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Comment by cpursley | Hacker News Reader

Had a similar experience in the country everyone hates right now including the CT scan (US made machine). If they can do it with a 13% flat tax, where the actual hell is our tax money going?

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If you are talking about Russia, the taxes are so hidden, paid by the corporations, and Gov is taking oil money https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Russia, compare to Kuwait where people getting pensions from exporting oil. Not saying Russia is better or worse, just different ways of grabbing money from common folks, and making them feel better. It was always such a common thing, when Russians go to Europe on vacation - and find how clean and nice everything else is - they say "well we pay 13% of taxes, not 50%", which makes every Russian feel so much better.

Hidden? There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Btw, the US produces more energy than Russia as a percentage of its economy. And some of those Arab oil monarchs have zero income tax.

Mostly to social security (21%), net interest (14%), and healthcare / insurance (27% combined):

https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/feder...

Said country has 23% going to pensions, so about the same. Yet still has free basic healthcare and higher education (if you test in).

> in the country everyone hates right now

You’re going to have to narrow this down quite a bit.

what's the country everyone hates right now?

I asked google 'what country has a flat tax of 13%' and it said bolivia and russia. Guessing they meant russia.

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