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EUROPE THERE WAS ONE THING THAT ALWAYS EXCITED EXPATS ABOUT EUROPE, IT WAS HIGH SALARIES, THE HIGH VALUE OF THE EURO, AND THE LIFESTYLE. BUT IT IS CHANGING NOW, AND EUROPEAN COUNTRIES NEED
TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT SOON. Talented individuals leave countries like India, Pakistan, and other Eastern nations, only for a better life in other countries. But what if, their own
countries start offering them that lifestyle, high salaries, and more comfort. Will they migrate leaving their families behind? Highly unlikely! The same has been happening now. More Indians
have said ‘_NO_’ to Dutch salary offers in recent times than ever in the past. But why? Let’s look into it! HIGH TAXES Countries like the Netherlands impose heavy taxes on earning people.
You’re expected to pay more than 40% direct tax on your income to the government. If you think that’s not crazy enough, think about times before the 1990s, when the tax was 70%! It was in
the 1990s that it was reduced to 60%, and since then the governments have been reducing it. Right now, it is around 40% up to a certain income, and after that flat 50%. In other countries
like Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland, it is the same. High taxes will simply scare people away, as they will get to save a lot less money than they would otherwise. If someone has to pay
that heavy tax in Europe, they would rather stay in India at a lower salary and pay 20–30% tax to the government. SALARIES Salaries are not on par with the United States of America, in any
way! If you think moving to Europe is similar to moving to the USA, think again. In the USA, the average salary for a 5 years experienced software engineer is around $100k to $150k annually.
But in the Netherlands, it is between €55k to €70k annually _($59k to $75k)_. Which is almost half! With higher taxes and a much higher cost of living. Salaries in Europe are almost half,
compared to the USA, while the cost of living is similar. Below, you can find a chart from Numbeo, a website that helps you to compare the cost of living in major cities across the world.
This might help you understand that even though salaries in New York are much higher than in Amsterdam, still Amsterdam is much more expensive than NY, in many aspects. COST OF
AUTOMOBILE/CARS Cars are expensive in Europe. Even though Germany manufactures a lot of them, they’re still more expensive than what you will get in the USA. For a Tesla Model 3, you will
have to pay $56,000 while in the USA the same car will cost $45,000. You’re paying at least $12k more, for import duties and taxes! With that expensive cars, you might think that the cost of
travel by public transport must be cheaper? Well, I will refer you to the above chart. It’s damn expensive as hell. The only thing that’s cheaper here is walking! CHILDCARE The next big
reason why people will not migrate to European countries is — childcare. It is either too expensive or simply unaffordable in European nations. In the Netherlands itself, you have to pay
€1000 on average for one child per month, if you send the kid to daycare for 4 days a week. This means, around €12k annually only for one child. The more kids you have, the heavier the cost
will be for your pocket. While the debate is still on in the Netherlands, about making daycares completely free for the children and government-subsidized entities, with the ongoing war,
inflation, and a tight budget situation, there are low chances that it will happen. The government is planning on increasing their defense budget for NATO, and for that, they’re already
planning on burning the expats by scrapping off the 30% ruling law, which will mean an additional €1000 blow to your monthly income (_average_)! If all this continues, European countries
will not be a popular choice for migrants from India or southeast Asian countries to move to. There will be better options, either inside India or much near to home, for example in countries
like Dubai, where the tax on income is much low, salaries are much higher and the cost of living is pennies when compared to European countries, especially the Netherlands! This, and many
other reasons prompt talented individuals to stay in their home countries. Many Indians are now rejecting offers from European nations, only because the difference is too little. The one who
is talented enough to secure an offer from a European country will be talented enough to also secure an offer from a top MNC in India itself. They will get hired at a salary package with
which they can afford a lifestyle better than in Europe, right in India. This is why the European countries need to fix their taxation laws, have some control over inflation and provide
benefits to people leaving their homes and coming to foreign lands because if they don’t — they’re the ones who will lose heavily on talent and brains. If this story was insightful, consider
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