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Belgium has third highest tax burden, study shows

11:11 10/12/2014

According to a report by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), an alliance of the world’s wealthiest countries, Belgium’s income tax burden is 10% higher than the average tax burden of 34.1% in all 34 OECD countries.

The tax burden, or the entirety of tax revenues relative to gross domestic product (GDP), has risen in OECD countries to the same levels as before the economic crisis. The comparison of the ratio of tax revenues to GDP around the world is difficult and somewhat subjective, the OECD admits.

Belgium’s tax burden came out of the survey as the third highest, at 44.6%, or more than 10% above the average. The average tax burden of the 34 OECD countries surveyed increased by 0.4 percent to 34.1% between 2012 and 2013, bringing it up to a level similar to the record highs of 2007 (34.2%) and 2000 (34.3%).

Between 2012 and 2013, tax burdens increased the most in Portugal (+2.2%) and Turkey (+1.7%). Tax burdens fell in the same period in Norway (-1.5%), Chile (-1.2%) and New Zealand (-0.9%). In Belgium there was an increase of 0.6%.

Denmark is the leader when it comes to taxation (48.6% in 2013), followed by France (45%) and Belgium (44.6%). At the other end of the spectrum are Mexico (19.7%), Chile (20.2%), Korea (24.3%) and the United States (25.4%).

Written by Robyn Boyle

Comments

Mikek1300gt

Subjective? Yea, try experience instead.

Dec 10, 2014 12:03
Mikek1300gt

Lies, damn lies and statistics. I took home less than half of my salary, and then there is VAT and various other taxes taken off that!

I would have been quite happy if my tax burden was 44 percent of my income and Belgium would still be receiving the 44 percent. As it is they now get sod all.

You would think they would have noticed by now that ever increasing taxes do not solve the problems and that those suffering the most are also often the most mobile.

Still, the army of professional unemployed and sick are going nowhere.

Dec 11, 2014 09:32