American reacts to 'Why is Scandinavia so expensive?'

[@kevins2961]

As a British Politician once said, Everyone wants Scandinavian levels of welfare, free education, health cover and pensions, but wants American levels of taxation. You can't have both!

[@Tony-wu4wk]

The taxes in American really isn't that low tho when combining sales taxes and everything else. The difference is that those taxes goes to the politicians and the military rather then its people.

[@theoteddy9665]

well usa taxes are well hidden + plus health, and in total they are as high as in skandinavia, but ppl are oblivious..

[@kevins2961]

@@theoteddy9665 Total Tax burden in USA is 27% of GDP. 37% in UK 47% in Denmark So not the same at all

[@kevins2961]

@@Tony-wu4wk USA tax burden is 27% of GDP, Denmark 47% of GDP

[@lws7394]

Currently Brits have neither ...

[@MisterEE100]

Personally, I think high tax is good when it goes back into the country to make the country better, not to fund wars. Better health care, better roads, better education and higher standards of living. VAT - tax on an item but its included and NOT added after like America.

[@phaerion9142]

The one thing that I harshly criticize about nordics wealth and good life is that yes they invested their taxes in quality of life and education, but is kind of a one time special occasion and now they are facing the consequences, what I mean? After the threat of an enemy taking their country they stopped investing in defense and "reality" necesities (like a video game in easy mode with no enemies where typically you will have to invest in defense and hard times, this because of NATO and oppresive power of the US, this made a lot of European countries put all their money into education and welfare, forgetting the world is a harsh ruthless competitive place because this part of being a country is dealt externally.

[@pappelg2639]

@@phaerion9142 No, you are wrong. It is not a one time special occasion. It has been like this for long. We had this policy in the 80s with huge military budgets and compulsory conscription too. I would say huge immigration is why Sweden has more problems, Militarily we have spent a lot more earlier with huge taxing. Its been like this for a very long time.

[@esaedvik]

This is indeed the whole point. People actually get value out of taxes here. US, not really. No affordable healthcare, no affordable education, no daycare, no days off, no sickleave, all the minimum wage BS. Get to drive huge cars Big Auto scammed them to buy and vote for more power for billionaires and pay all kinds of "service charges" given out by self-checkouts and drive-ins...and tip everyone. Like what is this dystopia?

[@juhokaartoaho]

@@phaerion9142 That is just bad take on so many ways.

[@tyttarentottero]

That plywood table might be the most expensive thing in the room, because it's perhaps made of birch and it's a design item : )

[@Nubbe999]

It would not surprise me if the plywood table cost 40 000 USD.

[@Outside85]

Thats what they were told atleast... but it is likely just ordinary plywood.

[@TwiggehTV]

A carpenter stole some plywood, 1by1's and a handful of screws from his latest construction site in order to make that designer item.

[@allanwielund9545]

True. This table could be solid. Several scandinavian design brands use layered real wood for lots of things. I have some... but IKEA is known for being low end with plywood everywhere

[@sunseeker9581]

This is very much a capitalist view of social democracy. They get high wages , strong welfare and high quality of living . It works

[@BajkonurBobby]

Thanks. Was gonna say the same. Not a very objective video at all. And VERY simplified.

[@janusx66]

social democracy. Ahhh Just as the SPD in Germany with Karl Marx the antisemite. Uhm no, after ww2 we said never again, and then i mean socialism, like communism, nazism, fascism, no, no, and no.

[@damyr]

Among highest taxes in the world, and among highest happiness index in the world. Why? Because they take care about poorer people to not get behind too much, and because they don't care about showing off around with fancy stuff. It's a much more balanced society than anywhere in the world. That's why. And social democracy is a term without a meaning. It's just capitalism, with more social awareness.

[@alexysq2660]

@@damyr ,,Lagom¨ paa svenska och/og ,,Jantes lov¨ paa dansk, ja 😊...? ~🩵

[@damyr]

@@alexysq2660 Exactly. I forgot the word... It's Janteloven. The whole world needs a bit of education about janteloven. And everything would be much different.

[@TomKirkemo-l5c]

Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden and Denmark. I'm Norwegian...now I'll keep on watching. :)

[@torbenjohansen6955]

isen't there a tiny part of Finland that technical is part of Scandinavia ( some where up north in Finland along the border to Sweden )

[@Dataknutte]

​@@torbenjohansen6955never heard of that. But in north of Sweden we have the Baltic Sea called "Bottom Bay". And "states" that called "North Bay" and "West bay" in the east of Sweden. This is because in Finland they have the "East bay" area.

[@TroelsNybo1st]

@@torbenjohansen6955 You definitely have a point. One might argue that the north-western corner of Finland reaches into the Scandinavian peninsula.

[@TomKirkemo-l5c]

@@torbenjohansen6955 Maybe...could that have something to do with the Sami. In that case a small part of Russia is also Scandinavian. It really doesn't matter. Just let Finland in. :)

[@lws7394]

They are 'technically' geographically not , but I always include Finland into Scandinavia.. Definetely culturally , politally . They speak 'bilingually' swedish aside Finnish. ..

[@Alex-ep4vi]

Compared to the rest of the EU indeed Scandinavia is expensive. However - when looking on this as an American you shouldn't forget that sales taxes are included in Europe on all price tags already and tipping is only common on services that are really outstanding and even then much lower then in the US. Taking this all into account the final amount spend on products and services is already much higher in the US compared to the EU and US and Scandinavian countries are quite similar in the end of the day... except cars, maybe! 😉

[@to_loww]

Also social benefits are barely comparable. For example most European countries basically pay you for raising children until they earn their own money. That would be 250 Euros per month and child in Germany.

[@pippen1001]

Im a swede and last week i had a t'bone steak dinner, it cost me 399sek plus 70 sek for a beer and like 90kr for dessert, so like 606kr i think it was , and i liked the server so i tipped 10% , we had 5,10,15% values in the machine to choose from. So converting about 59 bucks total , taxes are always included in the price and a 10% tip of like 6 bucks

[@Korfax124]

I think the taxation on cars is the highest in Denmark, since it's the smaller country with quite good public transportation. Besides Sweden is a BIG country and Norway is not far off in terms of area, so they need their cars to get around...

[@lovehagglund3234]

@@pippen1001 You can Always chose custom, and tip 0. the 5.10.15% is merely a sugestion.

[@SaraKvammen-tx7qc]

The salaries are high, so I feel out taxation is moore than fair. And it benefits all of us. I've had major surgery three times, and if I lived in the US, I'd be homeless...even with insurance. All my neighbours have cars, but you don't HAVE to.

