ERR News - According to research by Pricewater-houseCoopers and the World Bank published November 19, Estonia has risen from 38th to 30th overall in the rankings for the ease of paying taxes.
The comprehensive international study Paying Taxes 2011 allows the taxation system to be assessed from a number of aspects. On one hand, Estonia's system is simple, innovative and business-friendly, but on the other hand, the rate for businesses is higher than in many other countries.
Estonia ranked ninth in the overall number of taxes, 14th in the time spent on paying taxes but 134th of 183 countries in total tax burden.
The average tax burden for companies in the EU is 44.2 percent; in Estonia it is 49.6 percent. The percentage is the highest in Italy (68.6), followed by France  (65.8) and Belgium (57.0). Spain, Austria, Sweden and Hungary also outstrip Estonia.