Yes, but it is different. I'm employed, so my employer pays taxes, social security, pension fund money, and health insurance into the proper channels, and I get an "after taxes" direct transfer (which is standard here for decades now).
The tax rates the employer pays are based on complicated tables which are calculated on average annual incomes and no deductions. So they are usually higher than they would be in reality.
At the beginning of the year, we get a paper from the employer stating how much taxes they have paid out of my pay over the year. Then we can take (you are not required to, but letting this slip would be stupid) tax forms and fill them out, or use a tax software (costs about €5 and contains all the legal tricks and up-to-date information). There you can claim all things that would reduce your tax load, e.g. Text benefits for education, for having a handicap, times on unemployment, change of pay rate, office supplies you need for business purposes, medical costs (which usually is not much, because we have working health insurance, but there are co-pays and things that are not covered, like something that is a big thing for us: a fixed rate per kilometer for trips to doctors and physiotherapeuts, which is a list of several pages and alone reduces our tax load by several hundred euro).
You submit this as a paper form, or, more modern, online. We usually hear back from the tax guys a few weeks later, asking for invoices and receipts, send them in, and again a few weeks later, we get money back. As we can claim a lot of stuff (my wife is handicapped), we usually get a few thousand euro back - which is a good incentive to file taxes! But even as a normal person, it pays, as there is a form "work-related costs" where people can claim money for commuting and similar things.
As a self-employed person, one has to submit taxes for the business, of course.
What you’re describing is basically identical to what happens in the US, so not sure what is “different.”
Nothing, because the first sentence made pretty clear they’re an American
They specifically use the currency euro in their comment....
Ah yes, Us Americans with our using Euros and Kilometers. You got me!
I'd be quite happy if my dollars turned to euros and we started using the metric system...
What do you mean? So do Europeans? In some countries you don't have to if all your income is your salary and have no extra expenses.
In Belgium they also fill in the expenses automatically.
The only thing you need to do is check if anything is missing, and just not do anything if everything is correct. Which it usually is.
How do they know what your expenses are?
Not familiar with belgium but in Australia they don't. It's linked to your payroll so they know if you paid more or less that it was due, plus they have linked your bank accounts so they know if you had any interest to pay taxes on. Something similar for investments accounts too.
If you want to claim any deductions (ie. You work from home and have home office expenses) you punch them in yourself
How can it fill expenses automatically? How can they know if something I buy is for work or leasure?
Check the tax office's website of the country you live in, you might be up for an unpleasant surprise.
Pretty normal to have to file a tax report if you are a grown up. There are exceptions in a few countries if all your income is from salaried work and you don't have any deductions to claim but not the norm
CRA (Canada) basically fills in your info for you, you just need to authorize your account in your tax software. Doable online too. If you run a business they obviously can't do this but if you're an employee they have all your info.
Sure they have all your info. I'm not familiar with Canada but in other countries where this happens happens, the site tells you that you need to check that everything is correct, and that YOU are responsible for the information submitted. When you confirm you have effectively submitted your tax return, albeit with the help of a number of automations.
I'm in Australia now, and that how it works here too. Yes it's just a couple of clicks for most people, but you are indeed doing your tax return.
I haven't don't it in Europe in a while, but that was the case when I was there (albeit less automated) and I'm pretty sure that's the case in most countries
in the us they have all your info, but your employer pays an estimated amount of taxes out of your paycheck all year, and you've still gotta fill out paperwork about it yourself as well.
if it turns out you overpaid, which you only know by doing the paperwork yourself, and you filed taxes, you get money back from the gov. if you overpaid and don't file, the gov just keeps your money. if you underpaid and filed, you'll have to send them more money, and if you underpaid and didn't file, the IRS will be coming for you.
From a UK point of view:
That absolutely is the norm. All handled through PAYE.
Any alterations are typically handled through next year's tax code. Normal people don't have to get involved in the process at all. You can prod them to get any refunds sooner (say you get a big bonus and the tax ends up going out of whack), but it works out over time to the point you don't need to.