[@Dataknutte]

Like $15-30 for a heart transplantation, including the transport with ambulance to the hospital. In Stockholm they started to charge people taking the car into the city instead the bus. But to have really cheap (the first years) ticket cost they didn't need to build more roads and less people for stuck in the ques.

[@-_James_-]

The salaries aren't high for some industries though. Software engineers in the US can easily earn $400k+, while you'll be lucky to break $150k in Norway. (In fact, given the fact that the Norwegian Kroner is worth basically nothing right now, salaries are comparatively half what they used to be.) That said, I don't think taxes in Norway are that high, really. I think I paid about 34% (or something around there) in total last year.

[@haraldbredsdorff2699]

No. We are not rich. You might be, but Scandinavian are not. It might benefit you, but the average Scandinavian get screwed over. If you lived in another country, like USA, with the same income, you would only have problem paying those surgeries, if you spent all your money on drugs. This, is identical to UK and their HRS. You think the government is great, because that is what you have been told. But you might notice, the only people moving to Scandinavia, are people who want to live of the social network. Nobody with wealth, want to live in our countries, because they live better elsewhere. No rich American or even average American goes "sweet, this look like a easier life than USA". And that is how you can know, it is brainwashing.

[@Patrik6920]

@@haraldbredsdorff2699 ur wrong on so many levels...

[@haraldbredsdorff2699]

@@Patrik6920 Ok, do tell. How many Americans move to Norway for better living? Now compare that to Norwegians moving to USA. But sure, keep telling yourself what the brainwashing tell you.

[@elendilo]

i was similarly shocked when i visited a restaurant in US and ended up paying ~50% more than what it said on the menu...

[@stevieinselby]

Taxing new vehicles heavily means people are much less likely to buy a new car every few years, but will keep them running for as long as they can. And they're not going to buy a vehicle they don't _need_ ... which, with more compact cities and better public transit, means a lot fewer multi-car households.

[@lpdude2005]

What is perhaps of greatest interest is that in Norway you get back 86.4% of what you have paid in taxes and fees throughout your life, also because the taxes cover savings for old age pensions which start at $1800 month whether you have worked or not. In the USA, the equivalent of 19% have no retirement savings.

[@Halli50]

The point is: The Nordic countries (that include Finland, Iceland, the Faeroe islands and a slew of other Baltic islands that are just as Nordic), make up a block of countries that consistently make the top ten most happy (spelled Content) countries in the world. So taxes are high compared to other countries? Just watch the social benefits we get: Virtually free health care, education and a lot of other safety-net benefits that e.g. 'Muricans can only dream about (and they actually had i the fifties and early sixties). One ignored fact: Expensive countries mostly have high salaries to match, the most important things in life (health care, education, free care for newborns and a sensible judicial system) taken care of (the dreaded "socialism" 'Muricans imagine is just beyond every corner). Another ignored benefit: Being expensive countries with relatively high salaries, virtually EVERYWHERE else is inexpensive! As a result (having good holiday benefits) we travel widely - and find it shamefully inexpensive! Ryan, just try to pull your head out of your 'Murican arse and face the undisputed fact that the Nordic countries ARE the most content nations on this planet, high taxes notwithstanding! They actually ARE doing a lot of things just right.

[@Beautiful_Doors_of_Sweden]

The highest fee for a child in preschool is 164,35 US dollars per month, at least in Stockholm Sweden. We also have vab - be home with a sick child and still get payed, grandparents can also do this for example. And the child allowence for children under 16. If the family have two or more children, a multi-child allowance is also paid. The child allowance is 121,66 US dollars per child, while the multi-child allowance increases gradually depending on the number of children. Also parental leave is 480 days for 1 child. Fathers get minimum 90 days. Yes we have high taxes but we are more "taken care of".

[@boandersen8239]

What makes it function is the free education and healthcare. If people are eductated they, learn about their society, laws, importance of vaccines and so on and with no fear for doctorbills or edcucation the youth are up for a good start in life

[@julienvandaak2301]

I live in Switzerland and have the feeling that the Scandinavian model is completely different when it comes to taxes. Nevertheless, both models have managed to achieve a very high quality of life. Switzerland is a bit more liberal when it comes to taxes and can be compared more with the USA. But instead of spending the money on military and space travel, there is one of the best public transport and a lot of spending on the well-being of citizens. Maybe also because of the direct elections

[@Onnarashi]

Both countries? Scandinavia isn't a country. You're talking about four different countries (three Scandinavian plus Switzerland), not two.

[@julienvandaak2301]

@@Onnarashi You're right. I didn't express myself correctly

[@jacobmarquard2111]

It’s not the monopoly that makes wine and beer expensive in Sweden and Norway, it’s the taxes, in Sweden the price without taxes are quite low

[@lkjh861]

The high taxation on cars in Denmark is mainly a behavioral measure, to prevent overpopulating roads especially in urban areas... you have to remember Denmark is tiny compared to Sweden, Norway and Finland, which are 8 to 12 times larger ~ even though Denmark, Norway and Finland have comparable populations, whereas Sweden has twice the population... as a consequence, in Denmark public transport is highly effective due to the high population density (365 people per sqmile), making cars a bit of a luxury unless you live far out in the sticks ~ whereas in Sweden, Norway and Finland cars are an absolute necessity (40-70 people per sqmile, literally 5-10 times less), and correspondingly their car taxation is very similar to the US... that's why. When browsing Scandinavian solutions, always use Danish solutions for urban areas and Swedish/Norwegian/Finnish solutions for rural areas ~ but they are absolutely applicable to the US.

[@ryttyr14]

I like how in his example of buying a sweater in a Swedish store he messed up slightly and said that the tax went to the Danish government. Yes, we Swedes definitely pay our taxes to the Danish government. Makes perfect sense.😂

[@thomashovgaard3134]

We got your child soldiers out of Malmo, you paying danish tax is only fair 🙂

[@bram6567]

Maybe they haven't heard about Gustav Vasa yet. Before him those danskjävlar taxed us

[@thomashovgaard3134]

@@bram6567 Hahahaha

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

@@bram6567 Gustav Vasa? 🤔 Ahhh, the Submarine vessel?

[@bram6567]

@kasperkjrsgaard1447 do you mean The Vasa, the ship that sunk in Stockholm Harbour as soon as it took of on it's maiden voyage?😂 because that was named after the all mighty king Gistav Vasa I, who liberated Sweden from the Kalmar Union and founded what would evolve into the nation state of Sweden

[@wertywerrtyson5529]

The average tax in Sweden has decreased from an all time high in the 90s. And what isn’t mentioned there is that we don’t have wealth tax, property tax, inheritance tax or luxury tax. We have also a low capital gains tax. Also at the moment it isn’t expensive to visit because our currency has devalued in recent years due to a number of world economic factors that has made it more expensive for us to import things.

