You think its only Italy, think again

PORTUGUESE TAX HIKES

In line with several other countries in Europe facing significant fiscal deficits after the
financial crisis, Portugal has introduced a number of tax increases which particularly
affect the more affluent parts of the country’s population, including expatriates
resident there.

My income is rising, when all else falls...how?

Yesterday I read an article in the Guardian newspaper entitled 'UK companies pay record £18.8bn dividends. 

This information on its own means very little but further into the article it explains that UK firms increased their dividends by 25% on 2011.  That is the equivalent of my salary increasing 25% on last year, the interest rate on my cash account increasing by 25% last year, or even my fixed pension increasing 25% on 2011.   However, in these examples nothing of the sort happened.