Emigrants, thinking of coming home?

misstearheus

*gets popcorn*

Tony EH

Permabear wrote: »

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That VERY much depends on what state you find yourself in. It certainly isn't all the same, as I'm sure you are well aware. Also, there's plenty of "insularity, begrudgery, and passive acceptance of mediocrity" to around over in America too.

Absolutely, if one is willing to work, you can find work with relatively little problem. There is definitely work to go around and jobs are willing to wait for you to catch up, if you show interest.

On the job training in Ireland is a thing of the past. Companies over here expect you to hit the ground running. EVERY company, regardless of what they do. There are companies here whose job specs are simply laughable and they wonder why they can only get chancers to fill their roles.

Ireland's issue with labour is that we have never generated enough work for our citizens and our governments have a very laissez faire attitude toward that problem and now we have a situation whereby it's beholden on an employee to have a, frankly, ridiculous level of experience and "qualification" in order to secure even the most average position, simply because there is an appalling ratio in favour of employers. It really is an absurd situation we have here now. We have plenty of well educated, intelligent, people idle because jobs are so thin on the ground and plenty of other having to bugger off to another country, because their future here is nil.

ygolometsipe

Emigrants? I think you mean documentable!!

I am joking but also serious.

Permabear

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Tony EH

/\

That's complete nonsense.

The majority of people who find themselves in need of "a state-provided safety net" do so through no fault of their own.

Special Circumstances

ygolometsipe wrote: »

Emigrants? I think you mean documentable!!

I am joking but also serious.

I'm not joking, just serious - I have no idea what you're getting at.

Charles Babbage

Shelga wrote: »

I've had to catch myself on and realise that the nice dinners and walks and meetups with friends in Dublin are nice precisely because I don't live there. Paying ridiculous VRT to bring my car home, paying astronomical motor tax and stamp duty and health insurance and income tax and the myriad of other costs just probably isn't worth it. Not to mention the issue of going back to paying €2k a year car insurance, having no credit history in the country etc.

There may be many reasons for remaining abroad, so there should be no need to make up additional reasons. If you move back you won't have to pay any VRT on the car you bring. If you have been driving in Britain, where driving rules are similar, then you won't have to pay anything like €2k for insurance unless you drive a very large very fast car. Of course if you move from China that may be a bit more complex.

R.D. aka MR.D

I'm a returning emigrant!

My OH is from the US and we decided on Ireland because of the extra costs that come with living in the US. Healthcare is a massive one. Another is the fact that unless you live in some East coast cities or San Fransisco then having a car is pretty much essential.

We decided to return after spending 4 years in Asia, 5 for him.

There are many reasons but one of the most important is the people. We've encountered so many untrustworthy people over the last while and in some cases it's cultural (in China) but it's mostly down to the transient nature of the business. Bad things happen in Ireland but your company doesn't own your apartment, you aren't depending on a visa that restricts you to one kind of work etc etc

We know it's going to be hard to get good jobs and an apartment but it'll be worth it if we can be somewhere that people treat you like a human being and we can take a walk in a park that isn't surrounded by concrete jungle.

I know it sounds all misty eyed and I left for a reason but you really don't appreciate Irish people until you're gone. We're fantastic conversationalists and most people aren't hateful for no reason.

If we make enough money to be able to go to the pub once a week and meet friends that we have things in common with and interests outside 'scoring chicks' then we'll be grand. We had a friend stay from America who works as a line cook in a teeny tiny small town (where my OH is from) and he had more to say and more varied interests than three quarters of the people we've met teaching English in China and Japan who are so 'well travelled'.

It's about 2 months now until we're back. I can't wait for that first Sunday in the pub chatting ****e for hours!

Parky2

I believe that Specsavers have a special offer on rose tinted glasses as they are not selling very well these days.

jester77

15 years gone, null chance of returning now. Ireland is too broken for me, the only real positive of returning would be the low taxes, but that is not enough of an incentive. The poor infrastructure and poor health care are a massive disincentive. Then there are things like having to baptise my children just to get them into a school, poor amenities for children (and adults too) and poor standard of housing.

