A joint World Bank-PricewaterhouseCoopers study “Paying Taxes 2008: The Global Picture” compares the world’s countries on the ease of paying taxes. The United States ranks 76th out of 178 countries, weighed down by the hours needed to comply with tax laws (122nd in the world) and total tax rate (102nd in the world). The 12 countries where it’s easiest to pay taxes are: Maldives (1), Singapore (2), Hong Kong (3), UAE (4), Oman (5), Ireland (6), Saudi Arabia (7), Kuwait (8), New Zealand (9), Kiribati (10), Mauritius (11), and the United Kingdom (12). The 12 countries where it’s least easy to pay taxes are: China (168), Panama (169), Jamaica (170), Mauritania (171), Bolivia (172), Gambia (173), Venezuela (174), Central African Republic (175), Republic of Congo (176), Ukraine (177), and Belarus (178). More on tax burdens here.
