McGraw-Hill's Taxation of Individuals 2017, 8th Edition Solution Manual

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Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
Chapter 1
An Introduction to Tax
SOLUTIONS MANUAL
Discussion Questions
1. [LO 1] Jessica’s friend Zachary once stated that he couldn’t understand why someone
would take a tax course. Why is this a rather naïve view?
Taxes are a part of everyday life and have a financial effect on many of the major
personal decisions that individuals face (e.g., investment decisions, evaluating
alternative job offers, saving for education expenses, gift or estate planning, etc.).
2. [LO 1] What are some aspects of business that require knowledge of taxation? What
are some aspects of personal finance that require knowledge of taxation?
Taxes play an important role in fundamental business decisions such as the
following:
• What organizational form should a business use?
• Where should the business locate?
• How should business acquisitions be structured?
• How should the business compensate employees?
• What is the appropriate mix of debt and equity for the business?
• Should the business rent or own its equipment and property?
• How should the business distribute profits to its owners?
One must consider all transaction costs (including taxes) to evaluate the merits of a
transaction.
Common personal financial decisions that taxes influence include: choosing
investments, retirement planning, choosing to rent or buy a home, evaluating
alternative job offers, saving for education expenses, and doing gift or estate
planning.
3. [LO 1] Describe some ways in which taxes affect the political process in the United
States.
U.S. presidential candidates often distinguish themselves from their opponents based
upon their tax rhetoric. Likewise, the major political parties generally have very
diverse views of the appropriate way to tax the public. Determining who is taxed,

Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
what is taxed, and how much is taxed are difficult questions. Voters must have a basic
understanding of taxes to evaluate the merits of alternative tax proposals offered by
opposing political candidates and their political parties.
4. [LO 2] Courtney recently received a speeding ticket on her way to the university. Her
fine was $200. Is this considered a tax? Why or why not?
The $200 speeding ticket is not considered a tax. Instead, it is considered a fine or
penalty. Taxes differ from fines and penalties because taxes are not intended to
punish or prevent illegal behavior.
5. [LO 2] Marlon and Latoya recently started building a house. They had to pay $300 to
the county government for a building permit. Is the $300 payment a tax? Why or why
not?
The building permit is not considered a tax because $300 payment is directly linked
to a benefit that they received (i.e., the ability to build a house).
6. [LO 2] To help pay for the city’s new stadium, the city of Birmingham recently
enacted a 1 percent surcharge on hotel rooms. Is this a tax? Why or why not?
The 1 percent surcharge is a tax. The 1 percent surcharge is an earmarked tax – i.e.,
collected for a specific purpose. The surcharge is considered a tax because the tax
payments made by taxpayers do not directly relate to the specific benefit received by
the taxpayers.
7. [LO 2] As noted in Example 1-2, tolls, parking meter fees, and annual licensing fees
are not considered taxes. Can you identify other fees that are similar?
There are several possible answers to this question. Some common examples include
entrance fees to national parks, tag fees paid to local/state government for
automobiles, boats, etc.
8. [LO 2] If the general objective of our tax system is to raise revenue, why does the
income tax allow deductions for charitable contributions and retirement plan
contributions?
In addition to the general objective of raising revenue, Congress uses the federal tax
system to encourage certain behavior and discourage other behavior. The charitable
contribution deduction is intended to encourage taxpayers to support the initiatives of
charitable organizations, whereas deductions for retirement contributions are
intended to encourage retirement savings.

Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
9. [LO 2] One common argument for imposing so-called sin taxes is the social goal of
reducing demand for such products. Using cigarettes as an example, is there a
segment of the population that might be sensitive to price and for whom high taxes
might discourage purchases?
The most obvious segment sensitive to price may be teenagers and younger adults,
although price sensitivity will vary by taxpayer.
10. [LO 3] Dontae stated that he didn’t want to earn any more money because it would
“put him in a higher tax bracket.” What is wrong with Dontae’s reasoning?
Although earning additional taxable income may increase Dontae’s marginal tax rate
(i.e., put him in a higher tax bracket), the additional income earned does not affect
the taxes that Dontae will pay on his existing income. Moving to a higher tax bracket
simply means that Dontae will pay a higher tax rate on the additional income earned
(not income that he already has).
11. [LO 3] Describe the three different tax rates discussed in the chapter and how
taxpayers might use them.
The marginal tax rate is the tax rate that applies to the taxpayer’s additional taxable
income or deductions that the taxpayer is evaluating in a decision. Specifically,
Marginal Tax Rate =