Permabear

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MRnotlob606

Permabear wrote: »

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But don't we receive great public services in return for our high taxes ? Oh wait no, no we don't.

Tony EH

Permabear wrote: »

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Apologies if I picked you up wrong, but there is a lamentable tendency from some quarters on boards to damn the unemployed Irish at every single juncture and labour under a completely false, ignorant, impression that lives only in their heads. There are some posters that will try and turn a discussion about Britney Spears in a dole bashing thread.

As to your point above, I'd agree...to some degree. you see a lot depends on outside circumstances and if those outside circumstances are aginst you, it's then that a "safety net" is needed. Frankly, I'm happy that a portion of my taxes goes toward a decent and fucntioning welfare state and in the past, I've had to avail of that welfare state, which was essential for keeping me going, so I have first hand knowledge of what I am talking about. When there are more people of working age than there are jobs, a welfare system is absolutely essential.

As for "those who orient their lives around the probability of destitution", that number is so small as to be negliagble, in large scheme of things. 99.9% of people want to do better, but if opportunity isn't there, that can be difficult. In addition, if one lacks the knowledge or experience to "do better" (whatever that really means) then the situation is compounded even further.

Also, basic, common or garden fortune has a HUGE amount of influence in people's lives, whether they are willing to admit that or not. If opportunties don't present themselves, or something happens that porevents you from siezing them, then that will have it very big part to play. Human beings lives have more to do with luck than anything else. Merely being in the right place at the right time, through no design of their own, can change someone's life forever. Good and bad.

mariaalice

This is the silliest thread ever, nobody will ever dislodge permbear from his love affair with the US, then you have the its always better somewhere else/everyone who want to come back is wearing rose tinted glasses.

Ireland is a wealthy European country we do very well on various quality of life surveys. It not perfect, however the US and Australia are not paradise on earth.

My oldest daughter does talk about coming home occasional, but she has a very senior position in her career and she wouldn't get the same position here. The are a few reasons for this but mainly its because Ireland is a small country with a small population the opportunities are just not here in Ireland.

LordSutch

Help!!!! wrote: »

Spent 19 years in London, moved back almost 2 years ago due to health reasons. Will now retrain & either stay or look to move away again depending on how things look in the future

I'd say you're finding it hard to adjust after so long in the big smoke! Your story sounds similar to mine, although I've been back here since the early 2000s. Still miss London/S.England/NHS though. It is very difficult to live away for so long and then return to Ireland.

There was a network in the early 2000s called "Returned Emigrants" which catered for people who were trying to readjust after extended periods out of Ireland. I hear the network no longer exists

mariaalice

Its interesting the amount of people admitting that as soon as they got sick they came back home and its often not just to be near family. That says a lot about what the countries they emigrated to are like.

Parky2

mariaalice wrote: »

This is the silliest thread ever, nobody will ever dislodge permbear from his love affair with the US, then you have the its always better somewhere else/everyone who want to come back is wearing rose tinted glasses.

Ireland is a wealthy European country we do very well on various quality of life surveys. It not perfect, however the US and Australia are not paradise on earth.

My oldest daughter does talk about coming home occasional, but she has a very senior position in her career and she wouldn't get the same position here. The are a few reasons for this but mainly its because Ireland is a small country with a small population the opportunities are just not here in Ireland.

And as Lehihan remarked; "We are an Island"...

LordSutch

We are 4/5ths of an island. The other 5th (Northern Ireland) is part of the UK.

KwackerJack

And what are they to come back to? Ridiculous house rental prices, **** wages, taxed to death, **** health care!

Yea I can see them all flocking back! If I didn't have a young Son to look after I'd leave here and never return.

Permabear

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Permabear

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mariaalice

Permabear wrote: »

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It depends on the area you work, in and I am not talking about wealth which is a completable different issue, btw I am not saying Ireland is perfect its is not but neither is any where else in the world. America is an amazing country but its not perfect either.

