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Comment by marme | Hacker News Reader

taxes on 100m are not 10m more like 45m as the top tax rate in germany is 45%. The 100m a year is gross revenue also not net profit so he is probably pulling in a lot less after operating costs. People just get greedy and dont want to pay their taxes

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Just one note: 45% is the top marginal tax rate. No one is actually taxed such that they lose 45% of their income through personal income taxes. The effective (average) tax rate will be much, much less.

EDIT: not to mention lower taxes due to deductions, capital gains, legal tax shelters.

At 100 million, it'll be closer to 45% than any other bracket.

Taxes on that would probably be about 44,850,000.

Do you pay taxes after the whole income or just (income -expenses)?

It depends, corporations pay on just profits, so income - expenses. The original poster was talking as if the 100m was pure profit, though. Also, I'm not German, but this is how the tax system works in Greece, the UK and many other countries.

At 100m you will have a good tax advisor who sets up a network of companies and foundations across Europe and gets your tax rate down to less than half of that rate. If not, get a different tax guy.

Do not wanting to pay 45m out of 100m (or even less) is not a greed, it is a common sense.

Actually not paying your taxes however is illegal, no matter your motivation.

Tax evasion is illegal.

Tax planning, even if it involves a double Irish with a Dutch sandwich, is not.

Sometimes the actual amount you pay is essentially zero.

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