Actually, Your Taxes Aren't That Bad

From Esquire

Tax burdens in the U.S. have hardly changed over the past 15 years, hovering around 32 percent since 2000, according to a new analysis from OECD. And that's despite tax cuts during the Bush years and Obama-era tax hikes on the rich, as Bloomberg reports. According to OECD, taxes in the U.S. are actually well below average compared to 34 other developed countries. In terms of overall tax rate-based on income taxes, payroll taxes and tax credits and rebates-the top three countries were:

1. Belgium, 54 percent

2. Germany, 49 percent

3. Hungary, 48 percent

The U.S. didn't break the top 20-it was ranked 25th, right above Canada (26th) and the United Kingdom (27th). The average for all developed countries was 27 percent. Based on this tally, an American citizen without children earned $52,543 in 2016, and took home 74 percent of that after taxes. The countries with the lowest tax rates were:

1. Chile, 7 percent

2. New Zealand, 18 percent

3. Mexico, 20 percent

So, relatively speaking, the U.S. doesn't have remarkable tax rates at all, nor have those tax rates budged much, despite political rhetoric. The good news is that the president might be spending fewer taxpayer dollars per weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago than the $3 million projected by some watchdogs. It might just be $1 million per getaway, according to Time. Thrifty.

You Might Also Like

• 9 Mustache Styles to Try This Movember

• 6 New Ways to Shave Like Your Dad

• Here Are 15 Funny Grocery Store Signs That Will Hopefully Amuse You