Day 46: Mo Money Mo Problems

Here is me with my first full paycheck since coming to Sweden, and congratulatory mousserande (fizzy)

 

• Tax over here is around 30% of the paycheck (boo!)

• But that is spent quite well on public services and saves me money on, for example, commuting. (yay!)

• A fair amount of money comes out for national insurance, pension and other taxes (boo!)

• But this is paid by the employer through something called arbetsuppgift and doesn't change my actual paycheck amount! (yay!) 

 


Overall, pay is much better for the employee than in England but, I imagine, a greater hassle for the employer. When I am told a salary in England, I have to mentally deduct a good chunk which will inevitably be lost through tax, national insurance, student loan etc etc. Over here, the stated income amount is much closer to my actual income, which makes things like means testing a lot fairer in my view.