this post was submitted on 30 Jul 2024
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An 87-year-old woman from Lemiers in Limburg who owned substantial real estate in nearby Vaals has left most of it to her tenants in her will.

According to the Telegraaf, Anneliese Houppermans, who earned her money from a successful fruit and vegetable business, owned several houses in the community. She never married or had children, and her ties to her family had faded over the years.

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[–] Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de 120 points 3 months ago (1 children)

At first (because I'm a rapidly evolving into my final curmudgeon form) this put me in mind of those families that ended up losing their house after appearing on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition because they could no longer afford the taxes and upkeep on their houses. But this line of the article helped put me at ease:

“I only have to pay €75,000 in inheritance tax which I have turned into a mortgage. I have effectively been given €200,000, it’s great,” he said.

[–] asbestos@lemmy.world 34 points 3 months ago (7 children)

What the hell is up with such a high inheritance tax

[–] VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.works 56 points 3 months ago

It's to try and combat generational wealth, maybe 100% with it going towards funding UBI would be better

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 45 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Inheritance tax, in my opinion, is a very good thing. It prevents people from passing down wealth and keeps the playing field more even. Obviously nepotism and connections can't be taxed, but it's a step in the right direction. It's not like they "deserved" that money or anything. I'm happy for them, but taxing it seems fine to help people with less.

[–] SpaceCadet@feddit.nl 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It prevents people from passing down wealth

Unless you're very wealthy and put your real estate into a company, and pass down the company to your children without paying taxes on it.

This is what's currently happening in Belgium: https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20230324_96938388

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Or take out loans, works in France.

[–] ElCanut@jlai.lu 1 points 3 months ago

I didn't know that, could you elaborate please?

[–] Robin@lemmy.world 23 points 3 months ago

It's a lot higher if you are not related

[–] Redredme@lemmy.world 20 points 3 months ago (3 children)

Welcome to Holland, we've arranged good dikes, good infrastructure, social benefits and affordable healthcare for all.

How do we pay for all of it?

Yeah... You now know how. We pay a lot of tax. And I mean a lot. 17+ % VAT on everything. Cars have an extra tax called bpm of around 20%. So half the price of a car is tax. 1 litre (not a gallon!) of ron95? Over 2 euros. Etc. (because that's not all)

It's fun.

And thats why we are tall. Because if we weren't we would drown in our taxes ;)

[–] Riven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 3 months ago

That's not much more than I pay in my state in the US. Wish we had it as good as yall do.

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.world 13 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Dutch people pay so much tax because dutch companies pay so little tax, so pretty much the entire burden of paying the costs of the State comes from the wallets of individuals (whilst companies too are owned by individuals, those rich enough have many ways of avoiding paying tax on that and a lot of the biggest owners of the companies making profits in The Netherlands - whilst paying little tax on said profits - aren't even resident in The Netherlands).

In countries were the tax take is more evenly balanced between people and businesses, people pay less taxes for more services (The Netherlands doesn't even have a National Health Service, only a mixed Health Insurance system).

I lived in The Netherlands over a decade ago and already back then the country already had Northern European levels of taxation with nowhere near the levels of Public Services that countries with similar individual taxation - such as the Scandinavians - had and I doubt a decade of right-wing neoliberals in government has made things any better.

[–] HK65@sopuli.xyz 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I doubt a decade of right-wing neoliberals in government has made things any better.

Only thing they achieved was starting a housing crisis. But don't worry, Rutte failed upwards to NATO chief.

[–] leds@feddit.dk 1 points 3 months ago

Welcome to danmark: 25% VAT , 150%? On cars

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

It should, IMO, be higher.

Especially when it's not your kids.

People dont understand how much money like 200.000$ actually is.

[–] HauntedCupcake@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago (2 children)

It should be lower for 200.000$ then slide up to 100% on anything above 1.000.000$ or so

People inheriting 200.000$ aren't causing the huge gap in wealth inequality

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

As I understand it, there's several people getting houses. Exact figures aren't given, but it's likely she's given away close to a million here.

[–] HauntedCupcake@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

It would be taxed per recipient, so it wouldn't go into the 100% territory

[–] Valmond@lemmy.world -2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Nah, 200k is almost half of what someone earns in a lifetime (and thats before taxes, food, rent...) but I guess there are a lot of temporary embarrassed millionaires out here :-)

[–] HauntedCupcake@lemmy.world 6 points 3 months ago

I get what you're saying, and in my ideal world inheritance would be limited to personal effects with sentimental value. I just don't think being more extreme is going to get us anywhere, and definitely has different moral concerns regarding high value items with sentimental value

[–] yeather@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Non US countries have super high everything taxes

[–] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 26 points 3 months ago

Non US countries have ~~super high everything taxes~~ effective social welfare

[–] Wes4Humanity@lemm.ee 18 points 3 months ago

US countries do too, unless you're rich enough to get around them

[–] Akasazh@feddit.nl 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

If you'r enot relatives it's a high percentage.

First column is partners and children, second column is grandchidren and other relatives, last column is unrelated people

€ 0 - € 138.642 10% 18% 30%

€ 138.642+ 20% 36% 40%