Something occurred to me regarding all the tax scares. I’ve worked in a number of countries and they all treat taxation differently. The relative amounts might be of concern but take declarations. Denizens of UK , as an example, get taxed at source by their employer. The employer is quite good at maths and calculates month by month how much tax is due and therefore deducts the correct amount. If for, say, overtime; one month’s tax is more but there is no overtime the next month any rebate is included in the following months “deduction” so month on month the UK person is always up-to-date with their tax. As a result the onus is on the employer to deduct the correct amount not on the individual. There is no annual form to fill in, no H&R block to offer you a percentage instant rebate. UK workers are less concerned about tax declaration and think more about going to the pub. It is possible that an individual’s name gets “drawn out of a hat” and they are sent a form in the mail but that is quite rare on an individual basis. In contrast in the US, as another example, the onus seems to be on the individual. There is a somewhat complicated form to fill out and return once a year because somehow the employer’s math is not so good and most people end up having paid too much and are entitled to a rebate. This form must be submitted by a deadline. So there being a deadline and thinking there might be a rebate in the offing US people are as a result more concerned about taxation rules and timing than their UK counterparts. There are other difference but from a point of psyche this is the main difference.