[@haraldbredsdorff2699]

My favorite story is about that is the story about Astrid Lindgren. Who discovered she would lose more money, if she sold a book while wealthy because of the taxes. That was enough to get even her, a life long supporter os the socialist party, to complain.

[@noefillon1749]

States don't really earn a lot by wealth tax or inheritance tax though (what is luxury tax btw ?)

[@gaelle4328]

Income inequality has explodeded so that now even Bill Gates and the UN have warned that is out of control because of taxcuts to real high income earners, corporations and on capital. As to Astrid Lindgren the answer to that is that artists that have one off or just a couple of hits over years can spread out their taxes over a number of years.

[@AHVENAN]

Finland is part of the Nordics, aka Scandinavia + Finland and Iceland, but we have ALOT in common with Scandinavia, for example we also have a state-run monopoly on liqour, although with different regulations VAT is what you americans call sales tax

[@jensmadsen4439]

As a follow-up to this video, you should watch the video: Why Is Denmark So Rich Despite Huge Taxes?

[@Dataknutte]

Or this one: "The Secretive Family that Owns All of Europe"

[@zoltanreisz2228]

Scandinavian taxes are not high for the average person. Only the rich pay a lot of taxes. The tax is used to solve social problems.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

@@zoltanreisz2228 It depends of which Scandinavian country you’re talking about.

[@zoltanreisz2228]

@@kasperkjrsgaard1447 Danmark

[@meteerbil2078]

"Alcoholic beverage control states, generally called control states, less often ABC states, are 17 states in the United States that have state monopoly over the wholesaling or retailing of some or all categories of alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, and distilled spirits."

[@Jim-the-Engineer]

...and many people in those states get upset when you call it 'socialism.' When you point out that's exactly what it is, they'll say, "Well, it's liquor - that's different." (I've never gotten a good explanation of how or why it's different.)

[@-_James_-]

VAT is like a sales tax, but it's only levied on consumers. I.e., if my company purchases materials from another company, I would be able to claim back any VAT I paid for those materials against any VAT paid to me by my customers. There are also different VAT rates for different things. In the UK, for example, food and books are exempt completely. (Or they used to be, I don't know whether that's still true. It's been a long time since I lived there.)

[@andileu]

In my opinion doesn't matter if a country is so expensive once gov. have very good social programs and in case you have a need or an emergency in your life the country will make sure to help you without ending to be a homeless.

[@slendergollum]

It does matter when youre at median income but cant afford food because everything else you need to live is so expensive. It really sucks. And when you make over the minimum wage, youre not getting any social program related things. And you can go homeless, be homeless for x amount of time and then you might get a apartment in da hood and you have to sometimes pay more rent than normal.

[@coffeindrinker2581]

In the US you are pratically required to have a car . In Stockholm where my family and i live , no one in the family has or owns a car , because we don't need one because we have such good public transport and if we need a car we rent one , but that happens very rarely. The government priovides us with everything we need from the tax we pay and we can live a safe and healthy life.

[@Kent.]

That’s in Stockholm. But in many parts of Sweden you need a car. Typical Sthlm people to say you don’t need a car!!!

[@Karl-v1q]

@@Kent.Not only in Stockholm. If you live in a city or close to one, you really don’t need a car. In rural areas it’s a another thing.

[@Kent.]

@@Karl-v1q I didn’t say only in Sthlm!! I live in a city but work outside the city and need my car even if there is good public transportation and bike lanes. What i meant was that it’s typical a person from Sthlm say that you don’t need a car!!

[@coffeindrinker2581]

@@Kent. Anyone can figure out that you need a car in the countryside , typically farmers to complain about Stockholmers ! Do you have complexes Kent .

[@Kent.]

​@@coffeindrinker2581 Complexes over what!!?? To not live in "Fjolliga Sthlm" without a car? LOL... Come on!!! I live in a rather big city in Sweden so agriculture is not a thing here. I was born and raised and living in a city but i don't need to have complexes over a bigger city then the one i live in, but it's a fact that many people from Sthlm only see them self and their needs over all people in Sweden. Many people in Sweden need their cars just like in USA.

[@Str3aT]

I would say that is no plywood table. It looks more like a stone (marble?) table. Which would make more sense considering the rest of the interior.

[@Carl5728]

To me it looked like OSB that's short for oriented strand board.

[@drcl7429]

If you look at the original video, it is actually OSB. Maybe they are being ironic. Maybe the outer is intended to be replaced when you spill on it.

[@MissMariaSiya]

It is a plywood table - this was filmed in a bar called Bryghuset and they had a very mixed furniture choice, with lots of diff. things but it was really cosy

[@frankkrunk]

@@Carl5728 Yeah definitely OSB. I think it's meant to contrast with the luxurious sofa, it's not there because it's cheap.

[@Henoik]

The state monopoly of alcohol is not what keeps the prices high - it's the tax added to alcohol. Beer, cider and other drinks with low alcohol contents can still be sold in grocery stores at a very high price. Paradoxically, the state monopoly on alcohol actually makes Norway and Sweden prime countries to visit if you want to buy expensive wines, since the monopolies are not allowed to sell anything for commercial gain. This means wine that very expensive wines are typically very cheap in comparison, in Norway or Sweden.

[@AltCutTV]

The actual reason you can get less popular demand products is because there is an obligation as a monopoly to have a wide enough selection as to not question the monopoly for overtly limiting assortment. So sure, that may still seem a bit paradoxical I suppose. It can, and do, sell for profit. The profit simply goes to certain investment funds and public health programs. To the owners. And to ads obviously... 🙄 Not really state controlled anymore though. At least not in Sweden. It's just an exclusive distribution rights company under regulations for certain class goods. I'm pretty sure the danes can at least buy most beer and wine in regular stores.

[@Henoik]

@@AltCutTV Maybe my comment was overly Norwegian-based, but at least our Vinmonopolet cannot sell anything at a profit (well, they can have a markup of between 4 and 90 kroner per unit of alcohol, but that's far less than any commercial actor would take for an expensive wine). The difference in the shelf price and the actual cost of the alcohol, is simply administrative costs and state fees/taxes. Those administrative costs and fees are the same, no matter how expensive the alcohol actually is. The taxes are variable, though. Thus, we see many wine "tourists" in Norway, that come here just to buy expensive wines for a low price (supposedly to sell them for a profit abroad, or keep them to increase their value - kinda like art)

[@lpdude2005]

This is very old. Much has changed since then. In Norway we have 6% less income tax and NO fees or taxes on EV cars under $50,000 - but 25% VAT on car prices above this. There is so much else that has also changed that it will be too much to tell in one comment. It is not particularly expensive in Scandinavia - but like the average in the EU.

