Americans Complain About Their High Taxes But These 27 Countries Are The Highest In The World

Most Americans complain about their taxes. So much so, that it has become the unofficial national past time especially with tourists in Florida.

I once witnessed a fist fight break out between two meat heads over the subject. A guy from New York was upset with a guy from New Jersey claiming that he pays higher taxes. Next thing you know, it became “Fists of Fury” between two morbidly obese guys. 

Americans who complain about high taxes are usually blue-collar types who religiously watch the talking boobs on Fox News. Fox News bombards their faithful with daily propaganda of how Americans pay the highest tax rates in the world. In actuality, we pay the lowest levels in the world.

Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch knows this is not true. He renounced his Australian citizenship and became an American citizen in 1985 in part to pay lower corporate taxes. He also wanted own TV stations in the U. S.

IRS data from the 2015 tax year shows a total of $1.454 trillion in income tax owed. This translates to an average effective federal income tax rate of about 13.5% per return. 

A quick calculation shows that the average taxpayer owed $9,655 in income tax. Since the average taxpayer’s gross income was $71,258 for 2015, this translates to an effective federal income tax rate of 13.5%.

However, Americans pay nearly 26% on average after factoring in state/local, Social Security, and Medicare taxes. Yet, 26% is still one of the lowest rates in the world.

American corporations only pay on average 12.6% in federal taxes. The number jumps to between 35% and 39.4% after state and local taxes are assessed. 

Americans Complain About Their “High” Taxes But Pay The Lowest Tax Rate In The World

Americans complain about their taxes. Yet, compared these countries the U.S. taxpayers are getting a deal.

These 27 nations have the highest tax rates in the world. However, citizens of several of these countries have a higher standard of living than their American counterparts. All of these countries also have some type of universal health care. Several countries such as Japan and those in Europe also don’t have issues with crumbling infrastructure or crumbling schools.

27. Japan 51.8%

26. Mexico 51.8%

25. Ivory Coast 51.9%

24. Austria 52%

23. Ukraine 52.9%

22. Sri Lanka 55.6%

21. Belgium 57.8%

20. Costa Rica 58%

19. Spain 58.2%

18. India 61.7%

17. Tunisia 62.4%

16. Benin 63.3%

15. Gambia 63.3%

14. Chad 63.5%

13. China 64.6%

12. Italy 65.4%

11. Venezuela 65.5%

10. Nicaragua 65.8%

9. France 66.6%

8. Guinea 68.3%

7. Brazil 69%

6. Mauritania: 71.3%

5. Algeria: 72.7%

4. Colombia 75.4%

3. Tajikistan: 80.9%

2. Bolivia 83.7%

1. Argentina $137.3%