U.S. is Middle of World Pack in Ease of Paying Taxes April 7, 2008 Joseph Bishop-Henchman Joseph Bishop-Henchman 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. Stay informed on the tax policies impacting you. Subscribe to get insights from our trusted experts delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe Share Tweet Share Email Topics Center for Federal Tax Policy Tags Compliance Costs and Tax Complexity