I just pulled a round figure that someone working in tech either in US or EU would be expecting

http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/software-developer...

A lot of HN readers are from US and would be shocked at the tax rates here (on everything) and they further shocked as to how little we get to see for our tax money (no free healthcare etc)

It's very difficult to compare like for like though. For example, US property taxes are a completely different animal than Irish ones and by and large they are massively higher. Healthcare costs are not free in Ireland but they are significantly lower than in the US. And if anything really bad happens to you or your children in Ireland you are financially far more secure.

The US always appears to have a much lower tax rate but once you compare similar lifestyles things are not as different as you might imagine.

I agree there are so many variables to consider when comparing and the US itself has a wide range of living costs and salaries across the 50 states.

BUT here in Ireland the government has made it an artform in introducing indirect hidden taxes which on a quick glance one might miss and quickly add up. for example: Americans would be shocked not only at our petrol prices but the total cost of running a car (and no the public transport is not great) for example and property taxes have come in and are widely expected to rise year on year and will probably be at US levels in 10 years.

I have been to the US many of times and traveled across almost all the states so it is not just case of "grass is greener on other side"

I just had a look at the numbers, UK vs IE you're about 10% worse off in Ireland in terms of take home pay. Then as you say, you need to pay another X grand on health insurance. That's a pretty raw deal.

What a crappy system, to simultaneously make it great for corporations and bad for workers.

There have to be some other major upsides that I'm not understanding. It's a pretty country, that's something :)