Business owners in some parts of the country face limiting trading hours and restrictive planning laws, while one state is leading the pack.
South Australia has secured the title of best state to do business, narrowly beating Tasmania, which landed in second place.
Victoria came in last place in the business lobby's rankings of state and territory regulatory frameworks and tax settings.
The top-performing state in the Business Council of Australia's leaderboard sports the lowest payroll tax rate for large employers.
South Australia similarly ranked highly for stamp duty and land tax rates, and businesses had fewer licensing and permit hoops to jump through than elsewhere.
Business Council of Australia boss Bran Black said rankings improve productivity and investment. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)
Its urban planning system, which takes into account the pace development applications are assessed, also outperformed other states.
But on retail trading hours, South Australia had among the most restrictive rules dictating when businesses can and cannot open.
The Australian Capital Territory - in third place on the state regulatory leaderboard - offered the most flexibility on trading hours.
The Northern Territory, in fourth place overall, similarly scored well on trading hours as well as its payroll tax system.
BCA chief executive Bran Black said the point of the exercise was to help businesses looking to expand.
The leadership board was also useful for states and territories hoping to attract more business investment, he added.
"This report highlights good practice regulations and planning systems across Australia that other states and territories should look to adopt," Mr Black said.
"This is critical to boosting productivity, investment and opportunity for communities across the country."