer working with French startups. If you dont work in english speaking environment (IT) moving countries within EU is practically impossible for people working normal jobs.
    - littlestymaar 2y ago
      Yes, this is entirely true as well. Though US companies face this effect as well. But as a result EU companies get practically no competitive advantage compared to an American company when they want to operate in other EU countries, and if the EU wants to exist this imbalance of power need to be addressed or it will keep snowballing.
rgavuliak 2y ago
Oh, Slovakia is going to continue this trajectory for the next couple of years and beyond if the government doesn't change next elections.
piva00 2y ago
Slovakia is probably one of the worst countries in the EU in terms of opportunities, maybe just getting out of that specific place might help you? Czechia is right around the corner, Poland as well, and they fare better than Slovakia in pretty much every way. Edit: > "Portuguese, Indians, Brazilians are on my no-hire list. They have corruption and cronyism embedded in their DNA." Ah, just noticed you were the user who posted this stupidity some weeks ago, thought the name was familiar because this comment really showed some true colours. Please, pack your shit and get moving to Russia to stay away from the hellhole :)
- lm28469 2y ago
  It's also one of the EU countries with the least debt to gdp, still has industries, good agriculture, 90%+ of home ownership, &c. France and Germany are in much deeper shit compared to Slovakia, look at property tax, tax on land, income tax, Slovakia is almost a tax heaven in comparison
- aspenmayer 2y ago
  I think you could have toned down the rhetoric a bit, but I do agree that the comments you mentioned aren't great, and did add context to the comment you replied to. You're not wrong, though. Slovakia is at or near the bottom of EU average wages iirc.
  - piva00 2y ago
    > I think you could have toned down the rhetoric a bit, but I do agree that the comments you mentioned aren't great, and did add context to the comment you replied to. I understand your point but personally I simply cannot accept such xenophobic stupidity, if someone spouts that in public they need to be publicly shamed for it. Unfortunately there are many safe places for this kind of abhorrent behaviour on the internet, I believe this forum shouldn't be one of them.
    - aspenmayer 2y ago
      I agree with you that xenophobia and racism have no place here. However, we have to endeavor to exercise good faith. Sometimes it's enough to simply let another's words speak for themselves, and by quoting alone, you have done the community a boon. The site isn't for public shaming, it's for thoughtful discussion. I would rather show respect for others by my response and hope to have a real human interaction that can show someone my true colors rather than tell someone else who or what they are or aren't. I guess I care about people, even if I don't like their behavior or speech, because I want to understand them and their experiences. People make sweeping statements or unfair generalizations, and that's an opportunity to ask people how they came to believe or say such things. Sometimes, people don't even have specific things they can point to, and they may be more amenable to reason than you realize. It just takes willingness to meet people where they are, not where we'd rather they be.
lm28469 2y ago
If Slovakia is bad look at France or Germany lmao, breathing will be taxed soon enough here

I am european and I think our countries are in a massive state of decline Slovakia introduced tax on digital financial transactions for next year. As a European I want OUT of this hellhole.

lifestyleguru 2y ago

So... crypto will be taxed the same as stocks? The pathology is that in Europe the only untaxed gains are on crypto and real estate (after some years of ownership usually). That's how you arrive to a pathetic state the EU is now dwelling in. Slovakia economically sits on the lap of German automotive. When you visit you see many luxury cars and prices of real estate in village of Bratislava are through the roof, weird isn't it?

brnt 2y ago
Not all of Europe is like Slovakia... In NL, bitcoin gains are taxable and there is a real estate tax.
piva00 2y ago
> The pathology is that in Europe the only untaxed gains are on crypto and real estate (after some years of ownership usually). Where in the developed world do you get untaxed gains on anything? Not even the USA has untaxed gains... Many loopholes if you are rich but you probably don't have access to those mechanisms.
- lifestyleguru 2y ago
  In Poland you don't pay gains tax on real estate if you own longer than 5 years. If you own shorter than 5 years you can skip tax when buying another real estate right away. The prices increased 100% in the last 5 years. No limitations for foreigners. Please come buy and invest to make the bubble spectacular. People needing a place to live cannot afford anymore so it doesn't matter.
- jsnell 2y ago
  Switzerland doesn't have capital gains tax, except for real estate.

