<p>scubasue, that graph looks logical, but this user comment on the article makes me wonder:</p>
<p>“Although your numbers be factual, your little comment at the end… ‘It is an incomplete picture’ could not be closer to the truth!! In Ontario where I reside, tack on health care premium issued on top of standard taxes, tack on provincial tax ( around 15% of income ) that most states don’t pay. Our property taxes are through the roof compared to the US because of high property values. Not to mention the standard 13% sales tax… I’m would be shocked it I saw that anywhere close in any state”</p>
<p>For the purposes of the healthcare argument though, we are only need to compare FEDERAL/NATIONAL taxes. So, state/local taxes don’t come into play. </p>
<p>(And, most states DO pay state income taxes. We only have a handful where that is not the case. Also, in some areas, our real estate AND personal property taxes are through the roof, too! )</p>
<p>“And, most states DO pay state income taxes. We only have a handful where that is not the case. Also, in some areas, our real estate AND personal property taxes are through the roof, too!”</p>
<p>That’s for sure, some of those additional taxes are crazy high. I can’t imagine the cost of living in CA or HI, just to name two.</p>
<p>The tax argument is always tricky. It is hard to generalize what people actually pay, with taxes coming at you from many different ways. I don’t know that Canadians only pay for the health care via a national tax system, if they have an additional health care premiums, plus do the provincial taxes go towards health care? I know the overall rate that I pay, and I wonder what it would be in Canada. But our taxes are so varied here, with our complicated system, I think it is hard to compare with generalizations.</p>
<p>One thing I take away from that chart is the claim that Americans are paying so little in taxes compared to other countries is bogus.</p>
<p>Simon Property Group built a new mall in our town last year and Canadian shoppers was one of the reasons. European shoppers on ski and shop vacations was one of the other reasons. BTW, we’re happy to have them in our town.</p>
<p>I did a little digging: the Federal VAT is 5%. Provinces add 8% to 10% to get VAT rates ranging from 13% to 15%. It looks like gasoline taxes are treated differently too.</p>
<p>BC…the fact that we pay less in ONE tax doesn’t have any bearing on the overall tax picture. And, your example doesn’t mean anything unless you are comparing gas TAXES (as opposed to gas prices). And, at least one of the articles you linked points out that Canadians are coming here to both SHOP (which has more to do with the price/selection than taxes) and buy gas.</p>
<p>And Americans cross the border the other way, to buy cheap prescription drugs in Canada, where they are sold at much lower prices than in the United States.</p>
<p>Bay, I agree with you. I don’t think anyone minds paying for healthcare expenses for those diseases and conditions that are just unavoidable. </p>
<p>But the nature and extent of what is going to be covered is going to be debated in the coming years. For instance, is Viagra going to be covered? Not a necessary medical expense in my mind. What about IVF? What about plastic surgery for scars? What about LASIK?</p>
<p>And who is going to be covered? We have illegal aliens in this state using expensive dialysis treatments. We have pregnancy tourists coming from China and Mexico to have American babies all paid for by US taxpayers. Obviously emergency treatment must be covered but after that? US taxpayers cannot pay for all the sick people who manage to make it to this country illegally.</p>
<p>And lastly there have to be consequences in some financial form for bad health that is brought on by bad habits. Smoking, drinking, overeating and drug abuse.</p>
<p>“Instead, I feel like Americans are getting fatter and lazier and making bad choices about their health at a time when we’ve never had more good information about how to live a healthy life.”</p>
<p>I agree but having the information out there does not seem to be doing much good, then when the government steps in to force change, like Bloomberg in NYC did with soda or the First Lady’s “campaign” to promote healthy foods, I hear screaming about “socialism” and the government trying to telling us what to do. </p>
<p>Perhaps we need to do what we did with cigarettes - tax the **** out of junk food.</p>
<p>How can we compare Canada’s taxes to the US until the US actually pays the taxes it needs to fund the programs we have. We have a huge deficit and no national health care they have no deficit and a national hc plan. Is the difference entirely from our comparative defense budgets?</p>
<p>If we fully paid our current costs would our taxes be just as high as Canada’s?</p>
<p>I didn’t even look at whether or not one federal tax is higher or lower - I don’t think that we have a federal sales tax in the US anyways. I just looked at a document and saw a problem with it and pointed it out.</p>
<p>I try very hard not to say that others said something when they didn’t though.</p>
<p>That is why I quote what others say. When I write something, I have in front of me exactly what they wrote and I can check that to make sure that what I am writing (if it applies) is getting what the other person said.</p>
<p>That’s why I wish that more people would quote what they are saying. So that they can be accurate.</p>
<p>My point is if we paid our entire bill we would be paying more. I bet we the reason is the cost of national defense plus the fact we pay a greater share of GDP for HC. If we paid the same % of GDP for HC that Canada pays it would go a long way to closing the deficit.</p>