Thursday, January 10, 2008

Correction on My Other Post "My Worth"

Oh dear...I've just had a talk with my hubby and it seems there's been a HUGE misunderstanding on my part. Remember a post entitled My "Worth"? Well, turns out that the form has NOTHING to do with my basic salary. So for some weird reasons, they calculate how much I can probably earn per year and then they decide how much taxes I should pay if I get a job here.

So basically speaking, if I get a job here, I should take a part of that form to my employer to show him/her how much they should deduct from my salary. So of all the things they write down on the pages, what counts is just the percentage of taxes I should pay if I ever get a job here.

This is really, absolutely strange for me. *scratching my head* To be honest, I'm still blind about Finnish system. I guess I'll just see how it goes then.

P.S. If you wonder why hubby didn't explain it fully beforehand, it's one of those typical Finnish behavior. Finns don't really elaborate on their answers unless we ask them in detail. My Brit friend confirms this, too. That was why I got it all mixed up the first time around. The first time I asked him what the form was for, he said, "Well, you'll have to bring this to your employer if you get a job here." So I ASSUMED that it meant that I had shown him the basic salary for me. Oh well...

10 comments:

  1. Is the Finnish tax system "progressive"? That is the more money you make THE BIGGER THE PERCENTAGE IS TAKEN OUT .

    You might have heard of the BEatles and George Harrison's song "Taxman". What he said was literally TRUE! "Here's one for you 19 for me."
    Therefore, when the Beatles made well over $1,000,000, for every $1,000,000 they made British gov't took $800,000 and the Beatles KEPT $200,000.

    Over in America it's not as bad, if your poor you don't pay taxes. AFter about $10 or 12,000 (sorry folks, I'm guessing and don't have the IRS code in front of me) you have to pay about 15%. If you make over $100,000 it's a bigger percentage.

    At any rate, you probably experienced the "more money I make, the more I get taxed dilemma". Finns are a little like Germans or Wisconsin Farmers where the less said the better. I would like a little less reticence in my life, that's why I moved to CHicago.

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  2. i thought so
    you are worth at least a buh-jillion dollars!

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  3. Oh, now this is really making me confused... he he... Like you said, just see how it'll go. Maybe after you secure a job over there, then you can explain to us. ;D

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  4. Well, not just Finnish men, I think most men are like that. My dad's like that too. My older brother's pretty much like him while my younger brother's more chatty. Getting CH to elaborate is like forcing him to eat mud. I guess most of them are the same!

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  5. Jul: OK, I'll do it later! :-D

    Vince: Yeah, it's progressive. So if I pass a certain amount per month, the tax is WAY bigger than that. But Finnish taxes and cost of living are nowhere near as high as the Germans. I've got a friend living in Germany and we've both compared the income taxes and the cost of living and in Germany it's SO high!!!

    Jay: HA HA HA HA HA...THANKS SO MUCH for your faith in me. ;-D

    Choc Mint Girl: Yeah, I guess I'll tell you later about it when it happens he he he...

    Blur Ting: Ahhh...really? That's INTERESTING. :-))))

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  6. Btw, CH corrected me. He said it's typical 'Finn" and not "Finnish"...oh well.

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  7. Blur Ting: HE HE HE HE...no worries! ;-D

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  8. I hate the Tax forms too Amel...THEY ARE VERY CONFUSING!!! Especially when there is no English version...LOL!!! They also work retrospectively..so the form you get is relevant to the previous year!

    This form you have is the one for any earnings you MIGHT get... mine is 13% up to a certain amount then 32% if I go over it without telling them first. Everyone goes to the tax office when they earn more than they expect..even if it is just a small amount...because they are concerned that they will get charged larger volumes like that 32%. There are levels in between..but only if you advise them!

    The tax office here do a really good job..(that is a good job in keeping you confused and scared to not keep informing them!!) LOL!!

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  9. MrsArcticRainbow: Indeed, esp. since it's all in English. GRRRRR!!!!!

    So your taxes rates are the same as mine, then.

    LOL!!! So the tax office LOVES making people confused, eh? HI HI HI HI...

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