[mcjiggerlog]

That's a pretty high social security rate. I am in a similar position to OP, but in Spain. My overall tax burden (including social security) is around 30% which is not bad at all. So, if you're flexible and just looking for something new, I definitely recommend looking at Spain.

[mdekkers]

I definitely recommend looking at Spain

I'm in Catalonia, Spain (for a few more weeks) and do not recommend. I don't know what you are making, but I am also an Autonomo, and I'm being royally fucked on social insurance and taxes. My tax and SI bill for this year will be around 60%, and fuck that. And yes, I have tried different accountants. Essentially, the tax department decided that a lot of my expenses are not allowable, and because I have bank accounts in other EU countries as well as Spain, they decided that I am "probably hiding something" (their words). I can go and spend a lot of money on lawyers, or I can just pack up and leave.

Combined with the bullshit Catalan independence movement and accompanying social and economic instability, generally unfriendly Catalans, terrible quality of food (essentially salt, with a hint of whatever it claims to be on the package), and the "we will bill you whatever the fuck we want, good luck clawing your money back" utilities (literally opened a 400 EUR bill from the phone company 10 minutes ago), I am totally done with this place.

I have lived in many countries, and all places have challenges and ups and downs. This place, however, is the pits.

[ejanus]

Head to Rwanda.

[sergiosgc]

The equivalent social security rate in spain is 29.8%: http://www.seg-social.es/Internet_1/Trabajadores/CotizacionR...

Spain does the same thing as Portugal, for company workers, where they "hide" part of the social security payment from payment receipts. Companies pay 23.6% and the worker 4.7%. Only the latter appears in the salary receipt, the other is a company expense.

[mcjiggerlog]

The above was for being self employed

[sergiosgc]

As was my quote of 29.8% (trabajadores autónomos). I posted the link for this exact section.

[mcjiggerlog]

I'm not going to claim to understand everything on that page (spanish taxes are complicated!), but nearly all autónomos pay the minimal amount payable, which is 275 euros/month. You can contribute more if you want to get more state pension, don't I don't believe many do.

Edit - it's 29.3% of the base mínima de autónomos - which is about 920 euros a month. Now, I honestly have no idea what that actually means, but it means you pay about 270 euros regardless of what you earn (it's a stupid system that benefits the well-off).