# How many hours a year does paying taxes take?

**It typically takes 270 hours, and anywhere from 270 hours to 270 hours (Afghanistan, 2019).** (Source: MainMesh, updated 2026-10-15)

| Estimate | Region | Year | Low | Typical | High | Source type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Afghanistan | 2019 | 270 hours | 270 hours | 270 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Albania | 2019 | 252 hours | 252 hours | 252 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Algeria | 2019 | 265 hours | 265 hours | 265 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Angola | 2019 | 287 hours | 287 hours | 287 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Antigua and Barbuda | 2019 | 177 hours | 177 hours | 177 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Argentina | 2019 | 311.5 hours | 311.5 hours | 311.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Armenia | 2019 | 264 hours | 264 hours | 264 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Australia | 2019 | 105 hours | 105 hours | 105 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Austria | 2019 | 131 hours | 131 hours | 131 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Azerbaijan | 2019 | 159 hours | 159 hours | 159 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Bahamas, The | 2019 | 155 hours | 155 hours | 155 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Bahrain | 2019 | 22.5 hours | 22.5 hours | 22.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Bangladesh | 2019 | 435 hours | 435 hours | 435 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Barbados | 2019 | 241 hours | 241 hours | 241 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Belarus | 2019 | 170 hours | 170 hours | 170 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Belgium | 2019 | 136 hours | 136 hours | 136 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Belize | 2019 | 147 hours | 147 hours | 147 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Benin | 2019 | 270 hours | 270 hours | 270 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Bhutan | 2019 | 52 hours | 52 hours | 52 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Bolivia | 2019 | 1,025 hours | 1,025 hours | 1,025 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2019 | 411 hours | 411 hours | 411 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Botswana | 2019 | 120 hours | 120 hours | 120 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Brazil | 2019 | 1,501 hours | 1,501 hours | 1,501 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Brunei Darussalam | 2019 | 52.5 hours | 52.5 hours | 52.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Bulgaria | 2019 | 441 hours | 441 hours | 441 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Burkina Faso | 2019 | 270 hours | 270 hours | 270 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Burundi | 2019 | 232 hours | 232 hours | 232 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Cabo Verde | 2019 | 180 hours | 180 hours | 180 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Cambodia | 2019 | 173 hours | 173 hours | 173 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Cameroon | 2019 | 624 hours | 624 hours | 624 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Canada | 2019 | 131 hours | 131 hours | 131 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Central African Republic | 2019 | 483 hours | 483 hours | 483 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Chad | 2019 | 834 hours | 834 hours | 834 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Chile | 2019 | 296 hours | 296 hours | 296 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | China | 2019 | 138 hours | 138 hours | 138 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Colombia | 2019 | 255.5 hours | 255.5 hours | 255.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Comoros | 2019 | 100 hours | 100 hours | 100 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 2019 | 346 hours | 346 hours | 346 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Congo, Rep. | 2019 | 602 hours | 602 hours | 602 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Costa Rica | 2019 | 151 hours | 151 hours | 151 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Croatia | 2019 | 206 hours | 206 hours | 206 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Cyprus | 2019 | 119.5 hours | 119.5 hours | 119.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Denmark | 2019 | 132 hours | 132 hours | 132 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Djibouti | 2019 | 76 hours | 76 hours | 76 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Dominica | 2019 | 117 hours | 117 hours | 117 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Dominican Republic | 2019 | 317 hours | 317 hours | 317 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Ecuador | 2019 | 664 hours | 664 hours | 664 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 2019 | 370 hours | 370 hours | 370 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | El Salvador | 2019 | 168 hours | 168 hours | 168 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Equatorial Guinea | 2019 | 492 hours | 492 hours | 492 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Eritrea | 2019 | 216 hours | 216 hours | 216 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Estonia | 2019 | 50 hours | 50 hours | 50 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Eswatini | 2019 | 122 hours | 122 hours | 122 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Ethiopia | 2019 | 300 hours | 300 hours | 300 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Fiji | 2019 | 247 hours | 247 hours | 247 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Finland | 2019 | 90 hours | 90 hours | 90 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | France | 2019 | 139 hours | 139 hours | 139 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Gabon | 2019 | 632 hours | 632 hours | 632 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Gambia, The | 2019 | 326 hours | 326 hours | 326 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Georgia | 2019 | 216 hours | 216 hours | 216 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Germany | 2019 | 218 hours | 218 hours | 218 