Tax
TaxableIncome =)(
)(
IncomeOldTaxableIncomeNewTaxable
xOldTotalTaxNewTotalTa
−
−
The marginal tax rate is particularly useful in tax planning because it represents the
rate of taxation or savings that would apply to additional taxable income or tax
deductions.
The average tax rate represents the taxpayer’s average level of taxation on each
dollar of taxable income. Specifically,
Average Tax Rate =omeTaxableInc
TotalTax
The average tax rate is often used in budgeting tax expense as a portion of income
(i.e., what percent of taxable income earned is paid in tax).
The effective tax rate represents the taxpayer’s average rate of taxation on each
dollar of total income (i.e., taxable and nontaxable income). Specifically,

Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
Effective Tax Rate =eTotalIncom
TotalTax
Relative to the average tax rate, the effective tax rate provides a better depiction of a
taxpayer’s tax burden because it depicts the taxpayer’s total tax paid as a ratio of the
sum of both taxable and nontaxable income earned.
12. [LO 3] Which is a more appropriate tax rate to use to compare taxpayers’ tax burdens
– the average or the effective tax rate? Why?
Relative to the average tax rate, the effective tax rate provides a better depiction of a
taxpayer’s tax burden because it depicts the taxpayer’s total tax paid as a ratio of the
sum of both taxable and nontaxable income earned.
13. [LO 3] Describe the differences between a proportional, progressive, and regressive
tax rate structure.
A proportional (flat) tax rate structure imposes a constant tax rate throughout the tax
base. In other words, as the tax base increases, the taxes paid increases, but the
marginal tax rate remains constant. Because the marginal tax rate is constant across
all levels of the tax base, the average tax rate remains constant across the tax base
and always equals the marginal tax rate. Common examples of proportional taxes
include sales taxes and excise taxes (i.e., taxes based on quantity such as gallons of
gas purchased).
A progressive tax rate structure imposes an increasing marginal tax rate as the tax
base increases. In other words, as the tax base increases, both the marginal tax rate
and the taxes paid increase. Common examples of progressive tax rate structures
include federal and most state income taxes and federal estate and gift taxes.
A regressive tax rate structure imposes a decreasing marginal tax rate as the tax base
increases. In other words, as the tax base increases, the taxes paid increases, but the
marginal tax rate decreases. Regressive tax rate structures are not common. In the
United States, the Social Security tax and the federal employment tax employ a
regressive tax rate structure. However, there are other regressive taxes when the tax
is viewed in terms of effective tax rates. For example, a sales tax by definition is a
proportional tax – i.e., as taxable purchases increase, the sales tax rate (i.e., the
marginal tax rate) remains constant. Nonetheless, when you consider that the
proportion of one’s total income spent on taxable purchases likely decreases as total
income increases, the sales tax may be considered a regressive tax.
14. [LO 3] Arnold and Lilly have recently had a heated discussion about whether a sales
tax is a proportional tax or a regressive tax. Lilly argues that a sales tax is regressive.

Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
Arnold counters that the sales tax is a flat tax. Who is correct?
Arnold and Lilly are both correct. A sales tax by definition is a proportional tax – i.e.,
as taxable purchases increase, the sales tax rate (i.e., the marginal tax rate) remains
constant. For this reason, Arnold is correct. Nonetheless, when you consider that the
proportion of one’s total income spent on taxable purchases likely decreases as total
income increases, the sales tax may be considered a regressive tax. For this reason,
Lilly is correct.
15. [LO 4] Which is the largest tax collected by the U.S. government? What types of
taxpayers are subject to this tax?
The federal income tax is the largest tax collected by the U.S. government. Currently,
federal income taxes are levied on individuals, corporations, estates, and trusts.
16. [LO 4] What is the tax base for the Social Security and Medicare taxes for an
employee or employer? What is the tax base for Social Security and Medicare taxes
for a self-employed individual? Is the self-employment tax in addition to or in lieu of
federal income tax?
Employee wages is the tax base for the Social Security and Medicare taxes. Net
earnings from self-employment is the tax base for the self-employment tax. The self-
employment tax is in addition to the federal income tax.
17. [LO 4] What are unemployment taxes?
Employers are required to pay federal and state unemployment taxes, which fund
temporary unemployment benefits for individuals terminated from their jobs without
cause. The tax base for the unemployment taxes is wages or salary.
18. [LO 4] What is the distinguishing feature of an excise tax?
Excise taxes differ from other taxes in that the tax base on excise taxes is typically
based on the quantity of an item or service purchased. The federal government
imposes a number of excise taxes on goods such as alcohol, diesel fuel, gasoline,
tobacco products and services such as telephone services. In addition, states also
often impose excise taxes on these same items.
19. [LO 4] What are some of the taxes that currently are unique to state and local
governments? What are some of the taxes that the federal, state, and local
governments each utilize?
The sales, use, and property (personal, real, intangible) taxes are unique to state and

