Brazilians have already paid R$116 billion in taxes

I can only hope that the Brazilians get more for their tax money than US citizens do.

Here is a current example of the absurd hilariousness of the US judicial system (paid for with taxes) and an obsolete US bureaucracy (paid for with taxes) duking it out for our money:

"The [US] Supreme Court has decided to hear an important property rights case involving raisin farmers who aren't allowed to keep and sell their own crop. Every year, their raisins are seized by a Depression-era bureaucratic organization called the Raisin Administrative Committee."

Raisin Administrative Committee??

I've been laughing all weekend at that one. You just can't make this schitz up. Not even if you try.

http://reason.com/blog/2015/01/17/watch … operty-rig

Actually, US citizens and Canadians have little to complain about because the greater portion of our tax dollars come back to us in the form of services. We have infrastructure that actually works, social programs for those in need, etc.

The Brazilian government even brags publicly in the media that almost none of the taxpayers' contributions are actually returned to them in the form of services. Not only do they pay among the highest rates of income tax on earth, every cent they spend is also taxed. There are no less than 6 different hidden taxes built into the price of every product or service they consume, including food.

The average grocery bill is no less than 22% taxes. Some items are taxed up to 85%.

If you purchase an imported product then you'll be paying on top of all the other built-in taxes a 60% import tax on the product.

Trust me, anyone who comes here from the USA and spends a year goes back home completely convinced that they live in the best country on earth, despite all the problems they perceived before. I agree fully with this assessment at least where it comes to taxation. You have no idea whatsoever of the true meaning of the term "tax burden", until you've been to Brazil - nobody does!

Cheers,
James            Expat-blog Experts Team

Not trying to start any kind of argument here, but if you see and believe that, why do you choose to stay in Brazil? Serious question.

I can only guess, it is because Brazil offers you things that Canada does not. And that these appealing things about Brazil outweigh the downside of crushing taxes that provide no material benefits to the people but are just outright government theft without reward.

I hate internet arguments. I'm asking an honest question. Why Brazil? You've been there a long time and could return to Canukland anytime you choose. But you do not choose to.

To be quite honest, if I had any choice in the matter I would not be here. Unfortunately due to medical problems that mean I can no longer fly or even expose myself to altitude I would have to return to Canada only by sea. That's way out of my league so I'm essentially stuck here whether I like it or not.

That said, I also have a Brazilian wife and you child who must also be considered in any such decisions.

Perhaps you should find out more about the political situation in this country... robbery is an extremely MILD word to describe what actually is happening here and has been for decades.

The only saving grace that I have in this is that I do not pay income taxes in Brazil since my income consists of a retirement pension that under the existing Tax Treaty is not taxed here unless I were to naturalize as a Brazilian citizen. However, all the other taxes (on consumption) there is no way to avoid.

Oh, and yes there are many things in this country to love.... despite all the things wrong with it.

That holds true for any nation, including Canada and the USA.

Fair enough I suppose.

If I had my druthers I would move to a country that has the most dreadful bureaucracy imaginable (worse than Brazil + Canada combined), a difficult climate, but a county in which the corruption is so very bad it is quite easy to pay your way out of any kind of adversity, a country where legacy and history and the arts run 1,000 years deep. I would take all those downsides just for the upsides. And because this government has such a long history of abuse, the people in general pay no attention to the laws or anything the government says, they just go right along ignoring all of it surviving on their own for the most part. But that country doesn't let foreigners in, so I'm not going there.

I have long since come to the conclusion - the more the government is concerned about your welfare and 'helping' you the worse off you are.