[@Onnarashi]

We also have another PM (not Erna Solberg) whom I don't like.

[@pqrstsma2011]

2:42 the US has sales tax, EU has VAT... if you go into the technicalities of it, they are not the same thing, but to the end consumer it's another extra percentage on top of your grocery bill

[@pqrstsma2011]

@@KurtFrederiksen I know that, but if you're trying to explain VAT to an american who's never heard the term VAT, this was a simplified explanation

[@Militaizi]

I can confirm Finland compared to Sweden is not any cheaper. There is not really any reason to compare to Norway, they are on other league. And what the hell is adult education level -% ? :O

[@owlietowlie4015]

the USA has the pull of their top Universities and the research they make. Basically Finland fares well to a certain point and then it's moot. US doesn't really do well on basic level but the upper echelon makes up for it.

[@KeesBoons]

@@owlietowlie4015 Not really in my experience. Many Ivy league universities perform very poorly on education, and try to make up for it by creating the old boys networks.

[@aaopopanda9205]

It's the amount of people who peruse higher education (like university) after high school.

[@noefillon1749]

@@aaopopanda9205 pursue or get graduated ? And which degree ?

[@frankkrunk]

CNBC really fucked this up. I know the original OECD graph, and you have to choose WHICH education level you want to see. Like "how many % of the population has a tertiary level education". This graph just says "how many % has some kind of something". Utterly bizarre. It could be "how many 25-64-year-olds has gone to kindergarten", as they don't specify WHICH level.

[@MellonVegan]

2:41 The next sentence explained it 🤦‍♂ The paragraph, once again in front of your eyes, says that the US is the unique exception in that you have state-regulated sales tax instead of a nationwide VAT. Don't get me wrong, the people who just come to these comments to insult you are idiots but I hope you see how it's frustrating whenever you ask something, the answer to which is literally on your screen. ^^

[@jjosz9565]

...which is sorta the same as people who only read the headline of a news article and are under the impression to know everything about the topic within. Being in an argument with people only reading the first sentence of a topic/explanation/whatever can be highly frustrating...

[@conallmclaughlin4545]

He never fully reads anything, pauses in the middle of sentences. He normally asks a question and will then talk over the answer when it's being explained.

[@Andyman89.]

heres the thing, you dont rly think about taxes... its all handled automatically. but, on the other hand, you never have to worry about anything. everything is insured, health care is free, you get money when u go to school, and child care is almost free. also, if u have a kid, you get over 400 days of work, with almost full pay (paid for by taxes), and u get roughly 120 dollars every month, per child, until the child is 18.

[@oh515]

Some states in the US do also have the same alcohol store systems as Sweden and Norway.

[@maidsua4208]

Norwegian, and I pay 14% in tax. It is because I am chronically ill and therefore do not have a regular salary. But I have free health care and am picked up by a taxi and taken to the hospital for treatment free of charge. My medicines are also free. But I have worked for many years and paid 37% in tax in most years, a form of investment. 5 years at university was part of the investment. I was at home the first year with each of my three children with 80% salary. It's sad not being able to work, but I often help students in the neighborhood when they struggle to understand things in the natural sciences, just as a small social task. Even though I am on social security, I can afford to go to the theatre, go on holiday, but it is my health that is stopping me, not my finances.

[@MissMariaSiya]

Okay, so the parts that is filmed with the host is filmed in Billund Denmark. 1) is the Billund bageri & Cafe, 2) one of the residental streets, 3) Is the Bar Bryghuset, which sadly now is closed down, it was a really used place in the city but the owner wanted all the space to make a brewery - if you see the orginal video it ends with the host on top of LEGO HOUSE, which is a museum/experience place that is built by LEGO to showcase the LEGO history but also offers creative experiences for LEGO fans of all ages. I live in Billund so when i saw the bakery i was like "wait, what..."

[@KariHelander]

Finland is part of Nordic Countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway Sweden, Finland) and so not in Scandinavia. And Finland is very expensive. 😅

[@jeanettebrannstrom2320]

If i remember right, Sweden is among the top countries when it comes to start new businesses. We also have more rich people by capita then the US here in Scandinavia Yes we have high taxes but it gives us a affordable life

[@bjørnjacobsengaming]

The Danish krone is stronger than the Swedish and Norwegian kroner. You get 153 Swedish kroner for 100 Danish kroner. And the same also applies with Norwegian kroner. There you also get 153 Norwegian kroner for 100 Danish kroner. 100 Danish kroner is about 15 Dollars

[@slendergollum]

Oh wow what happened to NOK? Or do i remember wrong, it used to be the strongest, with a big margin?

[@PebbleChristmas]

Bro your so underrated I don't understand why you aren't famous yet😃

[@m33000W]

Nordic countries are pretty high level at living standards and what we prioritize and value in life. For most nordic people the life is good, secure and fair. That is why they keep being happy regardless the sh1tty climate for half the years.

[@sanderjansen5187]

Ryan just found out why cars are so small in Europe.😂😂😂

[@TullaRask]

The biggest similarity between Norway, Sweden and Denmark is language. We can talk to each other without going via English.

[@seijika46]

As a general rule, the happiest countries in the world are those where the gap between richest and poorest is most narrow - with progressive taxation, that is made easier to achieve while providing ample funds to improve the lives of all, regardless of income.

[@Onionbaron]

Gini...

[@imulippo5245]

3:11 "Which helps to keep prices up" This is from the point of view of governmyth people who's salary depends on governmyth monopoly of violence. One indication of freedom is that i can sell home made 96% booze from my backyard in middle of christmas night to anybody i want to.

[@metsatroll]

VAT - value added tax is tax that is added to every product. Every item you can purchase in the store has VAT on it. So, the prices in stores usually consists of product price + VAT + store cut %. Store cut is also usually around 10-30% depending on the product. Lets say product price to buy and sell in your store is 100$. Lets say VAT is 20% then you need to sell that product at least for 120$ or you'd be taking a loss because you need to add VAT regardless. Then you add your store % as well so a 100$ product is usually sold for like 130-150$

[@stuartcollins82]

tldr: it's sales tax. if he's finished reading the paragraphy in the video, he would have seen how it corresponds to US taxes. edit: I see ryan figured it out later.