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Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
local governments. Taxes that are common among the federal, state, and local
governments include income taxes, excise taxes, and estate and gift taxes.
20. [LO 4] The state of Georgia recently increased its tax on a pack of cigarettes by
$2.00. What type of tax is this? Why might Georgia choose this type of tax?
The cigarette tax is both considered an excise tax (i.e., a tax based on quantity
purchased) and a “sin” tax (i.e., a tax on goods that are deemed to be socially
undesirable). Georgia may choose this type of tax to discourage smoking and because
sin taxes are often viewed as acceptable ways of increasing tax revenues.
21. [LO 4] What is the difference between a sales tax and a use tax?
The tax base for sales taxes is retail sales of goods (and some services). The tax base
for the use tax is the retail price of goods owned, possessed or consumed within a
state that were not purchased within the state (e.g., goods purchased over the
internet).
22. [LO 4] What is an ad valorem tax? Name an example of this type of tax.
An ad valorem tax is a tax based on the fair market value of property. Real and
personal property taxes are examples of ad valorem taxes.
23. [LO 4] What are the differences between an explicit and an implicit tax?
An explicit tax is a tax that is directly imposed by a government unit and easily
quantified. Implicit taxes are the reduced rates of pretax return that a tax-favored
asset produces (e.g., the lower pretax rate of return earned by tax exempt municipal
bonds). Although implicit taxes are real and equally important in understanding our
tax system, they are difficult to quantify.
24. [LO 4] When we calculate average and effective tax rates, do we consider implicit
taxes? What effect does this have on taxpayers’ perception of equity?
Implicit taxes are very difficult to quantify and thus, are generally not considered
when calculating average and effective tax rates. Since implicit taxes are ignored in
these calculations, taxpayers may conclude that groups of taxpayers investing in tax
advantaged assets (subject to implicit tax) do not pay their fair share of tax as
represented by a low effective tax rate.
25. [LO 4] Benjamin recently bought a truck in Alabama for his business in Georgia.
What different types of federal and state taxes may affect this transaction?

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Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
Benjamin will have to pay state sales tax in Alabama for the truck purchased.
Assuming the vehicle will be registered in Georgia, Benjamin will have to pay use tax
on the purchase at a rate representing any difference in the Alabama sales tax rate
and the Georgia use tax rate. Benjamin will also have to pay personal property tax
annually on the truck. Finally, since the vehicle is used in Benjamin’s business, he
will be able to depreciate the truck for federal income tax purposes.
26. [LO 5] Kobe strongly dislikes SUVs and is appalled that so many are on the road. He
proposes to eliminate the federal income tax and replace it with a $50,000 annual tax
per SUV. Based on the number of SUVs currently owned in the United States, he
estimates the tax will generate exactly the amount of tax revenue currently collected
from the income tax. What is wrong with Kobe’s proposal? What type of forecasting
is Kobe likely using?
Kobe’s forecast is based on static forecasting (i.e., he is ignoring how taxpayers may
alter their activities in response to the tax law change). Given that taxpayers are
likely to substitute purchases of other vehicles for SUVs (i.e., the substitution effect),
Kobe’s proposal is likely to result in a large discrepancy in projected and actual tax
revenues.
27. [LO 5] What is the difference between the income and substitution effects? For which
types of taxpayers is the income effect more likely descriptive? For which types of
taxpayers is the substitution effect more likely descriptive?
The income effect predicts that when taxpayers are taxed more (e.g., tax rate
increases from 25 to 28 percent), they will work harder to generate the same after-tax
dollars. The substitution effect predicts that when taxpayers are taxed more, they will
substitute nontaxable activities (e.g., leisure activities) for taxable activities because
the marginal value of taxable activities has decreased. The income effect is likely to
be more descriptive for taxpayers with insufficient income to meet their necessities,
etc. for their desired standard of living. The substitution effect is likely to be more
descriptive for taxpayers with sufficient income to meet their necessities and to
sustain their desired standard of living.
28. [LO 5] What is the difference between horizontal and vertical equity? How do tax
preferences affect people’s view of horizontal equity?
Horizontal equity means that two taxpayers in similar situations pay the same tax.
Vertical equity is achieved when taxpayers with greater ability to pay tax, pay more
tax relative to taxpayers with a lesser ability to pay tax. One can view vertical equity
in terms of tax dollars paid or in terms of tax rates. Proponents of a flat income tax or
sales tax (i.e., proportional tax rate structures) are more likely to argue that vertical
equity is achieved when taxpayers with a greater ability to pay tax, pay more in tax