Tony EH

Permabear wrote: »

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As far as teaching Irish and religion in schools is concerned, you won't have any argument from me. However, in general, our schools system is quite good, at least it was when I was going. It certainly can do with overhauls, that's for sure. But, compared with some places in England (where I was in school for a time) and the US, I'd much rather send my kid to a school in Ireland.

Permabear wrote: »

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We have a large social welfare bill because there are no jobs. When jobs are there people are happy to take them up. Simply doing away with our social welfare system and hoping that somehow, Ireland can shake off its appalling history of job deficit won't do anybody any good in the long run. It's not our social welfare system that is at fault, it's our attitude to long term job creation, which has been characterised by a woeful "quick fix" solution for as long as I can remember.

Permabear wrote: »

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No, that's called being careful and not making things worse. The unknown is a very treacherous thing. Just becasue you found yourself making it good in Carolina, doesn't mean everybody would. Given how flimsy and unsure employment is these days, I don't blame people at all for being cautious about upping sticks and buggering off to a country they know fuck all about. I disagree that that's "making a choice to prioritize a nanny-state environment".

Permabear wrote: »

I wouldn't accept personally that luck is a major factor. I think attributes like focus, determination, positivity, engagement, and attitude are far more important.

All of which are trumped by fortune. None of the above are any use if your luck is out. There are people with large amounts of drive and determination that find themselves on the ropes again and again...and again, through no fault of their own. Basic circumstance and where one finds onself at a given time is not determined by the virtues you've listed above. That's a completely random thing, which can be fantastic for some and utterly ruinous for others.

However, one thing I will say about the US. In regards to failing in a business, it can be seen a badge of honour in some quarters in the States, whereas in Ireland, you're simply labeled a "failure" and become untouchable, to a large degree. It's something I cannot stand about this country.

Permabear wrote: »

On that note, the Irish have a negative attitude toward work in general. Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report found that only 16% of Irish employees are engaged at work, while 64% are not engaged and 20% are actively disengaged. If you are disengaged at work, you have little motivation to do better, or invest in your own or your company's success. So most people who tune out at work and wait for the clock to reach 5 p.m. can't put their fortunes down to "luck."

North America has the highest proportion of engaged workers, with 29%.

How much does that have to do with the history of working in Ireland though. I'm old enough to remember working before the shittly named "Celtic Tiger" and working through it in the late 90's into the 2000's and can say that these days, a lot of people's attitudes are similar to how it was before that period. People are jaded, because a lot of them have been through rounds of redundancies and the despair of a harrowing job search, that they settle for a job...any job and that can lead to being disengaged at work.

When jobs are thin on the ground, people are forced to settle in jobs that they might not have actively chosen in the first place. Plus, with the dodgy nature of working in Ireland in general, that can definitely lead to an apathy in the workplace.

Again, that's not the fault of the person. That's the circumstance they find themselves in.

Your percentages above don't tell the whole story. Not by a long shot, and certainly not to the degree that one can state that "Irish have a negative attitude toward work".

schofferhofer

Here is my experience: I came to Ireland as an immigrant more than 13 years back as a high skilled worker. I spent about 10 years in Ireland (got naturalised as Irish after 8 years) but after becoming "Irish" I lost much of the motivation to stay back in the country and I was also fed up with my job. I moved to Asia for 2.5 years, my main motivation being getting a promotion in my new job, changing my career and upskilling as there were limited opportunities for me in Ireland, at the juncture I was in. However during the time I was away I realised how much I missed the lifestyle in Ireland. Despite the bad weather and all the so called "ills" I started looking to move back to Ireland and last year made the successful transition. The good thing is I now get paid much more than what I was being paid before (would never have got this level of remuneration just through the 2-5% annual increments had i stayed in the same job at the MNC) and with the work experience from Asia now have much better prospects in Ireland for the near future.As they say......the grass is always green on the other side. (however in Ireland's case it literally is ).

Permabear

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c_man

mariaalice wrote: »

This is the silliest thread ever

Ah now, you're forgetting that thread last year asking if AHers shaved their arses.

