IN EASE OF PAYING TAXES, WE'RE #76

In "Paying Taxes 2008," its second annual report on corporate taxation produced in tandem with PricewaterhouseCoopers, the World Bank seeks to compare the ease of paying taxes around the world. According to the researchers:

• Despite the popular perception of America as a land of laissez-faire, the United States ranks only 76th.
• This means it is easier to pay corporate taxes in Lithuania (71st), Germany (67th), Portugal (66th), Belgium (65th), Sweden (42nd), Australia (41st), the Netherlands (36th), Estonia (31st), Canada (25th), Norway (16th), Denmark (13th), the United Kingdom (12th), New Zealand (9th) and Ireland (6th) than it is here.

The 2008 survey stresses that government revenues can be enhanced by simplifying tax systems and compliance obligations. Hopefully, says the American, our presidential candidates are listening.

[our tax 'code' is 67 thousand pages and growing. Want to reduce corruption in our government? Fiddling with the code is the No. 1 thing 'sold' to lobbyists - we need a flat-fair tax for more than economic reasons...]

READ MORE