barrenko 2y ago

This continent is hellbent on descending into irrelevancy and self-destruction. Bright spots include AI research and some spots related to it, like Paris AI community, but the regulators can quickly kill that. To just register a digital business and make one euro, an average American would cry out laughing.

littlestymaar 2y ago
> just register a digital business and make one euro, an average American would cry out laughing. At least in my country (France) it's not any harder than registering as an independent worker (you often use the exact same legal vehicle for both). The real problem with European tech is that it's too easy for US company to land on the continent, and since they have a biggest market to begin with they always end up stronger than European companies when it comes to addressing the other European markets. The “single market” is a fantasy, every country has its own language, culture and business practices, things that EU's homogenization of regulations between country since the 80s have never overcome and never could have, and because of that it's not harder for an American company to do business in an EU country that it is for another European country. Since forced homogenization isn't gonna do it, the correct approach would be to put barriers to foreign entry like Evey successful Asian country did in the second half of the 20th century with great success. Advocating for free trade with a much more powerful country than your is as insane as it would be to advocate to remove the fences in a zoo…
- mathverse 2y ago
  The problem is euro-racism and not much integration of workers and businesses in EU. A successful french startup means a loss of jobs and wealth to other countries. DACH customers will prefer working with DACH companies, French customers will prefer working with French startups. If you dont work in english speaking environment (IT) moving countries within EU is practically impossible for people working normal jobs.
  - littlestymaar 2y ago
    Yes, this is entirely true as well. Though US companies face this effect as well. But as a result EU companies get practically no competitive advantage compared to an American company when they want to operate in other EU countries, and if the EU wants to exist this imbalance of power need to be addressed or it will keep snowballing.

rgavuliak 2y ago

Oh, Slovakia is going to continue this trajectory for the next couple of years and beyond if the government doesn't change next elections.

piva00 2y ago

Slovakia is probably one of the worst countries in the EU in terms of opportunities, maybe just getting out of that specific place might help you? Czechia is right around the corner, Poland as well, and they fare better than Slovakia in pretty much every way. Edit: > "Portuguese, Indians, Brazilians are on my no-hire list. They have corruption and cronyism embedded in their DNA." Ah, just noticed you were the user who posted this stupidity some weeks ago, thought the name was familiar because this comment really showed some true colours. Please, pack your shit and get moving to Russia to stay away from the hellhole :)

lm28469 2y ago
It's also one of the EU countries with the least debt to gdp, still has industries, good agriculture, 90%+ of home ownership, &c. France and Germany are in much deeper shit compared to Slovakia, look at property tax, tax on land, income tax, Slovakia is almost a tax heaven in comparison
aspenmayer 2y ago
I think you could have toned down the rhetoric a bit, but I do agree that the comments you mentioned aren't great, and did add context to the comment you replied to. You're not wrong, though. Slovakia is at or near the bottom of EU average wages iirc.
- piva00 2y ago
  > I think you could have toned down the rhetoric a bit, but I do agree that the comments you mentioned aren't great, and did add context to the comment you replied to. I understand your point but personally I simply cannot accept such xenophobic stupidity, if someone spouts that in public they need to be publicly shamed for it. Unfortunately there are many safe places for this kind of abhorrent behaviour on the internet, I believe this forum shouldn't be one of them.
  - aspenmayer 2y ago
    I agree with you that xenophobia and racism have no place here. However, we have to endeavor to exercise good faith. Sometimes it's enough to simply let another's words speak for themselves, and by quoting alone, you have done the community a boon. The site isn't for public shaming, it's for thoughtful discussion. I would rather show respect for others by my response and hope to have a real human interaction that can show someone my true colors rather than tell someone else who or what they are or aren't. I guess I care about people, even if I don't like their behavior or speech, because I want to understand them and their experiences. People make sweeping statements or unfair generalizations, and that's an opportunity to ask people how they came to believe or say such things. Sometimes, people don't even have specific things they can point to, and they may be more amenable to reason than you realize. It just takes willingness to meet people where they are, not where we'd rather they be.

lm28469 2y ago

If Slovakia is bad look at France or Germany lmao, breathing will be taxed soon enough here