Australia has been ranked as one of the world's nations whose government imposes a low tax rate on its citizens.

In a list of "Countries With The Highest And Lowest Taxes" by the Financial Edge of Investopedia, it listed Australia as imposing only a 31.5 per cent marginal tax rate on workers, and the country has performed much better throughout the recent recession compared to most other economically developed countries. Factors such as entrepreneurship and business investment largely contributed to Australia's general economic health.

Along with Australia on the list of nations with lowest tax rates imposed are the United States, Switzerland and Canada.

Taxes are inevitable. No free nor diplomatic nor war-torn country can perform effectively if it can not raise funds to meet its fiscal needs and disbursements.

Despite endless complaints about over-taxation, the United States, the world's biggest economy, with a GDP of over $1,400 billion, was found only levying a marginal income tax rate of only 27 per cent on its workers and companies.

Switzerland, a refuge for the world's wealthy, has one of the lowest marginal tax rates on working people, at only 20 per cent. its unemployment, as of 2009, stood at less than three percent.

While Canada only executes a marginal tax rate of 31.2 per cent on its labor force. Although its tax rate is relatively low, Canada offers a program of national health care.

Meanwhile, foremost on the list of nations enforcing one of the world's highest tax rates is the country of Belgium. The Belgium government exacts from its taxpayers a marginal rate of 54.9 per cent, the highest among Western European countries. Economists and analysts said the country's growing unemployment rate and flat economy led to the imposition of the high taxes.

Next is Finland, taxing its workers and companies by 46.6 per cent. According to the report, Finland's tax rate is the fourth highest in the world. However, such high tax rate is well compensated by the nation's dynamic economy and low unemployment rate of 6.8 per cent as of mid-October 2011.

Germany's marginal tax rate of 45 per cent has not hurt the nation's economy, either. It is by far Europe's biggest and the world's fourth largest measured by GDP. Germany continues to flourish economically despite giving extensive and costly social safety to its citizens.

Right behind Germany with a marginal tax rate of 44.4 per cent, listed as the world's fifth highest, Denmark still prospers. In a 2007 story ran by ABC News, Danish workers regard themselves as happy and content despite their heavy tax burden.

The cost of running a country, providing services, maintaining a military, supporting and repairing the infrastructure, and all the other essential functions of government, is immensely expensive.

So whoever said life is free must be joking.