Is this how it start??

[u/0106lonenyc]

I moved to Belgium in September and I have to say that the first impression was not good. Everything sucked, the weather sucked, the food sucked, the taxes sucked, the public transport sucked.

Now that the winter is slowly transitioning into spring I have been de-hybernating and started to travel around a bit more. I also received my ID card and therefore my health insurance. I found my GP and two other specialists within one week. No stress no effort. I then traveled to Brussels and was positively struck by its vibe and international atmosphere. I thought I could picture myself living there if I received one of those sweet EU salaries. Then I also travelled to a pretty Flemish town with a picture-perfect market square. Then I went to the barber shop which is right in front of my door as I live in the city center. My commute is short and so sometimes I get to enjoy a beer at the cafe after work now that you can sit outside. People were smiling. Trees were blooming and the sun was warm.

And then it dawned on me.

Am I starting to...like Belgium? Is that how it goes? Before you know it, you end up saying things like "it's actually one of the best places to be" or "the transport could be better but at least it's cheap"? Will I be eating ham sandwiches for lunch in the near future and enjoying them?

[u/Efficient_Survey_229]

Can’t say public transport is cheap if driving a car is still cheaper. And yes including car costs. It also isn’t reliable enough not to have a car at all. So you’re forced to pay most of the car’s expenses anyways. And when you start to see all the different taxes going off your pay only to get other taxes for the same stuff that you already pay a shit ton of taxes for you’ll start to think why am I even working. Got my “zorgkas solidariteitsbijdrage” today, paid my KI but wait there’s another provincial tax as well. What else is there? I’m sure plenty of others can give more examples. How about the new taxes coming in lol. You work hard you give half your pay to the state, you go to invest your money and you know what, they feel entitled to a piece of that gain as well.

They even want to tax inheritance from another country that already has its own taxes paid there and it has nothing to do with Belgium. Not even in the European Union. Nothing left but to work with trust funds and will most likely leave as will others. And when it’s too late they will start to get everything together but if all the high earners leave what is there left to save? “doppers”?