Tax preparation time - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Tax preparation time, in hours, 2019:

The average for 2019 based on 184 countries was 235 hours. The highest value was in Brazil: 1501 hours and the lowest value was in Bahrain: 23 hours. The indicator is available from 2005 to 2019. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: hours; Source: The World Bank (doing business survey)
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Tax preparation time, 2019 Global rank Available data
Brazil 1501 1 2013 - 2019
Bolivia 1025 2 2005 - 2019
Venezuela 920 3 2005 - 2019
Libya 889 4 2012 - 2019
Chad 834 5 2005 - 2019
Ecuador 664 6 2005 - 2019
Gabon 632 7 2005 - 2019
Cameroon 624 8 2005 - 2019
R. of Congo 602 9 2005 - 2019
Eq. Guinea 492 10 2005 - 2019
C.A. Republic 483 11 2005 - 2019
Bulgaria 441 12 2005 - 2019
Bangladesh 435 13 2013 - 2019
S.T.&Principe 424 14 2005 - 2019
Senegal 416 15 2005 - 2019
Bosnia & Herz. 411 16 2005 - 2019
Panama 408 17 2005 - 2019
Guinea 400 18 2005 - 2019
Maldives 391 19 2005 - 2019
Vietnam 384 20 2005 - 2019
Paraguay 378 21 2005 - 2019
Nepal 377 22 2005 - 2019
Egypt 370 23 2005 - 2019
Laos 362 24 2005 - 2019
DR Congo 346 25 2005 - 2019
Nigeria 343 26 2013 - 2019
Sierra Leone 343 27 2005 - 2019
Syria 336 28 2005 - 2019
Poland 334 29 2005 - 2019
Ukraine 328 30 2005 - 2019
Lesotho 327 31 2005 - 2019
Gambia 326 32 2005 - 2019
Domin. Rep. 317 33 2005 - 2019
Argentina 312 34 2005 - 2019
Iraq 312 35 2005 - 2019
Namibia 302 36 2005 - 2019
Ethiopia 300 37 2005 - 2019
Montenegro 300 38 2006 - 2019
Chile 296 39 2005 - 2019
Angola 287 40 2005 - 2019
Pakistan 283 41 2013 - 2019
Burma 282 42 2012 - 2019
Hungary 277 43 2005 - 2019
Mali 276 44 2005 - 2019
Afghanistan 270 45 2005 - 2019
Benin 270 46 2005 - 2019
Burkina Faso 270 47 2005 - 2019
Mauritania 270 48 2005 - 2019
Niger 270 49 2005 - 2019
Jamaica 268 50 2005 - 2019
Algeria 265 51 2005 - 2019
Armenia 264 52 2005 - 2019
Peru 260 53 2005 - 2019
Colombia 256 54 2005 - 2019
Guyana 256 55 2005 - 2019
Albania 252 56 2005 - 2019
India 252 57 2013 - 2019
Guatemala 248 58 2005 - 2019
Yemen 248 59 2005 - 2019
Fiji 247 60 2005 - 2019
Portugal 243 61 2005 - 2019
Zimbabwe 242 62 2005 - 2019
Barbados 241 63 2011 - 2019
Mexico 241 64 2013 - 2019
Italy 238 65 2005 - 2019
Israel 234 66 2005 - 2019
Slovenia 233 67 2005 - 2019
Burundi 232 68 2005 - 2019
Czechia 230 69 2005 - 2019
Thailand 229 70 2005 - 2019
Ghana 226 71 2005 - 2019
Serbia 226 72 2005 - 2019
Samoa 224 73 2005 - 2019
Tajikistan 224 74 2005 - 2019
Kyrgyzstan 220 75 2005 - 2019
Germany 218 76 2005 - 2019
G.-Bissau 218 77 2005 - 2019
Puerto Rico 218 78 2005 - 2019
Eritrea 216 79 2005 - 2019
Georgia 216 80 2005 - 2019
Iran 216 81 2005 - 2019
South Africa 210 82 2005 - 2019
Tr.&Tobago 210 83 2005 - 2019
Papua N.G. 207 84 2005 - 2019
Tanzania 207 85 2005 - 2019
Croatia 206 86 2005 - 2019
Honduras 203 87 2005 - 2019
Nicaragua 201 88 2005 - 2019
Mozambique 200 89 2005 - 2019
Tonga 200 90 2005 - 2019
