The personal income tax rate averaged 60.45% in Denmark from 1995-2018.
Those are some of the most expensive "free" hospitals and universities I've ever heard of.
Also, the tax is more complicated than simply throwing out 60.45%. It goes:
- From 0 - 50,000 you pay 0% tax - Everything above you first pay 8% work market tax, and then from the leftover you pay - the amount you earned above 50,000 - 498,900 is 37% - the amount you earn above 489,900 is taxed 52,2%
So you don't pay 60.45% of the full amount. Never. You pay progressively as you go up.
Monthly that'll go something like, deduct 5,000 form your paycheck, deduct 8% of the remaining amount, and then 38% of the remaining amount of that. Now, what you have left is the remaining amount + the 5,000 tax free. And of course a bit more of the amount if you go into the top tax bracket.