CelticRambler

No-one forced me to emigrate. It was a conscious decision made by me for my own betterment back in the 90s when I took a job in the UK. I had a chance to return to Ireland in the 00s, took one luck at the country and realised that it'd gone money-mad, so made a second deliberate decision to emigrate from the UK to France. Over the last decade, I've again had numerous opportunities to "move back" but the pros never outweigh the cons. It's not the taxes (Ireland's pretty average in that regard compared to other EU countries) and it's not the politicians (who are no worse than those of any other nationality) that keep me away. It's mainly the cost of living for a quality of life that doesn't match my aspirations. As someone said above, Ireland's drinks culture is a real turn-off (why would you even need "dry January" ?) and too many sports and arts events are ridiculously overpriced, especially if you've got children.

But most of all, back in Ireland, I'm just another average person amongst many. Here in France, my Irishness gives me numerous advantages that put me above the crowd. There's nothing like being made to feel special to outweigh the downsides of wherever you live!

(FWIW, I'd sooner live in Ireland than go back to England again.)

R.D. aka MR.D

Permabear wrote: »

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I'm from the country myself so I know you need a car outside Dublin, we'll be moving to Dublin though because as I said not having a car is very important for us. I knew a good few people who lived in Galway without a car and even know a few in Letterkenny but I wouldn't do it myself!

My OH is more concerned by things like when he was in his early 20s he fell and cut his thumb. It was bleeding a good bit and he decided to go to the emergency room. They cleaned it up and it didn't need stitches. His bill was well over $1000. A good few of his friends are carrying around medical debts that make their student loans look like nothing. He was also telling me that without dental insurance a very basic visit to the dentist can be as much as $400.

There are long waiting lists but if you fall and hurt yourself at least you aren't agonising over whether or not you can afford to go to the emergency room.


My Oh always says that America is great if you can afford it. I think it's very dependent on the social status that you are born into as well. If I was working full time in a Tesco in Ireland then I'd be in a better position than a person who works full time at a Walmart in America.

We might move there when we are rich retirees! Live in the desert, drink wine, do drugs. New Mexico is one of the most beautiful places I've seen in the world so maybe someday....

Permabear

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Permabear

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dollyk

But yes, admittedly, health insurance can be expensive. I pay health insurance for my nanny. She's 22, a non-smoker and light social drinker, with no pre-existing conditions. She's a normal weight for her height, and is generally in very good health. However, her premiums are over $600 a month.

:eek:
Why oh why when I read the word Nanny, do I think you must be referring
To your Granny

Ratzo Rizzo

It's quite interesting to read the comments on this thread. It would appear that the vast majority consider themselves to be much better off in a variety of ways abroad I would tend to agree. A return to the UK is something I would strongly consider as I'm fed up with the huge cost and poor standard of living in Ireland. The recent crisis in the health system with operations being cancelled is very worrying, a direct result of the incredibly stupid actions of our inept, corrupt politicians, intent of looking after themselves instead of serving the people. Anyone thinking of coming back here would be mad to...

Permabear

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ArnoldJRimmer

Permabear wrote: »

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And what exactly are your workplaces paying in premiums? Because I've had a minor issue with my eye, and prior to that, one with my foot. With insurance, its still cost me a couple of grand over the last few years. No matter what package you take, it still ends up costing a fortune. I don't see any justification for charging $600-700 for a half hour doctor's visit, even if insurance is picking up the majority of the bill.

I will admit that the standard of health care has generally been higher than I received in Ireland, and with little waiting time. But sure why would they make you wait when they can shake you down for that amount of money

moycullen14

An interesting thread.

I was dragged back here after 15 years in the UK. When I left I couldn't wait to go. Growing up in the 80s here was irredeemably grim. The opportunities in the UK (south east/London) seemed vast by comparison, while the US seemed like a CinemaScope movie compared to Ireland's black and white TV.

There's a lot I miss about the UK. The BBC, NHS, warm beer, Indian restaurants, the anonymity. However there's a lot of great things about small town Ireland too.

The education, the sense of community, access to the coast and the countryside, the people, family and friends. All good stuff.

Sure the health system is crap, the lack of ambition, the gombeen politicians and all that, but there's a lot wrong with the UK, US, Australia too.

