Differentiation of the Tax Burden Based on the Size of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

The article is dedicated to the tax burden on small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). The authors compare the level of tax burden depending on the scale of entrepreneurial activity. The aim of this article is to assess the perception of SMEs regarding the level of tax burden in order to ensure adequate fulfillment of their tax obligations. The research aims to compare the level of tax burden on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) depending on their size, and to identify behavioral patterns that may affect business fragmentation. The research methodology is based on the use of comparative analysis methods, tabular data visualization, and graphical representation. Based on the comparative analysis, we have found that SMEs have a much lower tax burden compared to other enterprises. However, the subjective perception of the tax burden level, especially among microenterprises, significantly differs from the actual situation. This indicates their opportunistic approach to taxation. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that there has not yet been a comparison of the tax burdens of micro, small, and medium-sized businesses that use the general tax system to assess the accuracy of their tax liability. An element of scientific novelty and the significance of the obtained results lies in the mutual connection between the problem of assessing the tax burden in relation to the size of SMEs, and the issues of their tax behavior. The practical value of this study lies in its ability to objectively assess the level of tax burden on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to determine the degree of impact that taxation has on entrepreneurial decisions.