Well, the 21% sales tax is for 'luxury goods'; it's 6% for basic goods. Still, a lot of taxes to be paying indeed when you're already taxed around 55% on wage. Most people here have a net wage (after taxes) of around 1500 - 2000 euros per month. And free healthcare is included.
The thing is, the free healthcare doesn't cost the government that much, must is spent on pensions of government workers. Belgium is one bureaucratic mess with god knows how many governments, meaning there's a lot of government workers.
Well, the 21% sales tax is for 'luxury goods'; it's 6% for basic goods. Still, a lot of taxes to be paying indeed when you're already taxed around 55% on wage. Most people here have a net wage (after taxes) of around 1500 - 2000 euros per month. And free healthcare is included.
The thing is, the free healthcare doesn't cost the government that much, must is spent on pensions of government workers. Belgium is one bureaucratic mess with god knows how many governments, meaning there's a lot of government workers.