Question

the sales tax for an item was $44.00 and it cost $400 before tax. find the sales tax rate. write your answer as a percentage.

Explanation:

Step1: Define tax rate formula

Let \( r \) = tax rate. Formula: \( r = \frac{\text{Tax Amount}}{\text{Pre-tax Cost}} \times 100\% \)

Step2: Substitute given values

Substitute tax = \$44.10, pre-tax cost = \$490:
\( r = \frac{44.10}{490} \times 100\% \)

Step3: Calculate the rate

First compute \( \frac{44.10}{490} = 0.09 \), then \( 0.09 \times 100\% = 9\% \)

Answer:

9%