Question

the sales tax for an item was $14.40 and it cost $480 before tax. find the sales tax rate. write your answer as a percentage.

Explanation:

Step1: Define tax rate formula

Let \( r \) = tax rate (decimal). Formula: \( r = \frac{\text{Sales Tax}}{\text{Pre-tax Cost}} \)

Step2: Substitute given values

\( r = \frac{14.40}{480} = 0.03 \)

Step3: Convert to percentage

Multiply by 100: \( 0.03 \times 100 = 3 \)

Answer:

3%