[@Mjanmar]

VAT example: If you buy something for 100€ and sell it for 120€, your added value is 20€. You pay VAT on that 20€.

[@iirokarimo4565]

5:35 and how is it possible that theres no such a poverty or anything else like other 3rd world countries like usa

[@JizyaDhimmi]

Plywood table, Chesterfield couch. Every class and creed welcome for a beer!

[@bjørnjacobsengaming]

It is only in Denmark and Norway that there is a high tax on cars and in Denmark it is 150%. It is even reduced from 180% to 150% it was 10 years ago

[@rogerk6180]

Netherlands also has one of the highest taxes on cars.

[@bjørnjacobsengaming]

@@rogerk6180 And that is in % ?

[@rogerk6180]

@@bjørnjacobsengaming yes,

[@bjørnjacobsengaming]

@@rogerk6180 how much tax is there on cars in the Netherlands ?

[@rogerk6180]

@@bjørnjacobsengaming it used to be 70% or something. But i think they are changing it to a grams of co2 per km scheme. It changes almost every year.

[@KristoferOlsson]

Videos like this only tells half the truth. They cherry pick information to fit the narrative. Yes Denmark may have the highest tax rate in the world and Sweden has a high taxrate but.. VAT in Sweden most common is 25% but food in resturants are 12% transports its 6% healthcare 0% and so on. Property tax is 0.75 and that sounds high compared to US they have between 0.2-4% But in Sweden its capped to around 900 dollar a year for 1 property. You can also deduct 30% of your interest cost on the house loan. So if you have 2700 dollar interst cost a year on your house, the tax would be 0% wich is what many swedes pay in property tax. We have no tax on gifts. US has 18-40% Sweden has no inheritance tax wich some of US states has up to 16% We have no tax if you win in a lottery on luck. If you buy a used vehicle in Swedn you dont pay any VAT (moms) sales tax on your used car, most states in US have sales tax on used cars. companys can pay tax on the profit they make on your buy. somehow the tax has to be payed. :) The tax rate if you own a company and take out your profits is lower then some US states. Sweden 20.6% US 15-35% Tax on alkohol is a flat tax So cheep boose is expensive in Sweden But Systembolaget cant take a higher profits on more expensive boose then cheep. State has to make it equal to all companys. This results in nice wine and whiskey are cheeper in Sweden then most other countries. So if you want to buy 100dollar and up bottles Sweden could be considered cheep compared to your country. Still after all this Sweden is high on taxes but its not as simple as videos like this make it out to be. They take the worst exampels only.

[@Jmvars]

The alcohol monopoly in Norway is literally called "the wine monopoly" (vinmonopolet).

[@tomscorpion6288]

Doesn't it breach the anti-monopol laws then? :)

[@Finkele1]

That education is probably by universities and it's highly debatable..USA has nothing to do in general level education list like pisa. Asian countries are dominating that one.

[@jackh5489]

And 205% for an MC, welcome to Denmark... Plus a "road charge" twice a year, depending of the age or consumption of the vehicle the price varies from about $100 / $1200 twice a year, now you know why there are so many bikes here...

[@andrewcoates6641]

Several years ago I went on a holiday trip to the fjord area of Sognefjord in Norway. When the coach that we were travelling on arrived at the ferry port and we met our tour guide she told all of the passengers to make sure that if we would be wanting to consume alcohol in the evenings at our hotel we should buy it from the duty free shop on the ferry, because of the sky high price of alcohol in all the government owned and operated shops throughout the country. She went on to say that just a year before the staff in all of these government owned shops, had walked out on strike over their pay and conditions and that within hours of the strike starting there were no home brewing kits to be had anywhere in any of the major towns and cities because of people who would normally buy one or two bottles of wine or spirits a month were going out and stripping the shelves of wine making kits and equipment, in less than a week the shops were experiencing shortages of grains that could be used to make home brewed beer and all kinds of sugars were soaring in price. Next all types of vegetables were vanishing from the grocery stores to be turned into moonshine and everyone who lived near to a ferry crossing to non-Scandinavian countries were going on trips to stock up on their brewing supplies. This strike was over in two or three weeks, and the Norwegians started going back to the usual shops to buy their drinks but because several people had cultivated a taste for their homemade drinks and were still making and drinking them it was nearly a year before they returned to normal purchasing habits and they very nearly had riots in the streets when the government raised the tax rate to try to make the books balance and the government had to return the taxes to pre strike levels or face being ejected from their positions in a general strike. So because the price of hard imported alcohol was still prohibitory high the hotels had started advising their customers to bring their own bottles into the hotel bars and let them keep their drinks labelled with their names on the back shelf and settle for just selling the beer from the local brewery that was only available in small bottles and was what was known as drivers beer, which was deliberately brewed to a very weak recipe , so weak that you could drink until you were full to bursting without being too drunk to drive.

[@zoltanreisz2228]

The food price is roughly half of US prices if the quality is the same. However, Scandinavian people are maximalists, they usually buy really expensive and excellent food. If you are poor and not demanding, you can buy cheap.

[@VinnesRC]

That statement is so wrong it has to be a joke. It's not like we have article after article about the crazy food prices, and more and more people choosing the cheapest available.

[@martinhuhn7813]

"Scandinavia" is typically refering to the "Scandinavian peninsula". Norway, Sweden and Denmark are usually considered to be part of it (which is a bit strange because Denmark is not located on that peninsula). Finland is usually considered to be "nordic" but not "scandianvian, because, for the most part, it is on the other side of the baltic sea. (But again, no matter how you draw the borders of the peninsula, either parts of Norway and Sweden are not on it, or parts of Finland are). As you see, the definitions are not 100% consistent.

[@BenjaminVestergaard]

Yeah, Denmark wouldn't technically be Scandinavia if we weren't that close and didn't share old norse language origin. Finland is much closer to being on the peninsula, but their language is quite different... Bottom line, I prefer to call all of us the Nordics, and still consider the Baltic states as close cousins.

