It's everyone's democratic (and undemocratic) right to complain about taxation (I do, too). Hell, it's been happening at least since Robin Hood was 'alive', after those pesky Normans poked Harold in the eye at Hastings... and I think the Bible mentions such issues. However, services, defence of the realm, etc. have to be paid for somehow.
Even with the measures announced today, the UK total tax burden doesn't come anywhere near what it does in large parts of Europe, where people from the UK often visit and compliment those countries on various aspects of their society's services that seem superior to those in ol' Blighty. (I wonder why they are better!)
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AI Overview
When comparing the total tax burden across Europe, Scandinavian and Western European countries generally have higher tax rates than the UK. According to Eurostat data from 2024, the countries with the highest tax-to-GDP ratio were Denmark (45.8%), France (45.3%), and Belgium (45.1%). In contrast, the UK's tax burden was forecast to be lower at 37.7% of GDP by 2027–2028.
Tax burden can be measured in different ways, including overall tax-to-GDP ratios, top income tax rates, and the average tax burden on labor.
Overall tax-to-GDP ratio
The tax-to-GDP ratio provides the broadest picture of a country's tax burden, showing total tax revenue as a percentage of its gross domestic product.
Top EU countries by tax-to-GDP ratio in 2024:
- Denmark: 45.8%
- France: 45.3%
- Belgium: 45.1%
- Austria: 43.8%
- Sweden: 42.5%
In comparison, the UK's tax-to-GDP ratio was 35.3% in 2023, and while it is expected to rise, it will likely remain below the levels seen in many of these nations. The main reason for the difference is that many Western European countries raise significantly more revenue from social security contributions than the UK."