Man, we think we have it bad? Not hardly

[dc dalton]

I picked up new client today, an American living in the south of France. Nice lady too. She does shopping tours for the rich and famous through all the ritzy ditzy shopping areas in France.

Anyways, once we got done talking about her new site we got onto the subject of business. She told me she was basing her business in the US so not to worry about getting paid from overseas. When I asked her why she told me there is a 70% tax on all small businesses! I won't print her comments about that because she can actually outswear me.

Then she was telling me about the house she rents. She pays X amount per month and the utilities, then at the end of the year she gets a 'habitation tax bill' from the government ... amounts to 1/2 months rent.

She then went on to explain she won't hire ANYONE from France, she said the have no motivation to work because the government just taxes the hell out of it.... freaking amazing how screwed up those countries can get.

Other thing I just remembered. The bank over there puts a limit on your ATM card, the total you can spend (think per month), once you hit that no matter how much you have in your account they decline it. Happened to her while she was on vacation in Italy. When she called the bank and asked them what the hell was going on they told her they could issue her a 'no limit' card for a yearly fee of 500 Euro! 500 Euro a year to spend your own money ... needless to say she told them to pound salt.

[Elmar]

So what you're actually saying is "look where we will be in 15 years".

[sluggie24]

So what you're actually saying is "look where we will be in 15 years".

I'm thinking less thean 3 years...............

[kht428]

So what's the problem? Why are you guys being so sarcastic? She can obviously afford to pay taxes if she has the money to start a business. And the fact that she won't hire anyone from the country she is living in should be illegal. She has to pay her fair share to the gov't. We should do the same thing here in America. I for one would be much happier if I didn't have to work while I was at work. Then when I was really tired I could just quit and get paid to stay home and still get medical benefits and cost of living allowances. Wow that sounds great. I can't wait till we finally get a president that will do that stuff for us. Maybe he could even control the banks so that we could control spending thereby assuring there were more funds for the gov't to grab and give to me while I sit on my ass.

[Mancolt]

So what you're actually saying is "look where we will be in 15 years".

I'm thinking less thean 3 years...............

I hope to God you're both wrong...

But seeing as how I'm realistic, I'd guess it's somewhere between 3 and 15 years

[Frenchy]

I picked up new client today, an American living in the south of France. Nice lady too. She does shopping tours for the rich and famous through all the ritzy ditzy shopping areas in France.

Anyways, once we got done talking about her new site we got onto the subject of business. She told me she was basing her business in the US so not to worry about getting paid from overseas. When I asked her why she told me there is a 70% tax on all small businesses! I won't print her comments about that because she can actually outswear me.

Then she was telling me about the house she rents. She pays X amount per month and the utilities, then at the end of the year she gets a 'habitation tax bill' from the government ... amounts to 1/2 months rent.

She then went on to explain she won't hire ANYONE from France, she said the have no motivation to work because the government just taxes the hell out of it.... freaking amazing how screwed up those countries can get.

Other thing I just remembered. The bank over there puts a limit on your ATM card, the total you can spend (think per month), once you hit that no matter how much you have in your account they decline it. Happened to her while she was on vacation in Italy. When she called the bank and asked them what the hell was going on they told her they could issue her a 'no limit' card for a yearly fee of 500 Euro! 500 Euro a year to spend your own money ... needless to say she told them to pound salt.

The grass is always greener where you want it to be, did she tell you when you go to France or most places in Europe that you only pay tax on a car the first time it is bought? Did she mention that once there is a plate on the car it is permanent, so when you buy it, there already is a plate on it? Did she mention as an American, If you are there for more then a few days, it is less costly to buy a car, resell it through an agency? Fact is, you pay the tax, and the person after you will pay the whole car and you get most of the taxes returned to you when you leave to go home.

½ of a month in tax for property? Anytime!!
I pay here in a not so affluent neighborhood ¼ of my mortgage in taxes and at the end of the year, I have to pay 1% of my salary over my local tax, then a $52 per year occupation tax. All in all, the wife and I pay over 4 months rent/Mortgage to live here over and above all the mortgage and utilities.

Visiting an other country is always a cultural shock, after all the economy is not run the same way, Just that 1% tax on what ever I earn during the year and $52 occupation tax to be allowed to work in the first place to me is wrong here.

Mention to her that if she produces all those taxes when she leaves the country, they will pay them all back to her and she will probably tell you that by doing this, she would get taxed on her income there here in the U.S. and wind up paying Way more then she does there…

I bet she also forgot to say that in most European countries, people who work for foregn holdings lose their medical benefits and that in its self makes it all not worth it.

It is all relative to the way you look at things. The Americans say Canadians have it made with the "Free" medicare but forget that 25% of the salary goes to medicare. Canadians just never see this 25% so they dont think about it.

It is all relative to what you are used to and what you see in what is presented of other countries.

[dc dalton]

½ of a month in tax for property? Anytime!!

You misread, she doesn't own the property, she is RENTING it

[jcabin]

Next time let's not help france.

[son of the revolution]

Next time let's not help france.

LOL we wont have to wait for long , their assimilation and subjugation as a Muslim Nation is nearing critical mass .




Some funnies

How many gears in a French Tank ? 10 , 1 forward and 9 in reverse .

I have a bunch of French rifles for sale , never fired and only dropped once !

Why did the French plant so many trees on the Champs Elysees ? So the Germans could march in the shade !

[Frenchy]

You misread, she doesn't own the property, she is RENTING it

Even renting you have occupency tax, I found out after 4 years and owing over $2000 that it does add up fast.