[@veronicajensen7690]

the term Scandinavia is due to a pan Scandinavian group who wanted a more unified area due to shared language and history, the name comes from Scania the most southern part of Sweden across from Denmark (now Skåne) Scania is where the Danes first settled thousands of years ago before spreading to modern day Denmark , and it was part of Denmark until lost in a war with Sweden 350 years ago, in that area they still have a flag witch is a mix of the Danish and Swedish flag, the Scandianvians share history and culture such as being Vikings and once were a union under 1 Crown (the Danish Crown) and they speak very similar languages within a branch of Germanic languages , in Finland they are not Germanic , they are Finno-Ugric people who speak a Uralic language it's in the same family as Hungarian and Estonian not close to Scandinavian language at all , that said the history of Finland is also mixed with Sweden as they were once part of Sweden, they were also once part of Russia, and they ended up being tired of being part of other countries, Iceland and Faroe Island was settled by Norwegian Vikings and they brought Scottish women , so they are a mix of Celtic and Scandinavian and they speak a language close to Old Norse , anyway this is why only Denmark , Norway and Sweden is Scandinavia and it's not weird for us , if people find it difficult to understand just use the term "Nordic" that way you include Finland, Iceland, Faroe Island, Åland (part of Finland) and Greenland to the mix

[@BenjaminVestergaard]

@@veronicajensen7690 great explanation of the details... Scandinavia is more of a linguistic region today.

[@jettenielsen4951]

I like that you are aware that you need to expand your knowledge and takes steps to actually do so.

[@t-t192]

I really like how many different topics you look at on this channel. I don't know if you've seen "The star spangled banner as you've never heard it” but I would love to see your reaction to it! I'm guessing this isn't going to be seen so thanks to anyone who even sees this lol

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

Unless I'm mistaken, that "plywood table" was made of red marble.

[@-_James_-]

No. It's definitely OSB. 🤣

[@Jim-the-Engineer]

Not sure what it is, but it definitely doesn't look like plywood!

[@AltCutTV]

It's some sort of hardwood. Maybe birch or something similar.

[@MellonVegan]

4:00 Just saying that might be inaccurate. I'm too lazy to check yet another thing for 10 minutes but at least when it comes to Germany, this is usually about the maximum possible tax rate, which obviously tells you very little about the tax burdon on your average Joe. I hate that this is the standard way to talk about this bc it's extremely misleading. 4:25 Again, highly misleading bc detail is being left out. The first 10k you pay are taxed by 25% (which is actually just the sales tax, I believe). Then up to about 30k dollars, it's 85% on top. If the car is any more expensive than that, it's actually 150% of the rest in taxes. This is a car registration tax, so it is paid once per car. It does not apply to used cars. There are tax reductions for electric and hybrid vehicles, too. And leasing is also a thing. I also read that they're slowly phasing this in until 2035. Probably still a huge factor but not as huge as it initially sounds and possibly actually a damn good measure, depending on how the money is used. In Germany, people who drive (I don't) pay only a fraction of the cost they produce in tax, it's a token tax at best. If the Danes actually use this money to pay for the cost of car infrastructure, I'm be all for doing the same in Germany. Why make the rest of us pay for their luxuries? And in countries with good public transport, cars should be a luxury. Long term, at least. But I have no idea what the actual purpose is, so I guess I'm just rambling. 8:20 Wow, this guy has some really bad sources. Education level? So the fact that every US American gets a liberal arts degree and 100k in debt just to become a plumber is now a good thing? The fact that the only reaction to German pupils underperforming internationally in the early 2000s was to make the tests easier, so that more people graduate (I am not making this up, everyone knows this, we now have 50% of people getting their Abitur, a diploma that you originally only needed to go to uni and learn a science) instead of, I dunno, do anything about the quality of our education is now a good thing? Sorry but that graph says nothing. Edit: HE DIDN'T EVEN TITLE THE GRAPH?! Terrible video, whoever recommended it. The data is so misleading that I have no trouble poking holes in it and as someone from a well different field, I don't think I should be able to if the video were well researched.

[@mantailuaa]

My thoughts exactly! Very poorly researched information in the video, maybe made in purpose by exaggerating the measured things.

[@oscarhagman8247]

seeing an American react to 150% tax on cars was hilarious 😂

[@rogerk6180]

Those income taxes are maximum rates on the highest incomes. Most people have lower rates of income tax..

[@Padam91]

Scandinavian and Nordic countries may be expensive when it comes to cars and alcohol, but when it comes to necessities it's a different story (except maybe for food although it's not so different from other European countries here). I live in Helsinki, Finland and my monthly bill for electricity is 12 euros, phone bill 25 euros (including unlimited 5G internet), health care 0 euros, home and travel insurance 24 euros, water 30 euros, rent 890 euros for a 45 sqm renovated apartment by the city center, Master Degree 0 euros. When I see what Americans pay for these things my mind is blown. You may not get rich in this country but you have what you need for a good life.

[@rogerk6180]

The happiest countries in the world and have some of the lowest crime rates are the ones that have higher taxes... Something to think about.

[@hellmalm]

Yes, Denmark and Sweden have the highest taxes in the world for private citizens. Norway's taxes are lower (still high) because our their immense oil wealth. The car tax is specific to Danmark, Sweden only has standard VAT and Norway has not even VAT on electric cars. One problem with very high taxes on labor is that very few low-income/low-skill jobs are produced. This mean most/a large part on of the migrant population is unemployed (unemployment rate in Sweden is 8% and about 90% of them have a migrant background) and lives on welfare, this in tern means that they often do not get integrated into society. This is most evident in Sweden with a much larger migrant population. This is one of the reasons there's a crime wave in Sweden. But of course it's also because of the high numbers and the cultural differences. This is why Denmark and Sweden shifted hard in migration policys as of late. This is just one of the reasons a system like the Scandinavian's have would not work in a place like the US.

[@LegoLazze]

CNBC is wrong about one thing here. The Swedish state monopoly on alcohol (called Systembolaget) does NOT "keep the prices up", in fact, I can go get myself a bottle of Rioja wine at Systembolaget for a couple bucks less than in the region of Rioja, Spain, where the wine is produced, a country without a state monopoly and much much lower taxes on alcohol. How do I know? I got family in both countries and can compare the prices myself on frequent occasion. The reason to this? Well, a state monopoly brings the goods to the entire countrys population, and for that reason they buy WAY larger quantities than most which leads to a LOWER purchase price for the monopoly. The reason people think alcohol is expensive in Sweden is probably the prices in bars and restaurants, businesses that from the start even when they don't serve alcohol are paying extreme taxes and fees to be allowed to run their businesses at all, and on top also gets additional taxes on alcohol. And Systembolaget aside, you are not allowed to sell just alcohol in Sweden either, if you sell alcohol in a bar or restaurant you have to also serve a certain number of cooked meals for most of the day until 10pm I believe, meaning you have to have staff that can cook and serve drinks at the same time leading to additional costs for staff and expensive equipment. It's very hard to be successful running restaurants and bars in Sweden because of the small margins, most newly opened places go bankrupt within the first three years.

