Chapter 16: Talk About Anything But Taxes
Xiao Peng didn't think much about what he said.
What Armand said was true. The French are famous for their laziness and love of luxury, and the hardworking Chinese do find it easier to make money here than the French.
Just like the seabed cleaner, although the salary is high, the French are not willing to do it. They prefer to be a diving instructor with a comfortable and easy job.
The French are similar to other Western countries in that most people don't have a habit of saving. They consider work a part of life, but not the most important. People here value personal life. In all his time here, Xiao Peng has never heard of the French using the term "overtime." The law stipulates a 35-hour workweek limit. Even after-hours phone calls are generally unacceptable; they consider it rude! The French are also perhaps the world's most vacation-loving people. They value enjoyment, and the average family typically takes a vacation once or twice a year. Those with good financial resources travel abroad, while those with less means explore other cities.
If you really can't get out, there are ways to do it.
For example, in the summer in Paris, the local government will lay sand on both sides of the Seine to make beaches, where people can sunbathe and take a short vacation.
This is also a strange scene: a few meters away is the busy main road, and next to the road is an artificial beach where a group of men and women in bikini swimming trunks are lying.
As long as you have the sea in your heart, Hawaii is everywhere.
Xiao Peng shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Come on, Armand, this is France! I took 50,000 euros, but I still have to pay taxes! Originally, I only had to pay 14% tax, but now I've received 50,000 euros? Even if I have no income in the second half of the year, I still have to pay 30% tax. Just thinking about it makes me so sad!"
After hearing Xiao Peng's words, several people suddenly fell silent, and then everyone sighed together: "Alas."
France has the highest tax rate in Europe. How high is it? Taxes account for over 50% of the country's GDP!
Many wealthy French people choose to leave France and settle in nearby countries. For example, French national treasure actor GĂ©rard Depardieu went to Belgium in order to avoid high taxes on the rich.
France adheres to the 'territorial principle' for taxation. No matter if you have a company in France or work in France, as long as you earn money here, you must pay taxes according to the local tax laws!
Just how draconian are taxes here? France has at least 214 tax categories! No one, except fiscal and tax law experts, can accurately predict the exact French tax list! And new, inexplicable taxes frequently appear. For example, in 2012, the then-French president proposed a 75% "rich tax" on individuals earning over one million euros annually! This fully demonstrated to the world the meaning of "equality for all" and "distributing land to the rich"!
This tax rate shocked the whole world. Finally, after various meetings, Congress negotiated the tax rate down to 50%. However, this was unbearable, and many wealthy people like Gerard chose to flee France.
Fortunately, this tax was abolished after only two years, otherwise all the wealthy people in France might have run away!
The French's "laziness" is also related to taxes: the money I earn from hard work is not as comfortable as the poor after paying taxes, so what money am I making?
Here, many middle-class people just have nice names, but their lives may not be as comfortable as those of the poor!
The extremely high tax rate is a problem that everyone in France has to face. However, there is nothing we can do about it. We all know that France has excellent welfare, but how can such good welfare be achieved without such high taxes?
There is gain and loss!
When the topic of taxes came up, no one was particularly enthusiastic. Especially Sinne, who had to contribute almost a third of her income every year. This was despite the help of numerous tax shelters.
There are many tax categories here, and even more tax evasion categories! There are currently over 460 tax incentives, and over 190 of them relate to individual income tax! There are all sorts of bizarre tax incentives.
Just like Xiao Peng, according to his income, he should pay 30% personal income tax, but he only needs to pay 14%. This is because his job is diving and he has a diving qualification certificate. Here, artists, writers, athletes and the like enjoy special tax models, and Xiao Peng is counted as an "athlete" and enjoys special tax treatment.
If you live here and earn a decent income, you absolutely need a good accountant to help you avoid taxes. While hiring a good accountant might be expensive, the savings they can help you save are even greater!
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Fabian tried to ease it. "Alright, alright, stop dwelling on those damn taxes! We should get off the bus now. Food and love are the only things in this world worth living by. What awaits us is the best seafood restaurant in all of Marseille! We always have family gatherings here; it's a decades-old tradition."
Xine laughed: "Then we are in for a treat today!"
Several people got off the tram and, led by Fabian, turned left and right in the old alleys of Marseille. Seeing Fabian's familiarity with the place, he was sure that Fabian had been here many times. If Xiao Peng came here again, he really wouldn't be able to find the way.
Led by Fabian, they arrived at the 'Saint Louis Seafood Cooking Class' seafood restaurant, a typical traditional Marseille building with three floors facing the street. The second and third floors were used for living, while the ground floor was used as a storefront facing the street. There were countless restaurants like this in Marseille.
It's obvious that this is an old restaurant, and the space is not very large. Including the kitchen, it's less than 80 square meters. In order to accommodate more customers, the distance between the tables is very close. It's no exaggeration to say that if someone farts while eating, at least five tables nearby can smell it.
However, the business here is incredibly good, and the entire restaurant is extremely noisy - this is also a characteristic of Marseille. People here are carefree and like to be lively. They talk loudly, sing loudly, and laugh loudly. In short, people here are very enthusiastic and bold.
Fabian's claim to be familiar with the place wasn't an exaggeration. A table was prepared for him, and once they were seated, the waiter brought out the seafood platter they had prepared long ago. The restaurant, knowing the space was tight, thoughtfully designed the tables to be two-tiered—with iron racks on either side, allowing for bread, salads, and sauces to be placed on the table, while seafood dishes and other items could be placed on the racks.
Although Xiao Peng has been in Marseille for more than two years, this is his first time to eat at such a formal seafood restaurant in order to save money, so he is very curious.
There are two types of seafood platters here: 'cold' and 'hot', and the 'cold' is served first.
As a result, Xiao Peng was shocked when this "cold fight" started.
Oh my god, how do I eat this?
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