Europeans: You guys have to file your own taxes?
Yes, but it is different. I'm employed, so my employer pays taxes, social security, pension fund money, and health insurance into the proper channels, and I get an "after taxes" direct transfer (which is standard here for decades now).
The tax rates the employer pays are based on complicated tables which are calculated on average annual incomes and no deductions. So they are usually higher than they would be in reality.
At the beginning of the year, we get a paper from the employer stating how much taxes they have paid out of my pay over the year. Then we can take (you are not required to, but letting this slip would be stupid) tax forms and fill them out, or use a tax software (costs about €5 and contains all the legal tricks and up-to-date information). There you can claim all things that would reduce your tax load, e.g. Text benefits for education, for having a handicap, times on unemployment, change of pay rate, office supplies you need for business purposes, medical costs (which usually is not much, because we have working health insurance, but there are co-pays and things that are not covered, like something that is a big thing for us: a fixed rate per kilometer for trips to doctors and physiotherapeuts, which is a list of several pages and alone reduces our tax load by several hundred euro).
You submit this as a paper form, or, more modern, online. We usually hear back from the tax guys a few weeks later, asking for invoices and receipts, send them in, and again a few weeks later, we get money back. As we can claim a lot of stuff (my wife is handicapped), we usually get a few thousand euro back - which is a good incentive to file taxes! But even as a normal person, it pays, as there is a form "work-related costs" where people can claim money for commuting and similar things.
As a self-employed person, one has to submit taxes for the business, of course.
What you’re describing is basically identical to what happens in the US, so not sure what is “different.”
Nothing, because the first sentence made pretty clear they’re an American
They specifically use the currency euro in their comment....
Ah yes, Us Americans with our using Euros and Kilometers. You got me!
I'd be quite happy if my dollars turned to euros and we started using the metric system...
What do you mean? So do Europeans? In some countries you don't have to if all your income is your salary and have no extra expenses.
In Belgium they also fill in the expenses automatically.
The only thing you need to do is check if anything is missing, and just not do anything if everything is correct. Which it usually is.
How do they know what your expenses are?
Not familiar with belgium but in Australia they don't. It's linked to your payroll so they know if you paid more or less that it was due, plus they have linked your bank accounts so they know if you had any interest to pay taxes on. Something similar for investments accounts too.
If you want to claim any deductions (ie. You work from home and have home office expenses) you punch them in yourself
How can it fill expenses automatically? How can they know if something I buy is for work or leasure?
Check the tax office's website of the country you live in, you might be up for an unpleasant surprise. Pretty normal to have to file a tax report if you are a grown up. There are exceptions in a few countries if all your income is from salaried work and you don't have any deductions to claim but not the norm
CRA (Canada) basically fills in your info for you, you just need to authorize your account in your tax software. Doable online too. If you run a business they obviously can't do this but if you're an employee they have all your info.
Sure they have all your info. I'm not familiar with Canada but in other countries where this happens happens, the site tells you that you need to check that everything is correct, and that YOU are responsible for the information submitted. When you confirm you have effectively submitted your tax return, albeit with the help of a number of automations.
I'm in Australia now, and that how it works here too. Yes it's just a couple of clicks for most people, but you are indeed doing your tax return.
I haven't don't it in Europe in a while, but that was the case when I was there (albeit less automated) and I'm pretty sure that's the case in most countries
in the us they have all your info, but your employer pays an estimated amount of taxes out of your paycheck all year, and you've still gotta fill out paperwork about it yourself as well.
if it turns out you overpaid, which you only know by doing the paperwork yourself, and you filed taxes, you get money back from the gov. if you overpaid and don't file, the gov just keeps your money. if you underpaid and filed, you'll have to send them more money, and if you underpaid and didn't file, the IRS will be coming for you.
From a UK point of view:
That absolutely is the norm. All handled through PAYE.
Any alterations are typically handled through next year's tax code. Normal people don't have to get involved in the process at all. You can prod them to get any refunds sooner (say you get a big bonus and the tax ends up going out of whack), but it works out over time to the point you don't need to.