If we look at recent data here it’s actually worse than what we were discussing. According to official statistics average wage is 1,463€/month in 2023… so that makes up to about 20k/year.
Also, looking at the actual numbers, in Portugal you hit the 37% tax bracket at just €27,000 and 45% at around €50,000. These salaries definitely do not make you rich, but they make you owe a ton of taxes.
Additionally, as stated on the article, the rich already pay an extra:
In 2024, an additional solidarity rate, which varies between 2.5% and 5%, applies to taxpayers with a taxable income exceeding EUR 80,000 and EUR 250,000, respectively.
…
You said the richer people in the tax bracket was struggling because taxes
What I’m actually saying is that there are a lot of middle class people here that get fucked over every time the “tax the rich” dialog comes along because the govt considers people making 33k+/year to be rich.
Bottom line is: whenever the radical left here starts bitching and pushing for legal changes on taxes then the barely surviving 33k/year middle class gets squeezed again and nothing else changes.
This “taxing the rich” stuff is kind of a lie people like to throw around because if you’re making 300k/year you’ll always have ways around the income tax and you won’t be paying anyways.
Average salary is a broken metric always look for median. 31k that is median just plain fucked sure the tax doesn’t help but 31k isn’t a livable salary in the country by my metrics that being said. I am sure a 2 income house hold for a 3br is more accurate of a situation since globally single income households are just not realistic. Even if you made 31k with 0 tax I don’t see how that would be livable still not worth breaking tax system because idk what other welfare you all have but losing free health care would make your country worse off
but 31k isn’t a livable salary in the country by my metrics that being said (…) Even if you made 31k with 0 tax I don’t see how that would be livable
Yeah it isn’t.
still not worth breaking tax system because idk what other welfare you all have but losing free health care would make your country worse off
Probably not, but you’re still assuming that the “free healthcare” works while in fact it doesn’t.
other welfare you all have
You pay an extra 11% of your income for social security that will give you a retirement pension (assuming the fund doesn’t go bankrupt), unemployment protection (around minimum wage for a period of time) and that’s about it.
Why we have progressive rates. A flat tax will still make a 31k persons life more miserable in this country the lower tax ranges need to be adjusted. In America if you don’t make enough money we send you money. Almost like a ubi. 100k people won’t be hurt if more money they make is taxed.
Paid health care is way worse. I already 1.4% for old people healthcare(I don’t get access to) and I pay around 4.5% weekly to health insurance that I can’t use until I spend $6,000 in healthcare services and still have to pay money to see doctors. In America so many people go without insurance or just die because they can’t get things taken care of.
Most articles say Portugal healthcare is better or on par with America’s system for patient outcomes. But what the article don’t mention you have be able to afford to get into the system in America. I haven’t visited a doctor in 15 years.
A guaranteed pension is super strong versus a retirement plan that is in the stock market because a crash could wipe out the whole fund.
Lastly why isn’t the rich not paying more in salaries and why isn’t money more equitable In Portugal?