[GrandmaPatriot]

This is the type of thinking that is prevelant in Hawaii? Notice not one mention about the tax rate in Finland.

[GrandmaPatriot]

This is in the letters to the editor section of the link.

[JeeperFreeper]

One, I question some of the letter writers assertions. Two,
if Finland is so perfect, the writer can emigrate.

[vbmoneyspender]

Two questions. How many people emigrate from the U.S. to Finland each year? And how many people migrate from Finland to the U.S. each year? For answers, you might want to talk to Linus Torvalds of Linux fame.

[Conspiracy Guy]

In Finland they start a lot of things, but never Finnish! Income tax rate is like 60%. They haven't been attacked by terrrorist either, yet.

[RightWhale]

Plywood. Not logs, but an actual product.

[dighton]

"You're so sadly neglected,
And often ignored,
A poor second to Belgium,
When going abroad."

[Tax-chick]

No mention either of the suicide rate in Finland, which is the highest in the world most years.

[international american]

"Notice not one mention about the tax rate in Finland."

60-62%

[caisson71]

Isn't Finland great? Maybe more "concerned citizens" should move there, especially those in Hawaii who are never satisfied with what they have. Please, please, move to wonderful Finland.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yea, right. When I think of economic giants and world powers, Finland is right up there.

[misterrob]

Heck, if we didn't have to provide for national defense (who in the hell wants to invade Finland anyway and it is too cold for the towel heads) then $400 billion could be used to provide a perfect society.....

Now back to reality.....

[finnman69]

Finnish American here. They tax the living crap out of you in Finland.

[Kenton]

Finland also is way ahead of us in reindeer.

[Weimdog]

The writer is a dope.

It took me 30 seconds on Google to find out that Finland is facing the same sort of population crisis the rest of Western Europe are. Declining populations leading to financial crisis -

"Nonetheless, serious problems remain. If not tackled promptly, these problems could undermine the prospects for robust longer-run economic growth and hinder Finland's adjustment to the impending demographic shock facing all of Europe: an insufficient number of workers to support a growing population of pensioners. In particular,

(1) outside the high tech sector productivity growth is rather low - labor productivity increased at an average annual rate of only 1.3 percent over the past three years; and

(2) a high rate of structural unemployment and a low average retirement age limit the effective labor supply. In the traditional sectors much of the economic growth of recent years has been based on the re-absorption of the large pool of cyclical unemployment. As this process will soon come to an end, the growth potential of the economy could be sharply curtailed. These problems are not unrelated to the high tax burden and to persistent rigidities in the product and labor markets."

http://www.imf.org/external/np/ms/2000/061200.htm

[razorback-bert]

State income tax
The state income tax can be either progressive or proportional. If the tax is determined in accordance with the progressive income tax scale, this means that an increase an income causes a proportionately greater increase in tax. Earned income (such as wages or pension and fringe benefits) is taxed in accordance with a progressive tax scale.

Proportional apportionment tax means that a flat tax rate will be applied throughout, irrespective of the amount of the income. In 2003 the tax rate on capital income (for example, rental income, capital gains, dividends from listed companies, etc.) of individuals, limited liability companies and cooperatives was 29 per cent. Approximately 50 per cent of the corporate income tax (tax rate 29%) is accounted to the State.

State wealth tax
In 2003 the minimum amount of assets subject to wealth tax is EUR 185,000. The rate of tax is EUR 80 for this amount and 0.9% for the amount exceeding EUR 185,000. The wealth tax of sole proprietors is reduced in that only 30% of the business assets are regarded as taxable assets.

Municipal and Church tax
The municipal income tax is determined according to a proportional tax base. In 2003 the municipal income tax rates vary from 15.5 to 20 per cent.

The church tax is also a proportional apportionment tax. The church tax rates vary from 1 to 2.25 per cent. Church tax is only paid by the members of the Finnish Evangelic Lutheran and Orthodox Churches or the Olaus Petri congregation. Corporations (limited liability companies and cooperatives) always pay the church tax since part of the corporate income tax (tax rate 29%) is paid to the Evangelic Lutheran and Orthodox congregations.


The general VAT rate is 22% of the price, excluding tax or other tax base.








Excise duties



An excise taxation harmonized by directives is applied to alcohol and alcoholic beverages, manufactured tobacco and mineral oils (liquid fuels) in the Member States of the European Union.

Additional national excise duties are levied on soft drinks, electricity and certain fuels in Finland. Lubricating oils and preparations are subject to a tax having the nature of an excise duty, and a landfill tax is collected on waste delivered to landfills. The provisions on the taxation procedure are given in the Excise Taxation Act.

Excise duties are collected on products manufactured in Finland, as well as those imported into Finland

[Dementon]

Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I want to be,
Pony trekking or camping,
Or just watching TV.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
It's the country for me.

You're so near to Russia,
So far from Japan,
Quite a long way from Cairo,
Lots of miles from Vietnam.

Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I want to be,
Eating breakfast or dinner,
Or snack lunch in the hall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.

You're so sadly neglected
And often ignored,
A poor second to Belgium,
When going abroad.

Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I quite want to be,
Your mountains so lofty,
Your treetops so tall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.

Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I quite want to be,
Your mountains so lofty,
Your treetops so tall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.

Finland has it all.

[Semper Paratus]

Finland's great if you like to get piss drunk on vodka, take off all your clothes, get scalded at 150 degrees, have a woman thrash you with branches, then jump into a lake at -21 degrees.

[HardStarboard]

Finland isn't "Perfect". For one thing, there aren't any Walgreens there!

[.38sw]

I have a cousin who lives in Finland and teaches English to college students. He doesn't have much nice to stay about his students - he calls them dumb cows, and says that they lack in initiative, drive and creativity. He assessment is that since the government provides so many "services" for them, they don't need to have any drive or ambition. He was in the US recently for a visit, and he and his wife shopped like crazy to buy things that were unavailable there - things like large, fluffy towels! His descriptions of life there make me very happy I live here in the US.

[Spok]

Also no mention of whether the people enjoy any personal freedom.