All our arguments about coming home used to finish when someone said 'Do you want to grow old here? (South East UK)'. There was no argument against that.

Tony EH

Permabear wrote: »

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But that's not a realistic analysis. Ireland's economic boom was a result of a global economic boom and we found ourselves inviting in businesses that otherwise would not have come here before. The fact that our workforce lacked a number of skills to maneuver into those jobs is not really a fault of our education system. It's merely circumstance. It's the way things worked out. Nothing can control that. In addition, later on we found ourselves with many young people with skills that were entirely surplus to requirements, when all the companies buggered off to cheaper climes, leaving a workforce that's found itself in an unfortunate position of having to leave their country to go abroad simply to get a job. Again, that's circumstance. You simply cannot cover all the bases.

As I said before, our leadership has a history of "quick fix" solutions to our labour situation. Such a "solution" will inevitably lead to the scenario described above.

Permabear wrote: »

Well, that's one way to look at it. The other way is that the country has fewer jobs than it would if it wasn't levying extortionate taxes to pay for that gargantuan social welfare bill. Ireland now has one of the highest capital gains tax rates in the world at 33%, up from 20% in 2008. That means that anyone contemplating starting a business (and creating jobs) would be much better off doing so abroad. High taxes on capital are a huge disincentive to business growth, and thus employment.

I don't necessarily agree. As another poster said, Ireland doesn't actually have that a draconian tax rate and also, I'd question how a lot of our taxes are spent. Not the systems they're spent in, but how they are actually spent. There's huge wastage in HSE for example. Criminal wastage frankly and some areas of our public sector are obscenely paid. In other examples, it cost thousands to put a bit of carpet into the Mansion house recently and millions has been wasted trying to prop up Irish Water, which really should have been let die as it's demonstrably unfit for purpose. All public mishandled.

But, I would agree some what with the assessment that people trying to set up a business in Ireland are subject to difficulties. I've been in small businesses myself where at times it seemed that the odds we being put in place to discourage even bothering. It still didn't stop some people making a couple of milion out of it though.

I think a lot of our problems here is a "get rich quick" mentality. I've seen it loads of times in SMB's. Someone starts up a business with a viable operation and then flips it to a larger company for a few milion, who then disolves it. Job done. Meanwhile, all the people who actully do the work are put on the dole. THAT'S one the primary reasons why we'll never have a Bill Gates or a Steve Jobs in Ireland.

Permabear wrote: »

The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman, psychology chair at the University of Herfordshire, analyzes the phenomenon of luck and finds that people who consider themselves lucky are simply those who make the most of opportunities, listen to their gut, and find a silver lining when things go wrong. So called "luck" is really more about having a positive, optimistic attitude to life, and being open to opportunity.

Again...oportunites HAVE to present themselves in order to be taken advantage of and of they aren't there in the first place. "Positivity" and "optimism" don't exist. There's just realism. That's it. There are literally millions of optimisic people out how are kicked in the face by circumstance time and time again. Tons and tons of people listen to their gut and it goes against them, merely by misfortunte, which is something that cannot be quantified.

Permabear wrote: »

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Once again, that has a lot to do with how working culture has changed over the years. Gone, unfortunately, are the days of a "job for life" and the security of knowing that your job is going to be there for you in 5 or 10 years time. That has an awful lot to do with people's attitude to work. A lot of people are "disengaged" because they know that their job is a transitory experience. Why should they bother? I'm not sure that I'd entirely disagree with them.

My father used to shake his head at my stories about work. Looking for interviews, the bullshit questions asked in those interviews and then the actual job at the end which bared not resemblance to the original job spec. He wouldn't have wanted to work in the environment that my generation found itself in. I understand that completely as I look at the complete nonsense that the generation below me has to go through just to secure the most average job and it's, frankly, frightening. There are companies here that are asking for masters graduates for simple data entry jobs. That's simply a farce.