Suriname 199 91 2005 - 2019
Uganda 195 92 2005 - 2019
Greece 193 93 2005 - 2019
Slovakia 192 94 2005 - 2019
Indonesia 191 95 2013 - 2019
Ivory Coast 187 96 2005 - 2019
Kazakhstan 186 97 2005 - 2019
Haiti 184 98 2005 - 2019
Madagascar 183 99 2005 - 2019
Moldova 183 100 2005 - 2019
Lebanon 181 101 2005 - 2019
Uzbekistan 181 102 2005 - 2019
Cape Verde 180 103 2005 - 2019
Kenya 180 104 2005 - 2019
Sudan 180 105 2005 - 2019
Ant.& Barb. 177 106 2005 - 2019
USA 175 107 2013 - 2019
Malaysia 174 108 2005 - 2019
Palestine 174 109 2005 - 2019
South Korea 174 110 2005 - 2019
Cambodia 173 111 2005 - 2019
Philippines 171 112 2005 - 2019
Belarus 170 113 2005 - 2019
Turkey 170 114 2005 - 2019
Latvia 169 115 2005 - 2019
Malawi 169 116 2005 - 2019
El Salvador 168 117 2005 - 2019
Kiribati 168 118 2005 - 2019
Romania 163 119 2005 - 2019
Uruguay 163 120 2005 - 2019
Azerbaijan 159 121 2005 - 2019
Russia 159 122 2013 - 2019
Togo 159 123 2005 - 2019
UA Emirates 158 124 2005 - 2019
Zambia 158 125 2005 - 2019
Bahamas 155 126 2007 - 2019
Morocco 155 127 2005 - 2019
Saudi Arabia 152 128 2005 - 2019
Costa Rica 151 129 2005 - 2019
Belize 147 130 2005 - 2019
Tunisia 144 131 2005 - 2019
Spain 143 132 2005 - 2019
Grenada 140 133 2005 - 2019
Iceland 140 134 2005 - 2019
Liberia 140 135 2006 - 2019
Mauritius 140 136 2005 - 2019
New Zealand 140 137 2005 - 2019
France 139 138 2005 - 2019
Malta 139 139 2011 - 2019
China 138 140 2013 - 2019
Belgium 136 141 2005 - 2019
Mongolia 134 142 2005 - 2019
Denmark 132 143 2005 - 2019
Austria 131 144 2005 - 2019
Canada 131 145 2005 - 2019
Japan 129 146 2013 - 2019
Sri Lanka 129 147 2005 - 2019
Micronesia 128 148 2005 - 2019
Swaziland 122 149 2005 - 2019
Sweden 122 150 2005 - 2019
Botswana 120 151 2005 - 2019
Cyprus 120 152 2008 - 2019
Vanuatu 120 153 2005 - 2019
Netherlands 119 154 2005 - 2019
North Macedonia 119 155 2005 - 2019
Dominica 117 156 2005 - 2019
UK 114 157 2005 - 2019
Saint Lucia 110 158 2005 - 2019
St. Vincent & ... 108 159 2005 - 2019
Australia 105 160 2005 - 2019
Comoros 100 161 2005 - 2019
Kuwait 98 162 2005 - 2019
Jordan 97 163 2005 - 2019
Lithuania 95 164 2005 - 2019
Rwanda 91 165 2005 - 2019
Finland 90 166 2005 - 2019
Seychelles 85 167 2005 - 2019
Ireland 82 168 2005 - 2019
Solomon Isl. 80 169 2005 - 2019
Norway 79 170 2005 - 2019
Djibouti 76 171 2005 - 2019
Oman 68 172 2005 - 2019
Singapore 64 173 2005 - 2019
Switzerland 63 174 2005 - 2019
Luxembourg 55 175 2006 - 2019
Brunei 53 176 2006 - 2019
Bhutan 52 177 2005 - 2019
Palau 52 178 2005 - 2019
San Marino 52 179 2012 - 2019
Estonia 50 180 2005 - 2019
Liechtenstein 49 181 2018 - 2019
Qatar 41 182 2007 - 2019
Hong Kong 35 183 2005 - 2019
Bahrain 23 184 2007 - 2019



Definition: Time to prepare and pay taxes is the time, in hours per year, it takes to prepare, file, and pay (or withhold) three major types of taxes: the corporate income tax, the value added or sales tax, and labor taxes, including payroll taxes and social security contributions.

