Differences in UK and US........

[kendor]

another is mail as opposed to post such as mailman instead of postman

 

[mlb3c]

another is mail as opposed to post such as mailman instead of postman

here, we get our mail from the post office or have it delivered by the mailman but is also known as postman,, depending where in the states you are.

 

[kendor]

getting more and more english by the day and we are getting more american

 

[mlb3c]

americans drive on the right side of the road......am I correct in saying "Brits" drive on the left? or is there another way to say it?

 

[kendor]

nope that's correct

 

[empip]

americans drive on the right side of the road......am I correct in saying "Brits" drive on the left? or is there another way to say it?

Brits tend to drive on the correct side of the road .......

 

[williams89]

My brother and his wife moved to America, Georgia. They loved it. Much better standard of living. Easy to get along with the folks . Said Americans in general like the English very much and make a fuss of them. The only down side was health care. It's very good but prices for even the minor treatments were way too expensive. They have since moved back to the uk for medical reasons, no pun intended. They have a son who stayed and married and is now proud to call himself American. The biggest difference according to my brother is the quality of life and the opportunities open to all. They did say that ethnic problems were sometimes reported in the press but that they never encountered any.
I have never visited the country but from what I have read about it in the history books and current affairs I find it to be the worlds biggest contradiction. Peter Ustinov is reported to have said, Beliefs are what devide people. Doubt unites them. So let us all doubt the authenticity of negative reporting of the actions of either country.

 

[williams89]

A straight to the point, from the hip question.

What sort of lifestyle could a guy expect living in your area with a net (after tax) income of say US$3,000 per month?
Own home ? 1 car or more? or penury?

NOT GOOD. Be happy with your own grass my friend. The grass is not greener on this side. I don't mean the smoking kind. Anyway be happy.

 

[williams89]

If you are successful in the USA, people seem to think you have got there by hard work, and are genuinely pleased for you. In the UK people are resentful and jealous, and think you are somehow fiddling or are 'lucky'.

AMEN TO THAT!!!!!

 

[Stoday]

Interesting, isn't it, that in the 11th and 12th centuries the Normans were consolidating their conquest of England, and yet within a few hundred years we had become so non-French that we were at war with them...

Don't you mean "in the 11th and 12th centuries we were consolidating our conquest of England, and yet within a few hundred years we had become so non-French that we were at war with them"

 

[empip]

A straight to the point, from the hip question.

What sort of lifestyle could a guy expect living in your area with a net (after tax) income of say US$3,000 per month?
Own home ? 1 car or more? or penury?

NOT GOOD. Be happy with your own grass my friend. The grass is not greener on this side. I don't mean the smoking kind. Anyway be happy.

Oi,oi .. Don't you start putting words in my post !!

The question was simple .. If I were asked that I could rattle off a few figures about the UK .. Just thought it might be interesting.

 

[empip]

Hokay .. perhaps our TN'ian may comment... On it's veracity.

If correct ain't just cheaper fuel, by gum!!

We are talking around US$1.71 to the GB£1.00
eg $0.25 = £0.15

TENNESSEE
Sales Taxes
State Sales Tax: 7% on tangible property (prescription drugs exempt); 6% on food and food ingredients. Counties and cities may add another 1.5% to 2.75% to the total of either rate (click here).
Gasoline Tax: * 21.4 cents/gallon
Diesel Fuel Tax: * 18.4 cents/gallon
Gasohol Tax: * 21.4 cents/gallon
Cigarette Tax: 20 cents/pack of 20

Personal Income Taxes
Salaries, wages, Social Security, IRAs and pension income are not taxed. A 6% tax is levied on stock dividends and interest from bonds and other obligations. The first $1,250 in taxable income received by a single filer is exempt ($2,500 for joint filers).
Retirement Income Taxes: Persons over 65 with a total income of less than $16,2000 (single filer) or $27,000 (joint filer) are exempt from the above tax.
Retired Military Pay: See above.
Military Disability Retired Pay: Disability Portion - Length of Service Pay; Member on September 24, 1975 - No tax; Not Member on September 24, 1975 - Taxed, unless combat incurred. Retired Pay - Based solely on disability: Member on September 24, 1975 - No tax; Not Member on September 24, 1975 - Taxed, unless all pay based on disability and disability resulted from armed conflict, extra-hazardous service, simulated war, or an instrumentality of war.
VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: Not subject to federal or state taxes
Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally subject to state taxes for those states with income tax. Check with state department of revenue office.

Property Taxes
Tennessee does not have a homestead exemption. However, there is a property tax relief program for the elderly, disabled and veterans. Click here. The assessed valuation of a property is based on 25% of its fair market value. Depending on the location of the residence, homeowners will be assessed property taxes from the city only, the city and county, or the city, county, and a special school/fire district rate. A local government may authorize (at their option) a person who is 65 years of age or older to defer payment of tax up to $60,000 of the appraised fair market value of the homeowners residence if the combined income is not more than $12,000. Local option could increase it to $25,000. For more information, call 615-741-4883.

Inheritance and Estate Taxes
There is an inheritance tax in which all real and personal property in which the decedent owned or has an interest is taxed. It ranges from 5.5% to 9.5% of the value of the property transferred at death. Spouses are exempt. For 2005, any amount over $950,000 is taxed. The estate tax is limited and related to federal estate tax collection.

For further information, visit the Tennessee Department of Revenue site or call 615-741-2837.
* Tax rates to do not include local option tax of 1 cent.

Personal Income Taxes
Salaries, wages, Social Security, IRAs and pension income are not taxed... Does this only apply to pensioners? NO TAX on wage / salary?? Is that due to the lack of 'state or Govn' social provision?

 

[mlb3c]

I looked at it and it all appeared okay except sales tax is 8.25 percent. standard (reg) fuel costs about 2.33 per gal, cigs are about $22-$35 a carton. minimum wage ( not sure) I can tell you this. Based on your past ip's, you wouldn't have a problem going anywhere you wanted. you certainly wouldn't be in poverty.

 

[williams89]

A straight to the point, from the hip question.

What sort of lifestyle could a guy expect living in your area with a net (after tax) income of say US$3,000 per month?
Own home ? 1 car or more? or penury?

NOT GOOD. Be happy with your own grass my friend. The grass is not greener on this side. I don't mean the smoking kind. Anyway be happy.

Oi,oi .. Don't you start putting words in my post !!
Sorry. I'm new to this site. Will not do it again. Great site. BE HAPPY
The question was simple .. If I were asked that I could rattle off a few figures about the UK .. Just thought it might be interesting.

 

[AdamW]

The assessed valuation of a property is based on 25% of its fair market value.

So if you buy a house for $400K, you have to pay $100K tax when you buy it?!?! Or have I misunderstood this?

Pip, remember the petrol is about 84-RON though, if you want 98-RON you pay a LOT more (IIRC about the same as UK petrol!)

My experiences of the US (mainly Florida) were good:

1) it is possible to have a conversation with a woman in a bar without her assuming you are trying to chat her up.
2) you can eat out very cheaply (although I did find that good-quality food was more expensive than the UK)
3) breakfast
4) driving is far more leisurely as the roads are empty and people just seem to drive at their own pace (although they drive on the wrong side of the road)
5) houses are seriously cheap compared to the UK... all that land I suppose (although I suspect the cities are still quite pricey)
6) Disney World

The woman at the hotel told me about a bar half a mile away. When I asked "So we just walk that way and we'll find it?" she was visibly shocked and asked if we had a car! I explained "of course we do, but we can hardly drive drunk can we!" and again, she seemed surprised that we were going out, KNOWING that we would end up drunk