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Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
dollars. Proponents of a progressive tax system are more likely to argue that
taxpayers with a greater ability to pay should be subject to a higher tax rate.
Governmental units provide tax preferences for a variety of reasons – e.g., encourage
investment, social objectives, etc. Whether one views these tax preferences as
appropriate or not, greatly influences whether one considers a tax system to be fair in
general and specifically, horizontally equitable. Specifically, if one views a tax
preference as being inappropriate, this would adversely affect one’s view of
horizontal equity.
29. [LO 3, LO 5] Montel argues that a flat income tax rate system is vertically equitable.
Oprah argues that a progressive tax rate structure is vertically equitable. How do their
arguments differ? Who is correct?
Vertical equity is achieved when taxpayers with greater ability to pay tax, pay more
tax relative to taxpayers with a lesser ability to pay tax. One can view vertical equity
in terms of tax dollars paid or in terms of tax rates. Proponents of a flat income tax or
sales tax (i.e., proportional tax rate structures) are more likely to argue that vertical
equity is achieved when taxpayers with a greater ability to pay tax, pay more in tax
dollars. Proponents of a progressive tax system are more likely to argue that
taxpayers with a greater ability to pay should be subject to a higher tax rate. This
view is based upon the argument that the relative burden of a flat tax rate decreases
as a taxpayer’s income (e.g., disposable income) increases. Which is the correct
answer? There is no correct answer. Nonetheless, many feel very strongly regarding
one view or the other.
30. [LO 3, LO 5] Discuss why evaluating vertical equity simply based on tax rate
structure may be less than optimal.
Although tax rate structures can be used, in part, to assess vertical equity, focusing
on the tax rate structure solely ignores the role that the tax base plays in determining
vertical equity. Indeed, focusing on the tax rate structure in evaluating a tax system is
appropriate only if the tax base chosen (e.g., taxable income, purchases, property
owned, etc.) accurately portrays a taxpayer’s ability to pay. This can be a rather
strong assumption. Consider the sales tax. Although taxable purchases typically
increase as taxpayers’ total incomes increase, total incomes typically increase at a
much faster rate than taxable purchases. Thus, the gap between taxable purchases
and total income widens as total income increases. The end result is that the effective
tax rates for those with a greater ability to pay are lower than those taxpayers with a
lesser ability to pay. Regressive tax rate structures are generally considered not to
satisfy vertical equity (unless one is a strong advocate of the belief that those with a
greater ability to pay simply should be paying a higher tax, albeit at a lower rate). In
sum, evaluating vertical equity in terms of effective tax rates may be much more

