Taxes like this are completely unjust, it shows malicious intent by those who have the powers. Some people here can make relativistic comparisons and say that it is not as bad as somewhere else, but that kinda misses the point. It should not be like this anywhere. When taxes are done right, they can be a good thing. They can be used for example to persuade people to behave in ways that are beneficial for them and for the country. You can incentivize certain behaviors such as buying electric vehicles by reducing the taxes on them. In your personal case with the phones you are absolutely right. What probably happened here is that the local industry group colluded together and bribed the relevant parties that have power to enact such laws. This happens very frequently but people refuse to believe this because it can shatter their positive worldview. I don't think that high taxes are not related to the happiness index of a country. If it shows anything is that the taxes are used in an inefficient way and that a lot of them are being stolen. It is very fair to complain, I would find ways to avoid these taxes like the rich do. Each country has its own specific rules for every issue. People need to look in detail and they may find an answer that will help them. I would like to point out that this is a mistake and that you should consider changing your view. It really depends a lot on where you live. Cars are a necessity for many places in the world and it would not even be possible to accept many jobs without a car. Many places have bad public transport or do not have any at all depending on where you live and where your job is. What should one do in this case? Please do not group together basic cars with medium prices or luxury cars, these are not the same. Basic cars can be considered a necessity like a basic smartphone, but having the latest iPhone is not a necessity that is a luxury.
Taxes like this are completely unjust, it shows malicious intent by those who have the powers. Some people here can make relativistic comparisons and say that it is not as bad as somewhere else, but that kinda misses the point. It should not be like this anywhere. When taxes are done right, they can be a good thing. They can be used for example to persuade people to behave in ways that are beneficial for them and for the country. You can incentivize certain behaviors such as buying electric vehicles by reducing the taxes on them. In your personal case with the phones you are absolutely right. What probably happened here is that the local industry group colluded together and bribed the relevant parties that have power to enact such laws. This happens very frequently but people refuse to believe this because it can shatter their positive worldview. I don't think that high taxes are not related to the happiness index of a country. If it shows anything is that the taxes are used in an inefficient way and that a lot of them are being stolen. It is very fair to complain, I would find ways to avoid these taxes like the rich do. Each country has its own specific rules for every issue. People need to look in detail and they may find an answer that will help them. I would like to point out that this is a mistake and that you should consider changing your view. It really depends a lot on where you live. Cars are a necessity for many places in the world and it would not even be possible to accept many jobs without a car. Many places have bad public transport or do not have any at all depending on where you live and where your job is. What should one do in this case? Please do not group together basic cars with medium prices or luxury cars, these are not the same. Basic cars can be considered a necessity like a basic smartphone, but having the latest iPhone is not a necessity that is a luxury.

Taxes like this are completely unjust, it shows malicious intent by those who have the powers. Some people here can make relativistic comparisons and say that it is not as bad as somewhere else, but that kinda misses the point. It should not be like this anywhere. When taxes are done right, they can be a good thing. They can be used for example to persuade people to behave in ways that are beneficial for them and for the country. You can incentivize certain behaviors such as buying electric vehicles by reducing the taxes on them. In your personal case with the phones you are absolutely right. What probably happened here is that the local industry group colluded together and bribed the relevant parties that have power to enact such laws. This happens very frequently but people refuse to believe this because it can shatter their positive worldview. I don't think that high taxes are not related to the happiness index of a country. If it shows anything is that the taxes are used in an inefficient way and that a lot of them are being stolen. It is very fair to complain, I would find ways to avoid these taxes like the rich do. Each country has its own specific rules for every issue. People need to look in detail and they may find an answer that will help them. I would like to point out that this is a mistake and that you should consider changing your view. It really depends a lot on where you live. Cars are a necessity for many places in the world and it would not even be possible to accept many jobs without a car. Many places have bad public transport or do not have any at all depending on where you live and where your job is. What should one do in this case? Please do not group together basic cars with medium prices or luxury cars, these are not the same. Basic cars can be considered a necessity like a basic smartphone, but having the latest iPhone is not a necessity that is a luxury.

Taxes like this are completely unjust, it shows malicious intent by those who have the powers. Some people here can make relativistic comparisons and say that it is not as bad as somewhere else, but that kinda misses the point. It should not be like this anywhere. When taxes are done right, they can be a good thing. They can be used for example to persuade people to behave in ways that are beneficial for them and for the country. You can incentivize certain behaviors such as buying electric vehicles by reducing the taxes on them. In your personal case with the phones you are absolutely right. What probably happened here is that the local industry group colluded together and bribed the relevant parties that have power to enact such laws. This happens very frequently but people refuse to believe this because it can shatter their positive worldview. I don't think that high taxes are not related to the happiness index of a country. If it shows anything is that the taxes are used in an inefficient way and that a lot of them are being stolen. It is very fair to complain, I would find ways to avoid these taxes like the rich do. Each country has its own specific rules for every issue. People need to look in detail and they may find an answer that will help them. I would like to point out that this is a mistake and that you should consider changing your view. It really depends a lot on where you live. Cars are a necessity for many places in the world and it would not even be possible to accept many jobs without a car. Many places have bad public transport or do not have any at all depending on where you live and where your job is. What should one do in this case? Please do not group together basic cars with medium prices or luxury cars, these are not the same. Basic cars can be considered a necessity like a basic smartphone, but having the latest iPhone is not a necessity that is a luxury.