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Ghana | 2019 | 226 hours | 226 hours | 226 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Greece | 2019 | 193 hours | 193 hours | 193 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Grenada | 2019 | 140 hours | 140 hours | 140 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Guatemala | 2019 | 248 hours | 248 hours | 248 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Guinea | 2019 | 400 hours | 400 hours | 400 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Guinea-Bissau | 2019 | 218 hours | 218 hours | 218 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Guyana | 2019 | 256 hours | 256 hours | 256 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Haiti | 2019 | 184 hours | 184 hours | 184 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Honduras | 2019 | 203 hours | 203 hours | 203 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Hungary | 2019 | 277 hours | 277 hours | 277 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Iceland | 2019 | 140 hours | 140 hours | 140 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | India | 2019 | 251.88 hours | 251.88 hours | 251.88 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Indonesia | 2019 | 191 hours | 191 hours | 191 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 2019 | 216 hours | 216 hours | 216 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Iraq | 2019 | 312 hours | 312 hours | 312 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Ireland | 2019 | 81.5 hours | 81.5 hours | 81.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Israel | 2019 | 234 hours | 234 hours | 234 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Italy | 2019 | 238 hours | 238 hours | 238 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Jamaica | 2019 | 268 hours | 268 hours | 268 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Japan | 2019 | 128.5 hours | 128.5 hours | 128.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Jordan | 2019 | 96.5 hours | 96.5 hours | 96.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Kazakhstan | 2019 | 186 hours | 186 hours | 186 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Kenya | 2019 | 179.5 hours | 179.5 hours | 179.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Kiribati | 2019 | 168 hours | 168 hours | 168 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Korea, Rep. | 2019 | 174 hours | 174 hours | 174 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Kosovo | 2019 | 153.5 hours | 153.5 hours | 153.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Kuwait | 2019 | 98 hours | 98 hours | 98 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Kyrgyz Republic | 2019 | 220 hours | 220 hours | 220 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Lao PDR | 2019 | 362 hours | 362 hours | 362 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Latvia | 2019 | 168.5 hours | 168.5 hours | 168.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Lebanon | 2019 | 181 hours | 181 hours | 181 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Lesotho | 2019 | 327 hours | 327 hours | 327 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Liberia | 2019 | 139.5 hours | 139.5 hours | 139.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Libya | 2019 | 889 hours | 889 hours | 889 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Liechtenstein | 2019 | 49 hours | 49 hours | 49 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Lithuania | 2019 | 95 hours | 95 hours | 95 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Luxembourg | 2019 | 55 hours | 55 hours | 55 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Madagascar | 2019 | 183 hours | 183 hours | 183 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Malawi | 2019 | 169 hours | 169 hours | 169 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Malaysia | 2019 | 174 hours | 174 hours | 174 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Maldives | 2019 | 390.5 hours | 390.5 hours | 390.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Mali | 2019 | 276 hours | 276 hours | 276 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Malta | 2019 | 139 hours | 139 hours | 139 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Marshall Islands | 2019 | 56 hours | 56 hours | 56 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Mauritania | 2019 | 270 hours | 270 hours | 270 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Mauritius | 2019 | 140 hours | 140 hours | 140 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Mexico | 2019 | 240.5 hours | 240.5 hours | 240.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 2019 | 128 hours | 128 hours | 128 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Moldova | 2019 | 183 hours | 183 hours | 183 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Mongolia | 2019 | 134 hours | 134 hours | 134 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Montenegro | 2019 | 300 hours | 300 hours | 300 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Morocco | 2019 | 155 hours | 155 hours | 155 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Mozambique | 2019 | 200 hours | 200 hours | 200 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Myanmar | 2019 | 282 hours | 282 hours | 282 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Namibia | 2019 | 302 hours | 302 hours | 302 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Nepal | 2019 | 377 hours | 377 hours | 377 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Netherlands | 2019 | 119 hours | 119 hours | 119 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | New Zealand | 2019 | 140 hours | 140 hours | 140 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Nicaragua | 2019 | 201 hours | 201 hours | 201 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Niger | 2019 | 270 hours | 270 hours | 270 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Nigeria | 2019 | 343.37 hours | 343.37 hours | 343.37 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | North Macedonia | 2019 | 119 hours | 119 hours | 119 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Norway | 2019 | 79 hours | 79 hours | 79 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Oman | 2019 | 68 hours | 68 hours | 68 