Also, the situation you describe is not absent in America either, despite your bed of roses picture. My cousin works with a slacker who's attitude would make your toes curl. In addition, I work with Americans every day and have done so across multiple jobs and to be perfectly honest, there's a huge number that leave a lot to be desired as far as attitude to work is concerned. I'd take my Irish colleagues any day, who I'd wager put in longer hours and have a much larger output. In fact, if the Irish office of may company closed in the morning, the entire company would collapse and I'm not even being slightly facetious about that.

ancapailldorcha

Tony EH wrote: »

But that's not a realistic analysis. Ireland's economic boom was a result of a global economic boom and we found ourselves inviting in businesses that otherwise would not have come here before. The fact that our workforce lacked a number of skills to maneuver into those jobs is not really a fault of our education system. It's merely circumstance. It's the way things worked out. Nothing can control that. In addition, later on we found ourselves with many young people with skills that were entirely surplus to requirements, when all the companies buggered off to cheaper climes, leaving a workforce that's found itself in an unfortunate position of having to leave their country to go abroad simply to get a job. Again, that's circumstance. You simply cannot cover all the bases.

No but the system's failure to adapt and modernise is something Irish people have control over. In my opinion, it is entirely at fault and pointing that out is not unreasonable at all. How many people might have stayed if we replaced nonsense like Irish and religion with useful skills like coding, science and engineering. Even if they couldn't have gotten jobs it's possible a few would have set up their own businesses.

Tony EH wrote: »

I don't necessarily agree. As another poster said, Ireland doesn't actually have that a draconian tax rate and also, I'd question how a lot of our taxes are spent. Not the systems they're spent in, but how they are actually spent. There's huge wastage in HSE for example. Criminal wastage frankly and some areas of our public sector are obscenely paid. In other examples, it cost thousands to put a bit of carpet into the Mansion house recently and millions has been wasted trying to prop up Irish Water, which really should have been let die as it's demonstrably unfit for purpose. All public mishandled.

We do have one though. Anyone on over €33,800 is "wealthy". In the UK, I think the highest rate doesn't kick in until one earns above £150,000 by comparison.

Tony EH wrote: »

Again...oportunites HAVE to present themselves in order to be taken advantage of and of they aren't there in the first place. "Positivity" and "optimism" don't exist. There's just realism. That's it. There are literally millions of optimisic people out how are kicked in the face by circumstance time and time again. Tons and tons of people listen to their gut and it goes against them, merely by misfortunte, which is something that cannot be quantified.

But the opportunities abroad are so much better. This is why people leave. Heck, if you even speak Germany you’ll likely have no problem at all scooping up a decent paying job for a German multinational if you have no other skills.

Tony EH wrote: »

Once again, that has a lot to do with how working culture has changed over the years. Gone, unfortunately, are the days of a "job for life" and the security of knowing that your job is going to be there for you in 5 or 10 years time. That has an awful lot to do with people's attitude to work. A lot of people are "disengaged" because they know that their job is a transitory experience. Why should they bother? I'm not sure that I'd entirely disagree with them.

I used to have this little dream of working somewhere like the University of Stanford or the National Institute of Health in Bethesda. Then I met people who’d been there and I was told horror stories of no job security whatsoever, 6.5 day working weeks and parents with their kids sleeping at the office. The UK might not be perfect but nowhere is and I have reasonable protection from dismissal.

ancapailldorcha

Permabear wrote: »

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Out of curiosity, what is it like to deal with an insurer when something does actually go wrong. Is there a lot of haggling and wasting time or is the service quite good?

Tuesday_Girl

Special Circumstances wrote: »

What have you found to be the biggest hurdles or was it all plain sailing? Any "wtf is this some kinda tax on returning emigrants" or "how the hell do people pay so much for so little these days" type stuff?

It wasn't too bad actually but I moved back on my own with a job so I didn't have any of the struggles related to finding work, settling a family, finding schools, etc. I also got lucky with finding an apartment to rent but I'm trying to buy a place now and that is proving to be a challenge.

Taxes are lower here but things like the public transport and public health systems are diabolical, I'd happily pay higher taxes if I saw the benefits in terms of better services and amenities. Having said that my personal experience with the health system here has been very positive but I'm lucky in having a good insurance package paid by my employer.