[@TheGrandWaz00]

Agreed. The CNBC comment was extremely free market biased, and not really understanding the macro economic reality. Should the Systembolaget (or Alko here in Finland) monopoly be dismanteled, the impact to the consumer would be reduced assortment and quality along with higher prices due to retailers swarming the market trying to take their slice of the pie and thus diluting the purchasing power of the single buyer.

[@kriss1_]

A bottle of Rioja wine in Spain is as low as 1-2 € in a supermarket. You're not getting that at systembolaget.

[@LegoLazze]

@@kriss1_ you can get a random bottle of garbage Rioja that isn't the same for that price, sure, but the exact same bottle of wine from the same producer? Hell no, not a chance man, not in the last 20 years, that's a fact.

[@kriss1_]

@@LegoLazze changing the goalpost I see.

[@LegoLazze]

@@kriss1_ Nope I'm not. How the fuck do you come to the conclusion that you could compare the price of two DIFFERENT wines, the fact they come from the same region does not mean they all cost the same. It should be self explanatory that you have to compare the same bottles from the two different places. Either you are just trolling or you are seriously stupid, sir

[@Tharkz]

The car tax was reduced some years back. Before then it was 180% in denmark.

[@Thedane2023]

at 0:30 OMG - what is Scandinavia - but your are on the right track, ir is a region in Northern Europe consistiing of Norway, Finland, Sweden (and dont forget little) Denmark (the faroe islands and iceland can allso fit in).

[@double0028]

No you are thinking of the nordics. Scandinavia is only sweden, norway and denmark

[@leonelbustosb]

How is he is the right track when he called a continent (Oceania) a region….imagine this dude is a over average educated american

[@mattbentley9270]

Here in the UK I can walk to my local petrol station and buy alcohol 24 hours a day, Scandanavia and Iceland have just one shop in the town where u can buy and when I was in Iceland ut shut at 5pm everyday if you want to drink at home, restaurants and bars obviusly sell but no supermarkets can sell you a bottle of wine

[@asalindstrom6845]

I used to think I wanted Sweden to not have the monopoly, but the older I get I really appreciate the fact that all the employees at out liquor stores get like a basic sommelier training so I can always get great recommendations from them for wine to match the food I’m planning to cook. We just have to plan ahead a little bit more with the opening hours being 10-19 weekdays and 10-15 Saturdays but that’s just something we learn to live with 😊

[@VaskintonCGS]

Awesome video as always! I would say that table is made of curly birch and that stuff is very expensive!

[@kvikende]

What you said about government efficiency is actually one of the benefits of high taxes. It means that the government are able to invest in better and more efficient services. Of course there are things that can be improved, but this high gov. investment rate means online, digitized services, many are automated etc. For instance, our tax returns are mostly filled out automatically as the gov. already knows most of the information. What you need to do is to double check it is correct (it can get things wrong) and add info that they can't get automatically (which most people dont need to do).

[@monsterous7116]

Man..when he is saying for the level of education he doesnt mean how educated people are..he speaks for the level of university education...Everyone knows that in US there are top tier institutions.. Citizens though are still amongst the less educated worldwide..

[@Outside85]

Reason why the high prices 'work' is because we generally have higher wagers to make up for it that tend to follow the long term inflation rates, so as prices rise so do the wagers... which is something that might blow the minds of the US that hasn't raised the minimum wage for like 15-20 years now because the state has to do that.

[@conallmclaughlin4545]

Dosent know what VAT is while looking at... But not bothering to read the description of what it is....

[@ForAtanDaOss]

Cars are expensive in Denmark, but public transport is good, especially in the bigger cities (not so good in the countryside and in the outer districts). Another reason why cars are so expensive is that they are a major source of pollution, and successive governments try to limit this, e.g. air pollution, noise, smog etc. Danes pay a high income tax, but in return you will not be in deep debt if you get sick or take an education. Work-life-balance is in focus, social security for all etc. Yes, it is expensive to live in the Scandinavian countries, but there is great satisfaction in general in the populations and you do not see the extreme poverty in these countries, as in many others (US included). Less poverty, less crime. You can safely send your children to school without having to worry about shootings etc.

[@thorbennielsen3845]

It used to be about 175% for larger cars here in Denmark. Sales tax is 25%

[@amadeuz819]

Vehicle prices : USA 103.89 and Denmark 155.59 so its not 80k for a car that costs 30k in USA. Its closer to 45k if I understood the index correctly. World average was set to 100. Dunno then if they just take more profit when selling to you while they take less profit when selling one in Denmark.

[@dianabialaskahansen2972]

Redistribution is also a part of the tax system. Many people get money from the government, usually as subsidies. This is how childcare is cheap, because the government will cover some (or all) of it, based on income. Also there may be subsidies given to housing, also based on income. And tax reductions, such as you being able to subtract paid interest from taxes, transportation money if you live a distance away from your job, and Denmark also had deductions if you hired professionals to make your home better for the environment.

[@timglennon6814]

VAT is short for Value Added Tax. It’s a tax that is added into the price of goods, weather its food, electrical goods or on anything else that you buy. Example. If something in the U.K. was priced at £10.99pence that is the price you pay because the VAT has already been added. You Americans add your tax on top of the price that is shown.

[@-_James_-]

Food doesn't have VAT in the UK.

[@julieparubets8653]

Finland is a nordic country but not a scandic one.

[@fuuzzzyy]

VAT is a tax thats added on top of the product you are buying. In US you have price shown + the added tax ( depends on state ). EU has the "added tax" inside the price you see in the store.

[@brahmhenkins8732]

Value Added Tax (VAT) is the more modern version of General Sales Tax (GST). The price of the item you buy already includes the tax, so you don't need to constantly make calculations in your head before you go to the checkout counter.

[@fgpsychology]

Ryan, about the Adult Educational Level in Scandinavia and the Nordic countries, the prevalence of technical careers often leads to a lower percentage of the population with college degrees. While many in other countries pursue higher education, many Scandinavians find that technical training offers well-paying and fulfilling opportunities

[@nondesperado]

In Denmark we also pay the 25% VAT on top of the 85-150% car tax. Earlier the car tax was 180% plus VAT, so you basically bought one car and paid for three. EVs have 60% car tax past a certain price, so the cheaper EVs don’t have car tax in reality. Hence the popularity of EVs.

