Sir, – Brian O’Reilly (October 28th) would probably find that his personal tax liability would increase hugely if he moved from the US to almost anywhere else.
Interestingly, if I was a resident of Ireland last year, my take home pay would have been slightly higher than it was here in Australia (assuming the same income). On the other hand, it would have been lower if I lived in the UK.
In my opinion, these comparisons are more useful than Mr O’Reilly’s, as Australia, Ireland and the UK all have relatively similar healthcare, education and social welfare systems.
Those with low incomes are unquestionably better off almost anywhere in the developed world other than the US. In fact, even middle-class families would probably be better paying more tax rather than having to save upwards of $100,000 for each child’s college fees. – Yours, etc,
JACK NORTHWOOD,
Neerim Road,
Murrumbeena,
Victoria, Australia.