Over the last three years the world has experienced an extraordinary financial and economic upheaval.
The financial turmoil continues to reshape the economic landscape and to present difficult choices for governments in terms of public spending and fiscal policy.
Governments in economies of all sizes and at all stages of development are struggling with the tax policy choices available to them.
While taxes are essential for economic and social development, it is important that the taxes levied do not hinder the ability of companies to generate a sufficient and consistent return so that they can reinvest and grow their business.
Let us take a look at 25 countries, including India, and see how they rank when it comes to rate of tax, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
NOTE: The total tax rate measures the burden of all the taxes that a company must pay in relation to its commercial profit. Thus all kinds of taxes that impose a cost on the firm are considered.
The overall ranking is a simple average of the percentile rankings of each of the sub-indicators.
Click NEXT to see where India stands in terms of tax rates...
25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Mumbai, India.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
India
Total tax rate: 61.8 per cent
Profit tax: 24.6 per cent
Labour tax: 18.2 per cent
Other taxes: 19.0 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 156
Click NEXT to see China's tax rank...
25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Shanghai, China.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
China
Total tax rate: 63.5 per cent
Profit tax: 6.0 per cent
Labour tax: 49.6 per cent
Other taxes: 7.9 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 161
Click NEXT to see Pakistan's tax rank...
25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Islamabad, Pakistan.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Pakistan
Total tax rate: 35.3 per cent
Profit tax: 17.9 per cent
Labour tax: 15.1 per cent
Other taxes: 2.3 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 72
Click NEXT to see tax rank of the United States...
25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: New York City, United States.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
The United States
Total tax rate: 46.7 per cent
Profit tax: 27.6 per cent
Labour tax: 10.0 per cent
Other taxes: 9.1 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 131
Click NEXT to see rest of the countries...
25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Democratic Republic of Congo
Total tax rate: 339.7 per cent
Profit tax: 58.9 per cent
Labour tax: 7.9 per cent
Other taxes: 272.9 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 183
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Banjul, Gambia.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Gambia
Total tax rate: 283.5 per cent
Profit tax: 6.1 per cent
Labour tax: 12.8 per cent
Other taxes: 264.6 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 182
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Buenos Aires, Argentina.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Argentina
Total tax rate: 108.2 per cent
Profit tax: 2.8 per cent
Labour tax: 29.4 per cent
Other taxes: 76.0 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 180
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Colombo, Sri Lanka.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Sri Lanka
Total tax rate: 105.2 per cent
Profit tax: 26.7 per cent
Labour tax: 16.9 per cent
Other taxes: 61.6 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 179
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Tashkent, Uzbekistan.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Uzbekistan
Total tax rate: 97.5 per cent
Profit tax: 1.1 per cent
Labour tax: 28.2 per cent
Other taxes: 68.2 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 178
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Asmara, Eritrea.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Eritrea
Total tax rate: 84.5 per cent
Profit tax: 8.8 per cent
Labour tax: 0.0 per cent
Other taxes: 75.7 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 177
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Dushanbe, Tajikistan.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Tajikistan
Total tax rate: 84.5 per cent
Profit tax: 0.0 per cent
Labour tax: 0.0 per cent
Other taxes: 56.0 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 176
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Bogota, Colombia.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Colombia
Total tax rate: 74.8 per cent
Profit tax: 18.9 per cent
Labour tax: 28.8 per cent
Other taxes: 27.1 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 174
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Bishkek, Kyrgyztan.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Kyrgyztan
Total tax rate: 69.0 per cent
Profit tax: 6.2 per cent
Labour tax: 19.5 per cent
Other taxes: 43.3 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 171
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Nouakchott, Mauritania.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Mauritania
Total tax rate: 68.3 per cent
Profit tax: 0.0 per cent
Labour tax: 17.6 per cent
Other taxes: 50.7 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 169
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Bras lia, Brazil.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Brazil
Total tax rate: 67.1 per cent
Profit tax: 22.4 per cent
Labour tax: 40.9 per cent
Other taxes: 3.8 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 168
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Managua, Nicaragua.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Nicaragua
Total tax rate: 66.8 per cent
Profit tax: 24.5 per cent
Labour tax: 20.3 per cent
Other taxes: 22.0 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 167
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: NDjamena, Chad.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Chad
Total tax rate: 65.4 per cent
Profit tax: 31.3 per cent
Labour tax: 28.4 per cent
Other taxes: 5.7 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 163
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Majuro, Marshall Islands.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Marshall Islands
Total tax rate: 64.9 per cent
Profit tax: 0.0 per cent
Labour tax: 11.8 per cent
Other taxes: 53.1 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 162
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: San Juan, Puerto Rico.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Puerto Rico
Total tax rate: 63.1 per cent
Profit tax: 28.3 per cent
Labour tax: 14.4 per cent
Other taxes: 20.4 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 160
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Tunis, Tunisia.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Tunisia
Total tax rate: 62.9 per cent
Profit tax: 28.3 per cent
Labour tax: 14.4 per cent
Other taxes: 20.4 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 160
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Palikir, Micronesia.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Micronesia
Total tax rate: 58.7 per cent
Profit tax: 0.0 per cent
Labour tax: 6.8 per cent
Other taxes: 51.9 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 158
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Tallinn, Estonia.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Estonia
Total tax rate: 58.6 per cent
Profit tax: 8.0 per cent
Labour tax: 39.4 per cent
Other taxes: 11.2 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 157
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Brussels, Belgium.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Belgium
Total tax rate: 57.3 per cent
Profit tax: 5.2 per cent
Labour tax: 50.4 per cent
Other taxes: 1.7 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 156
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: Kiev, Ukraine.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Ukraine
Total tax rate: 57.1 per cent
Profit tax: 12.2 per cent
Labour tax: 43.3 per cent
Other taxes: 1.6 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 155
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25 countries with highest tax rates!
Image: San Jose, Costa Rica.Photographs: Courtesy, Wikipedia Commons
Costa Rica
Total tax rate: 55.0 per cent
Profit tax: 18.9 per cent
Labour tax: 29.5 per cent
Other taxes: 6.6 per cent
Total tax rate rank: 154
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