This presentation looks at all aspect of policies including social programs, economic policies, corporate and personal taxation and VAT. People need to be careful when it comes to drawing conclusions without ensuring the comparison between Canada and the Scandinavia is apples to apples.

1. SCANDINAVIA VS- CANADA
– SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC
POLICIES
BY: PAUL YOUNG, CPA, CGA

2. DISCLAIMER
• This presentation is one opinion on differences between Canada and Scandinavia

3. PAUL YOUNG - PRESENTER
Bio
• CPA/CGA
• 25 years of experience in Academia, Industry and Financial solutions
• Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAArky1bAXPSuV2NLtUnyLg

4. AGENDA
• GDP
• Corporate Tax
• VAT
• Personal Tax
• Payroll Tax
• Standard of Living
• Income inequality
• Poverty
• Arms production
• Comments

5. GDP BY INDUSTRY (EXPRESS IN %)

6. TAX BURDEN / CORPORATECanada NorwayDenmark
``

7. VAT TAXATION
• Canada VAT 5% (Federal) – (Provincial Rate 8% to 10%)
• Denmark – 25%
• Sweden – 25%
• Finland- 24%
• Norway – 25%

8. PERSONAL INCOME TAX RATES
• Canada 29% (39-50 combined Provincial/Federal Rates)
• Denmark – 55.41%
• Sweden – 57.00%
• Norway – 47.2%
• Finland – 52.35%

9. PAYROLL TAXES
• Canada – 7.58%
• Denmark – Lump sum – no rate
• Sweden – 31.42%
• Norway – 14.1%
• Finland- 23.23%

10. PER CAPITA INCOME

11. COST OF LIVING
Canada is
Rank 30th

12. BEST COUNTRIES

13. INCOME INEQUALITY
• https://www.oecd.org/forum/issues/oecd-
forum-2015-income-inequality-in-
figures.htm

14. POVERTY RATES
• https://www.oecd.org/forum/issues/oecd-
forum-2015-income-inequality-in-
figures.htm

15. ARMS PRODUCTION
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/swedens-dirty-secret-
they-arm-dictators-2014-5
Sweden has weapon systems that
are inexpensive but not cheap.
AIP diesel submarines and an
affordable fighter that can defeat
the best Russian planes are
systems that the US should adopt
to lower the cost of defense
while increasing security. The US
could buy twice as many
submarines while saving half of
the cost. The US could buy twice
as many fighters while saving five
times the cost.

16. COMMENTS
• Canada is joined at the hip with the USA as such has to be competitive with United States on costs. Payroll taxes are costs for
business as such they have kept in check
• Canada’s economy is driven by commodities, like oil, natural gas, precious metals, agriculture, etc. as such has to depend on
exports. Exports account for 1/3 of GDP and are growing at 4% clip each year
• Scandinavia countries are very expensive for business: http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/australia-the-most-
expensive-country-in-the-g20-20140512-3846v.html. Some Swedish companies are re-looking at their investment due to the
high cost: http://www.bcg.com/media/pressreleasedetails.aspx?id=tcm:12-141488
• Canada competitiveness as slipped, but some of that slipped has to do with bad polices at the provincial level:
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/press/newsrelease/13-09-
04/canada_ranks_14th_in_global_competitiveness_for_the_second_consecutive_year.aspx. Ontario has drove business out
with more regulations as well as high power costs!
• Canada commitment to social programs: http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/government-social-
spending_20743904-table1. You will notice that Harper’s government continue put money into social programs.
• Harper has increase the transfers for education as such money has flown to post-secondary education by the provinces:
http://www.stlawrencecollege.ca/news/2014/oecd-report/
• Education - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/finland-schools-subjects-are-out-and-topics-are-in-as-country-
reforms-its-education-system-10123911.html
• http://sustainability.thomsonreuters.com/2014/05/11/end-oil-boom-threatens-norways-welfare-model/. Norway has AG
sector, but little else as compare to Canada that has MFG, food processing, lumber, fishing, etc.
• Norway debt to GDP http://www.tradingeconomics.com/norway/government-debt-to-gdp is at 29
• Argument against Norway - http://www.sovereignman.com/expat/why-norway-is-a-bs-argument-for-higher-taxes-8235/

17. OTHER SOURCES
• Income inequality - http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/poverty-and-low-income-canada
• Wealthiest - http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/wealthiest-income-earners-in-canada-taxation-
and-income-redistributiion
• Middle class – http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/middle-class-and-quality-of-life-canada
• Poverty - http://www.slideshare.net/paulyoungcga/poverty-and-low-income-canada

18. CONTACT INFORMATION
• Paul_Young_CGA@Hotmail.com