Cost of living is higher here and the weather is certainly worse but overall it's good to be back, I'm nearer family and friends and I appreciate the friendliness, helpfulness and hospitality of Irish people more that I did before I left. Also love living on the coast and having access to beautiful countryside.

I made the choice to leave in the 90's and made the choice to come back so I was fortunate in that, I know people who had to come to take care of elderly parents and it's not been an easy transition for them.

R.D. aka MR.D

Permabear wrote: »

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It think we agree. If you've got the money then America is great.

My OH is Mexican American and from a small town in Colorado. Many of his family members and people he knows aren't as privileged as to be able to afford health insurance for their families even though they work hard every day of their lives.

There is a huge divide between rich and poor in the US. I've met people from both and I think it's very difficult for the privileged in America to understand the struggles of the poor. It's the same everywhere to an extent but i think it's very pronounced in America.

Permabear

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m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Thinking of coming home to close my AIB account as they are gobshítes... utter gobshítes...

R.D. aka MR.D

Kylan Crooked Toxin wrote: »

Thinking of coming home to close my AIB account as they are gobshítes... utter gobshítes...

Haha! That made me laugh because on my to do list for the first week home is to march into Bank of Ireland and close all my accounts.

Of course, they won't allow me to speak to a real person and i'll be directed to a telephone in the corner to speak to someone.

Can't wait to get away from them!

irelandrover

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

We do have one though. Anyone on over €33,800 is "wealthy". In the UK, I think the highest rate doesn't kick in until one earns above £150,000 by comparison.

I see this mentioned a lot. top rate of tax in Ireland does indeed kick in at 33800. However that top rate of tax is 40%.

The 40% rate of tax kicks in at £31,786 in the UK. The top rate kicks in at 150000 but that is 45%.

Top rate of tax in The Netherlands kicks in at 54870. but this is a rate of 52%. the 42% rate of tax kicks in at 32739. The tax rate in Ireland isn't as bad as people try to make out.

When you state top rate it makes Ireland look bad. However when you look at the actual rates then Ireland is average or even slightly better than average.

ancapailldorcha

irelandrover wrote: »

I see this mentioned a lot. top rate of tax in Ireland does indeed kick in at 33800. However that top rate of tax is 40%.

The 40% rate of tax kicks in at £31,786 in the UK. The top rate kicks in at 150000 but that is 45%.

Top rate of tax in The Netherlands kicks in at 54870. but this is a rate of 52%. the 42% rate of tax kicks in at 32739. The tax rate in Ireland isn't as bad as people try to make out.

When you state top rate it makes Ireland look bad. However when you look at the actual rates then Ireland is average or even slightly better than average.

Wages in the UK are unfortunately a bit on the low side but the cost of living is also a lot less so people are less likely see the 40% kick in compared to someone in Ireland.

jester77

Kylan Crooked Toxin wrote: »

Thinking of coming home to close my AIB account as they are gobshítes... utter gobshítes...

lol, I'm actually still in the middle of that, they truly are gob****es. I called them to close, spoke with someone on here and have sent a letter to my local branch telling them to close my account. Account is still open last time I looked and gathering fees :rolleyes:

Rabo were no problem, even sent me a letter with all my account transactions. That's how it is done

Parky2

jester77 wrote: »

lol, I'm actually still in the middle of that, they truly are gob****es. I called them to close, spoke with someone on here and have sent a letter to my local branch telling them to close my account. Account is still open last time I looked and gathering fees :rolleyes:

Rabo were no problem, even sent me a letter with all my account transactions. That's how it is done

Wait till they get you with the "proof of address" nonsense!

The Randy Riverbeast

Im planning on emigrating in a few years regardless of what has changed. Whether or not I stay there is another question. Would like to spend some time in the US but as someone who lived there with a family that couldn't afford the likes of private school and a nanny my experience was slightly different and I wouldn't want to raise children there. The best education and health care in the world might as well not exist when most people can't afford it.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Magico Gonzalez

I'll be back when this global warming kicks in, so long as it corresponds with some local drying out of the weather.