Im sorry for venting, but as an Expat, Im feeling financially pressured in Denmark.
I have accepted a job offer Denmark and I have just realized that I may not save as much money as I though I would. I have a pay limit visa, meaning that its supposed that I would be making a decent salary, but...
47% A-tax on my incone
50% tax on my pension scheme
8% tax of labor market
20% of salary goes to my landlord , rent for expats are more expensive
25% of vat for every product that I acquire
As far as I have been realizing, the "lonely" tax here is very high as well.
I dont study, dont use the public healthcare, dont have kids, dont use public transportation and I wont retire here. Im basically a very lucrative person to the Danish Treasure.
How does a person saves money in Denmark ? Is this the reality of expats, singles and middle class?
Dont get me wrong. This is a dream of a country, but for someone who is not a citzen and intend to go back home one day, life is a little bit difficult...
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The original was posted on /r/denmark by /u/SadBoy-86 at 2024-03-24 16:37:47+00:00.
SadBoy-86 (OP) at 2024-03-24 17:28:34+00:00 ID:
kwd5s6fFair enough. This is the sort of adaptation and change if mindset that I have to pass through it. To think in the collective and not on myself. Im used to a more individualistic society.
memamimohaha at 2024-03-24 18:25:20+00:00 ID:
kwdfhgvThe rest of us have just given up. You have to accept that you’re the milk cow for large parts of society that do not cover their own costs - students, unemployed, families with children, those using the health care system a lot, the elderly etc.
As a single, full time worker without kids you’d live a financially very comfortable life in most parts of the world. Not in Denmark though, and as you can see from the responses most people are oddly proud of it.
imSpejderMan at 2024-03-24 19:58:23+00:00 ID:
kwdv3agGranted I’m only in my mid twenties, but I don’t wish to have any kids. I’m living a very comfortable life on my own. My parents had next to nothing while I was growing up, yet I was still able to enjoy summer vacations, school, after school activities and such for free (or at least at a heavily discounted rate). I wouldn’t have been able to do so in many other countries. I happily pay my tax. Some kid out there with less fortunate parents is making great use of it. Quit complaining we should take care of each other instead of leaving everything up to a dice roll of whether you have wealthy parents or not. Are you against that mentality then Denmark just probably isn’t for you 🤷🏼♂️
Green-Chemistry at 2024-03-24 18:46:12+00:00 ID:
kwdizzaOh fuck off with that bullshit. You can live a perfectly good and comfortable life as a childless single in Denmark.
memamimohaha at 2024-03-24 18:58:14+00:00 ID:
kwdl0x6Of course, but obviously significantly less well-off and financially comfortable than in most other countries where income taxes are much lower.
It is not a political opinion just a fact. Things change when you start using the public services, for instance when you have kids (hence the significant interest from Londoners/UK in moving to Denmark due to lower child care costs) or as a student.
unginvester at 2024-03-24 19:06:27+00:00 ID:
kwdme5dLol we need children so some ppl can Pay for when u get old. Getting children isnt a profit game for a family where a single person get to save all the expens on children. I have My own apartment 15 min from copenhagen. Have a car. And dont really need anything. With an average income. Do u expect working 25 hours a week and weekly vacation as single?
Rosbj at 2024-03-24 20:10:18+00:00 ID:
kwdx37xDamn right - and one does not need to travel very far from here, to see your mentality thriving and the surrounding society crumbling.
memamimohaha at 2024-03-24 20:48:07+00:00 ID:
kwe3el3Oh yeah, the rest of the world is crumbling. Right.
Sometimes r/Denmark is the Danish equivalent of USA! USA! USA! Narrow minded at best, but often just ignorant and nationalist.
Rosbj at 2024-03-24 21:37:26+00:00 ID:
kwebkuzAnd your purposeful misreading is as Ayn Rand as it comes.
memamimohaha at 2024-03-24 21:44:20+00:00 ID:
kwecpriWhat? You literally write that. Otherwise please be specific, which countries in Europe (“does not need to travel very far…”) are you thinking about?
StalinsLeftTesticle_ at 2024-03-24 20:50:59+00:00 ID:
kwe3vllMate have you considered that the vast, vast majority of "single full time workers" have been or will be a member of one of those groups you mentioned at some point in their lives? You might be a single full time workers now, but you were probably a student at some point, you will probably be unemployed at some point, you will most likely have a family at some point, and you will (hopefully) become elderly one day as well. We maintain a good social safety net not just for "the others", but for ourselves, as well. I pay my taxes happily because I know that any day, I could stand in the situation as well where I need it, even though I pay topskat and (luckily) don't need to use the social safety net all that often (except for the occasional visit to the doctor).
memamimohaha at 2024-03-24 20:52:56+00:00 ID:
kwe47cxYes, you are totally right. For most Danes it may work, for expats not so much because they will not be here for studies, kids, retirement.
StalinsLeftTesticle_ at 2024-03-24 20:54:11+00:00 ID:
kwe4em1You never know. I used to be an "expat" (fuck I hate that word) as well, now I'm a regular ass Danish citizen. It wasn't the plan, but life throws you curveballs.
memamimohaha at 2024-03-24 21:04:41+00:00 ID:
kwe65a0What is wrong with ‘expat’? Is it the ‘just an immigrant’ yada yada? I think it’s a useful and meaningful differentiation.
Welcome as a Dane though! Hope you succeed in befriending at least some of us:)
haxfar at 2024-03-25 12:53:09+00:00 ID:
kwh98i5Iirc the difference between expat and immigrant, is that immigrant intend to stay in the country permanently, whereas the expat intend to at some point, return to their country.