Let's be honest here: the real issue is bureaucracy, not the actual tax bill. Whether taxes are higher or lower; whether they're on income, consumption or corp

Let's be honest here: the real issue is bureaucracy, not the actual tax bill. Whether taxes are higher or lower; whether they're on income, consumption or corporations - unless there's some really dramatic difference, it's all a bit of a wash. Cost of living to some degree reflects what people actually can afford because that's what suppliers can get away with. The stress and time wasted to comply with pointless regulations (ala IRS) likely affects your quality of life more than a few numbers on a balance sheet that are likely compensated by living costs.