[@asalindstrom6845]

I know it’s not representative of the whole US, but the times I have visited southern California in the last decade, I found that our prices in Sweden for clothes, groceries and eating out is not more expensive than over there. It may look cheaper on the menu, but when it’s all added up with tax and tip…. 🙈 I remember Ryan watching a video on Stockholm a long time ago and he kept stopping the video ever 20 seconds to scream out how beautiful it was 😍🤩 Now he did it again in the beginning over pictures from Copenhagen other places 😂 The architecture and cleanliness must really speak to him.

[@pipkin5287]

Denmark is actually among the most start-up friendly places. I believe there was a Forbes article on it a year or two ago

[@Dukenukem]

VAT is basically cut that the goverment takes from the last person in the value chain of product. It is on everything you buy except very specific goods that are ment to be "promoted" like books, or country may have "reduced VAT rate", usually food. All common people pay the VAT in the final price throught the business (indirect VAT payment), on your receipt is clearly stated how much the goods cost "without VAT" and how much the VAT is, that goes directly to the state. (Revenue tax is then counted from the rest, they are not the same tax in any way). If you own a business you can volunteer to be direct VAT payer or if you make enough you are mandated to be one. Direct VAT payer can buy stuff for their business "without the VAT" (as it is expected that he will "add value" and the VAT counted from his goods/services will be bigger than from the material he bought. Yes, the system can be abused and it is abused, but when caught the fines are high and jailtime as well.

[@jonasfermefors]

One thing that unites all the happiest countries in the world is that the income gaps are among the lowest in the world, so the difference between the lowest wages and top wages within a company are typically much lower than in the US. I would estimate that at my company the cleaner makes about a tenth of the CEO before tax but after taxes that difference is much smaller.

[@nabuli_9337]

This commentary section is now property of our fellow scandinavian neighbours.

[@ferchrissakes]

One thing about the high car tax in Denmark: Denmark does not make any cars, so every car is an import, so money paid for them leave the country. The high tax helps offset and regulate this. And as a Danish politician said once (a long time ago, when politicians were a little more matter-of-fact) “people are still buying cars anyway, so why change it?” Maximizing profit and figuring out what the market will bear is basically as capitalist as it gets, ironically. Now, again, if Denmark had its own car companies, you might want to to support all those jobs and that industry by lowering the tax to stimulate sales. But there are no car companies, so it’d just be a pure trade imbalance. And saying “but I want to buy a flashy car for less!” isn’t an economic policy. The way it works, people can still afford cars anyway and the state gets a good chunk of change that helps maintain the infrastructure those cars drive on, and there are good public transport alternatives on top of that.

[@vrenak]

for VAT, think sales tax, it's basically the same, the structure is a bit different, but for the consumer the difference is irrelevant (just keep in mind all prices you see in not just Scandinavia but all of Europe is including all taxes, so you don't look at the sign and then add 25%, the price is with the 25% included.) Denmark doesn't have an alcohol monopoly, it can be bought everywhere basically, the car taxes in Denmark is between 85 and 150%, But the high taxes also means car manufacturers sells their cars cheaper to Denmark, so a car you can buy for 10k in the US before taxes, they will sell for maybe 6k in Denmark before taxes.

[@lipgloss202]

American sees an exclusive, expensive arctic birch table and think it is plywood. lol

[@FlorianAltenwegner]

Hi Ryan, taxation and happiness can work together. The people love to take an All-Inclusive vacation in some resorts... 7 days of no additional costs... They paid anything in advance and forget it during their stay. So, high income taxes are hurting only once a month and the rest is just spending money for goods you can touch.

[@thedanishvikingpilgrim5753]

VAT is like the American tax added when you pay. The only difference is that in the US the shelf Price you see if not including it. Here the shelf Price for goods is shown including it. So when we check out we already know what the Price is.

[@bjørnjacobsengaming]

We do not have state-run alcohol stores in Denmark, we can buy alcohol everywhere in Denmark and therefore our alcohol is also cheaper than in Sweden and Norway, so Swedes and Norwegians often come to Denmark to buy cheap alcohol. So to say that the model with state-run alcohol stores is common in Scandinavia is bullshit.

[@WhadifuzAlottanois]

🤣🤣

[@mcinen67]

Or we from Sweden goes also to Germany to buy alcohol. Its cheaper than Denmark. 😅

[@bjørnjacobsengaming]

@@mcinen67 True, we do that ourselves.

[@frankkrunk]

That's not why alcohol is cheaper in Denmark. It's because you have lower taxes on alcohol. It wouldn't matter if Sweden sold crates of vodka at IKEA, the tax is still the same.

[@bjørnjacobsengaming]

@@frankkrunk It's not true, you can only buy real alcohol in Sweden in the system company, and it's state-run, that's why it's expensive. It is not because taxation is much lower. Alcohol has always been wildly expensive in Sweden for that reason, 50 years ago and until 15 years ago taxation was high in Denmark and despite that there was almost an exodus from Sweden to buy cheap alcohol in Denmark, especially gold beer from Tuborg, end of discussion.

[@jgfiseth3332]

Was a trip to Florida back in 2016. Even as a Norwegian, I found it quite expensive...

[@magnusemilsson7205]

Well; they got it wrong regarding VAT and taxes in the video for companies. Everyone pays 25% VAT (can differ depending on what it is, we got three level 6, 12, 25), the companies pays this to. BUT if you have a company you will get all VAT you paid back from the state. In the end it will be like a sale tax that only effect the end user of the product/service. Here in Swedan we call it MOMS. VAT (Moms) make up approximately 30 percent of total tax revenue for the state. Coperate tax is paid only on the profit and is lower than in US but higher than in Netherland, and as I wrote; VAT for Cleaning, Electricity, Rent e.t.c will the companies get back. One of IKEA's legal structure was set up in the Netherlands for two reasons: The Netherlands allows for a legal structure which creates the possibility to avoid hostile takeover or trouble because a large shareholder wants to get rid of the shares. And as he said non profit organisation..... incom

[@GummieI]

CGP Grey has a video titled ""Where is Scandinavia?" that explains well what is Scandinavia, what is the Nordic countries and a few more related words

[@evasaari838]

In Finland the wat for most of things is 25,5% since beginning of September.

[@Onionbaron]

I am happy to pay high taxes to things that benefit our people. (Sweden) I would never pay taxes that goes to the military and the corporation bosses supplying the army or the companies combing the countries of the world's resources by bypassing democracy with economic threats, coups and invasional war just for the profit of some greedy billionaires and their political cronies! And the same billionaires use the profit to buy political power, that is a cancerous system!!!

[@dalibork]

VAT - When something says it costs 1000 bucks, but plus VAT it costs 1100. Taxes.