Interesting reading these posts from over here in the UK, you guys get off lightly!
We have roughly:
20% tax from £8k to £40k
40% tax from £40k to £150k
50% (dropping to 45% soon) from £150k+
This is on all earnings so includes interest in the bank etc!
In addition we pay something called national insurance of 12% on earnings up to £770 a week, after that 2%.
VAT 20%
Capital gains tax the same as income tax (although you get around £10k capital gains free of tax per year).
As for private education - at least 13k per year around my way per child..............