Bureaucracy slows down companies

Datev survey among tax consultants: Bureaucracy and overregulation are burdening small and medium-sized businesses. However, the biggest problem remains the shortage of skilled workers.

This article is part of the special topic Bureaucratic madness in the craft industry

They probably know the current situation in small and medium-sized businesses best: their tax advisors. The IT service provider Datev surveyed law firms throughout Germany about the situation of their clients from the end of February to the beginning of March.

It became clear that the Skills shortage Companies continue to struggle with high energy costs, staff shortages, supply chain problems, and rising interest rates. However, the second most important issue after the shortage of skilled workers was Overregulation and bureaucracy According to tax advisors, 76 percent of businesses are affected or even severely affected by this. In the last survey, these issues ranked fourth. 

No threat to the existence of 93 percent of companies in Germany

Photo: © DATEV eG

According to the latest Datev survey, only about one in four law firms (23 percent) has no company at risk among its clients. 74 percent of firms serve up to 20 percent of businesses at risk. On average, seven percent of companies are at risk. 

"Conversely, this also means that 93 percent of companies in Germany are currently not considered to be at acute risk. After the pandemic has subsided and the war in Ukraine continues, this cannot be taken for granted," explains Prof. Dr. Robert Mayr, CEO of Datev eG. Datev is a cooperatively organized provider of digital solutions for tax consultants, auditors, and their clients. 

85 percent of businesses expect stable to positive economic development. Nine months ago, only 77 percent of firms assessed this.

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