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1. Brazil
2. Bolivia
3. Venezuela
4. Libya
5. Chad
6. Ecuador
7. Gabon
8. Cameroon
9. R. of Congo
10. Eq. Guinea
11. C.A. Republic
12. Bulgaria
13. Bangladesh
14. S.T.&Principe
15. Senegal
16. Bosnia & Herz.
17. Panama
18. Guinea
19. Maldives
20. Vietnam
21. Paraguay
22. Nepal
23. Egypt
24. Laos
25. DR Congo
26. Nigeria
27. Sierra Leone
28. Syria
29. Poland
30. Ukraine
31. Lesotho
32. Gambia
33. Domin. Rep.
34. Argentina
35. Iraq
36. Namibia
37. Ethiopia
38. Montenegro
39. Chile
40. Angola
41. Pakistan
42. Burma
43. Hungary
44. Mali
45. Afghanistan
46. Benin
47. Burkina Faso
48. Mauritania
49. Niger
50. Jamaica
51. Algeria
52. Armenia
53. Peru
54. Colombia
55. Guyana
56. Albania
57. India
58. Guatemala
59. Yemen
60. Fiji
61. Portugal
62. Zimbabwe
63. Barbados
64. Mexico
65. Italy
66. Israel
67. Slovenia
68. Burundi
69. Czechia
70. Thailand
71. Ghana
72. Serbia
73. Samoa
74. Tajikistan
75. Kyrgyzstan
76. Germany
77. G.-Bissau
78. Puerto Rico
79. Eritrea
80. Georgia
81. Iran
82. South Africa
83. Tr.&Tobago
84. Papua N.G.
85. Tanzania
86. Croatia
87. Honduras
88. Nicaragua
89. Mozambique
90. Tonga
91. Suriname
92. Uganda
93. Greece
94. Slovakia
95. Indonesia
96. Ivory Coast
97. Kazakhstan
98. Haiti
99. Madagascar
100. Moldova
101. Lebanon
102. Uzbekistan
103. Cape Verde
104. Kenya
105. Sudan
106. Ant.& Barb.
107. USA
108. Malaysia
109. Palestine
110. South Korea
111. Cambodia
112. Philippines
113. Belarus
114. Turkey
115. Latvia
116. Malawi
117. El Salvador
118. Kiribati
119. Romania
120. Uruguay
121. Azerbaijan
122. Russia
123. Togo
124. UA Emirates
125. Zambia
126. Bahamas
127. Morocco
128. Saudi Arabia
129. Costa Rica
130. Belize
131. Tunisia
132. Spain
133. Grenada
134. Iceland
135. Liberia
136. Mauritius
137. New Zealand
138. France
139. Malta
140. China
141. Belgium
142. Mongolia
143. Denmark
144. Austria
145. Canada
146. Japan
147. Sri Lanka
148. Micronesia
149. Swaziland
150. Sweden
151. Botswana
152. Cyprus
153. Vanuatu
154. Netherlands
155. North Macedonia
156. Dominica
157. UK
158. Saint Lucia
159. St. Vincent & ...
160. Australia
161. Comoros
162. Kuwait
163. Jordan
164. Lithuania
165. Rwanda
166. Finland
167. Seychelles
168. Ireland
169. Solomon Isl.
170. Norway
171. Djibouti
172. Oman
173. Singapore
174. Switzerland
175. Luxembourg
176. Brunei
177. Bhutan
178. Palau
179. San Marino
180. Estonia
181. Liechtenstein
182. Qatar
183. Hong Kong
184. Bahrain
1501
1025
920
889
834
664
632
624
602
492
483
441
435
424
416
411
408
400
391
384
378
377
370
362
346
343
343
336
334
328
327
326
317
312
312
302
300
300
296
287
283
282
277
276
270
270
270
270
270
268
265
264
260
256
256
252
252
248
248
247
243
242
241
241
238
234
233
232
230
229
226
226
224
224
220
218
218
218
216
216
216
210
210
207
207
206
203
201
200
200
199
195
193
192
191
187
186
184
183
183
181
181
180
180
180
177
175
174
174
174
173
171
170
170
169
169
168
168
163
163
159
159
159
158
158
155
155
152
151
147
144
143
140
140
140
140
140
139
139
138
136
134
132
131
131
129
129
128
122
122
120
120
120
119
119
117
114
110
108
105
100
98
97
95
91
90
85
82
80
79
76
68
64
63
55
53
52
52
52
50
49
41
35
23
0
375.3
750.5
1125.8
1501


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