Wow, this has gotten so complicated!! At risk of being seen as simple and unsophisticated again I have to say it's this basic to us, 'Can we earn enough to own a house, pay the bills and enjoy a glass of wine every now and then?'. If the answer is yes, then we're cool. What tax we'll pay and what the country does with it is something we will better understand when we get there. Figures and percentages are just numbers for now because we can't replace them with actuals until we know them and we won't know them until we get there. Sure we can make estimates based on enquiries we make but estimations are all they are. When we're there we'll gain a much better understanding of whether these taxes are worth it or not until then we reserve judgement.
Here in the UK, we are taxed highly, there is a tax on everything and I reiterate that in fact money, finance, income, investment do not figure in our reasons for wanting to leave. Our country seems to have lost it's way
The general feeling amongst people is one of despondency, we seem to have become a nation of frowners.
Again, at risk of being firmly placed in my 'hippie' box, I liken it to a life-force issue. You know there are (very generally) two kinds of people you meet, those that make you feel good, they brighten you up, make you feel rejuvenated, lift your spirits, make you smile just to think of them, you know the kind, they're good to be around, they share their energy, their life-force, you bounce off one another and the give and take is in equal measure, you both get a boost. Then there are those that do just the opposite, as soon as you see them coming you start to sag, before you even speak to them your energy or life-force starts to wilt, you know they're going to take, take, take (from your life-force I mean), by the time you finish talking to them you feel tired, fed up, you're probably gonna walk with a bit less of a spring in your step whilst they probably have a bit more of one in theirs. They have a negative influence on your energy usually because they syphon it off to add to their own.
The UK seems to be full of these people, everyone appears so bogged down with their anxiety, worry, anguish and craving, they are very wary of people that seem to have gained some liberty from it. Their approach, more often than not, begins from a negative stance rather than a positive, they are always looking for reasons why things can't, won't or shouldn't happen rather than looking for a way to make things work. It's odd because we have a history as a nation of entrepreneurs, of eccentrics and free thinkers but from the inside these things are discouraged. We seem to be suspicious of anyone that is different, it's as if anyone who thinks differently to the norm isn't to be tolerated. I feel that many institutions and authorities are very inward looking, afraid of change, crazy in a world that is in a major flux of change just now.
We are looking for more positivity, more enthusiasm, more drive, more motivation, more energy, more creativity, more freedom, more inspiration, more space, more tolerance, more smiles, more encouragement, more support, more understanding............you get it I know.
Not more money.