LostInTheWoods

Benjamin Franklin once said (I think) “Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.”

Well, the second certainty has been at the forefront of my mind today.

Now I have now had to put my money where my mouth is. I moved to Sweden for lots of reasons, but the idea of moving to a country that looks after it's citizens when they need help, fitted with my philosophy. Of course, as you may know, taxes in Sweden are some of the highest in the world to pay for the welfare state and other benefits. I knew this I went into this with my eyes open, but today I received my tax bill.

Gulp.

I worked for fifteen months, and it turns out that my tax bill is about £6000 (around $12000) more than I would have paid in the UK. Well, I have to pay, for one thing it is the law, and secondly, I now live here. I still believe the Swedish system is the best there is, but it doesn't make it any easier when you hand the cash over.

But according to the “CIA World Fact Book”, on average I will live longer and any children I may have will be less likely to die as an infant, than if I stayed in the UK. So I guess you get what you pay for.

I would say one thing though, if you offered to pay me that £6000 to go back to the UK, I would turn it down and stay here in Sweden.

That is all,

LostInTheWoods