Just hypothetically….
Which option would you prefer?
(A) I give you 100 euros and then I take 40 euros away
or
(B) I don’t give you anything
Obviously A is better, right?
Otherwise you’re just saying: “I don’t want money!”
But people make choice B all the time 😬
I hear lots of people say this:
“Investing taxes are so high it’s not even worth bothering!”
I hear this from people in Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and many other places. . .
even countries where taxes aren’t all that high. . .
And I get it – no one wants to pay 20, 30 or 40 percent tax on their ETF profits – it’s frustrating.
But paying 40% tax on 1000 euros is a LOT better than paying 0% tax on 0 euros.
And investing is virtually always better than not investing, no matter where in Europe you live.
👉 It’s especially dangerous to compare your country with others.
Okay, sure, taxes may be lower in other European countries.
But here’s a couple of things to keep in mind.
First, comparison is the thief of joy.
Unless you’re planning to move, comparing with other countries is just a recipe for depression.
And second, taxes don’t exist in a vacuum.
I’ve been researching taxes in 30+ countries across Europe – and in most cases the countries with the lowest taxes have plenty of other drawbacks…
While many of the countries with higher taxes are the countries where people want to live – because life is very nice there.
👽 So don’t sabotage your own wealth.
Don’t pick option B and stay broke just because you’re frustrated about taxes.
Take action – save and invest – and you’ll be far better off in the future than anyone who’s stuck in “comparison mindset”.
Even if you have to pay some taxes along the way!