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Pakistan | 2019 | 283 hours | 283 hours | 283 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Palau | 2019 | 52 hours | 52 hours | 52 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Panama | 2019 | 408 hours | 408 hours | 408 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Papua New Guinea | 2019 | 207 hours | 207 hours | 207 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Paraguay | 2019 | 378 hours | 378 hours | 378 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Peru | 2019 | 260 hours | 260 hours | 260 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Philippines | 2019 | 171 hours | 171 hours | 171 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Poland | 2019 | 334 hours | 334 hours | 334 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Portugal | 2019 | 243 hours | 243 hours | 243 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Qatar | 2019 | 41 hours | 41 hours | 41 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Romania | 2019 | 163 hours | 163 hours | 163 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Russian Federation | 2019 | 159 hours | 159 hours | 159 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Rwanda | 2019 | 90.5 hours | 90.5 hours | 90.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Samoa | 2019 | 224 hours | 224 hours | 224 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | San Marino | 2019 | 52 hours | 52 hours | 52 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Saudi Arabia | 2019 | 152 hours | 152 hours | 152 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Senegal | 2019 | 416 hours | 416 hours | 416 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Serbia | 2019 | 225.5 hours | 225.5 hours | 225.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Seychelles | 2019 | 85 hours | 85 hours | 85 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Sierra Leone | 2019 | 343 hours | 343 hours | 343 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Singapore | 2019 | 64 hours | 64 hours | 64 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Slovak Republic | 2019 | 192 hours | 192 hours | 192 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Slovenia | 2019 | 233 hours | 233 hours | 233 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Solomon Islands | 2019 | 80 hours | 80 hours | 80 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | South Africa | 2019 | 210 hours | 210 hours | 210 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | South Sudan | 2019 | 210 hours | 210 hours | 210 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Spain | 2019 | 143 hours | 143 hours | 143 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Sri Lanka | 2019 | 129 hours | 129 hours | 129 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | St. Kitts and Nevis | 2019 | 203 hours | 203 hours | 203 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | St. Lucia | 2019 | 110 hours | 110 hours | 110 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 2019 | 108 hours | 108 hours | 108 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Sudan | 2019 | 180 hours | 180 hours | 180 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Suriname | 2019 | 199 hours | 199 hours | 199 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Sweden | 2019 | 122 hours | 122 hours | 122 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Switzerland | 2019 | 63 hours | 63 hours | 63 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Syrian Arab Republic | 2019 | 336 hours | 336 hours | 336 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Tajikistan | 2019 | 224 hours | 224 hours | 224 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Tanzania | 2019 | 207 hours | 207 hours | 207 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Thailand | 2019 | 229 hours | 229 hours | 229 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Timor-Leste | 2019 | 234 hours | 234 hours | 234 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Togo | 2019 | 159 hours | 159 hours | 159 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Tonga | 2019 | 200 hours | 200 hours | 200 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Trinidad and Tobago | 2019 | 210 hours | 210 hours | 210 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Tunisia | 2019 | 144 hours | 144 hours | 144 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Uganda | 2019 | 195 hours | 195 hours | 195 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Ukraine | 2019 | 327.5 hours | 327.5 hours | 327.5 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | United Arab Emirates | 2019 | 158 hours | 158 hours | 158 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | United Kingdom | 2019 | 114 hours | 114 hours | 114 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | United States | 2019 | 175 hours | 175 hours | 175 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Uruguay | 2019 | 163 hours | 163 hours | 163 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Uzbekistan | 2019 | 181 hours | 181 hours | 181 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Vanuatu | 2019 | 120 hours | 120 hours | 120 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Venezuela, RB | 2019 | 920 hours | 920 hours | 920 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | West Bank and Gaza | 2019 | 174 hours | 174 hours | 174 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Yemen, Rep. | 2019 | 248 hours | 248 hours | 248 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Zambia | 2019 | 158 hours | 158 hours | 158 hours | Document |
| Time to prepare, file and pay taxes | Zimbabwe | 2019 | 242 hours | 242 hours | 242 hours | Document |

Hours per year a standard company spends preparing, filing and paying taxes, for each country (World Bank Doing Business).

Hours per year a standard medium-sized company needs to prepare, file and pay corporate income tax, value added tax and labour taxes. The World Bank discontinued the Doing Business report in 2021, so these figures come from its last editions (2019 or 2020 per country) and the year is shown on each card. They describe the largest business city and a standard case study, not every situation.

Canonical: https://mainmesh.com/time/paying-taxes-time