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Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
informative than simply an evaluation of tax rate structures.
31. [LO 4, LO 5] Compare the federal income tax to sales taxes using the “certainty”
criterion.
Certainty means that taxpayers should be able to determine when to pay the tax,
where to pay the tax, and how to determine the tax. It is relatively easy to determine
when and where to pay the federal income tax and sales taxes. For example,
individual federal income tax returns and the remaining balance of taxes owed must
be filed with the Internal Revenue Service each year on or before April 15th (or the
first business day following April 15th). Likewise, sales taxes are paid to retailers
when items are purchased, and property taxes are typically paid annually to local
governments. The ease of “how to determine the tax,” however, varies by tax system.
Sales taxes are determined with relative ease – i.e., they are based on the value of
taxable purchases. In contrast, income taxes are often criticized as being complex.
What are taxable/nontaxable forms of income? What are deductible/nondeductible
expenses? When should income or expense be reported? For many taxpayers (e.g.,
wage earners with few investments), the answers to these questions are
straightforward. For other taxpayers (e.g., business owners, individuals with a lot of
investments), the answers to these questions are nontrivial. Constant tax law changes
enacted by Congress also add to the difficulty in determining the proper amount of
income tax to pay. These changes can make it difficult to determine a taxpayer’s
current tax liability much less plan for the future.
32. [LO 5] Many years ago a famous member of Congress proposed eliminating federal
income tax withholding. What criterion for evaluating tax systems did this proposal
violate? What would likely have been the result of eliminating withholding?
Eliminating withholding would violate the convenience criterion – i.e., a tax system
should be designed to facilitate the collection of tax revenues without undue hardship
on the taxpayer or the government (i.e., a tax system should make collection as easy
as possible). Eliminating withholding would most likely have slowed collection of
taxes and increased taxpayer aggressiveness (or tax evasion). Prior research
suggests that taxpayers are more likely to take more aggressive tax positions when
they owe additional taxes when filing their return.
33. [LO 5] “The federal income tax scores very high on the economy criterion because
the current IRS budget is relatively low compared to the costs of a typical collection
agency.” Explain why this statement may be considered wrong.
This statement ignores the economy criterion from the taxpayer’s perspective. The
income tax is often criticized for the compliance costs imposed on the taxpayer.
Indeed, for certain taxpayers, record-keeping costs, accountant fees, attorney fees,

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Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
etc. can be quite substantial. Advocates of alternative tax systems often challenge the
income tax on this criterion.
Problems
34. [LO 3] Chuck, a single taxpayer, earns $75,000 in taxable income and $10,000 in
interest from an investment in City of Heflin bonds. Using the U.S. tax rate schedule,
how much federal tax will he owe? What is his average tax rate? What is his effective
tax rate? What is his current marginal tax rate?
Chuck will owe $14,521.25 in federal income tax this year computed as follows:
$14,521.25 = $5,183.75 + 25%($75,000 −$37,650).
Chuck’s average tax rate is 19.36.
Average Tax Rate =omeTaxableInc
TotalTax =000,75$
25.521,14$ = 19.36%
Chuck’s effective tax rate is 17.08 percent.
Effective tax rate =eTotalIncom
TotalTax =)000,10$000,75($
25.521,14$
+ = 17.08%
Chuck is currently in the 25 percent tax rate bracket. His marginal tax rate on
increases in income up to $16,150 and deductions from income up to $37,350 is 25
percent.
35. [LO 3] Using the facts in the previous problem, if Chuck earns an additional $40,000
of taxable income, what is his marginal tax rate on this income? What is his marginal
rate if, instead, he had $40,000 of additional deductions?
If Chuck earns an additional $40,000 of taxable income, his marginal tax rate on the
income is 26.79 percent.
Marginal Tax Rate =

Tax
TaxableIncome =)000,75$000,115($
)25.521,14$75.236,25($
−
− = 26.79 %
If Chuck instead had $40,000 of additional tax deductions, his marginal tax rate on
the deductions would be 24.34 percent.

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Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
Marginal Tax Rate =

Tax
TaxableIncome =)000,75$000,35($
)25.521,14$25.786,4($
−
− = 24.34%
36. [LO 3] In reviewing the tax rate schedule for a single taxpayer, Chuck notes that the
tax on $75,000 is $5,183.75 plus 25 percent of the taxable income over $37,650.
What does the $5,183.75 represent?
The $5,183.75 represents the income tax on $37,650 – i.e., $927.50 + 15% ($37,650
– $9,275).
37. [LO 3] Campbell, a single taxpayer, earns $400,000 in taxable income and $2,000 in
interest from an investment in State of New York bonds. Using the U.S. tax rate
schedule, how much federal tax will she owe? What is her average tax rate? What is
her effective tax rate? What is her current marginal tax rate?
Campbell will owe $115,529.25 in federal income tax this year computed as follows:
$115,529.25= $46,278.75 + 33% ×($400,000 − $190,150).
Campbell’s average tax rate is 28.88 percent.
Average Tax Rate =omeTaxableInc
TotalTax =000,400$
25.529,115$ = 28.88
Campbell’s effective tax rate is 28.74 percent.
Effective tax rate =eTotalIncom
TotalTax =)000,2$000,400($
25.529,115$
+ = 28.74
Campbell is currently in the 33 percent tax rate bracket. Her marginal tax rate on
deductions up to $209,850 will be 33 percent. However, her marginal tax rate on the
next $13,350 of income will be 33%, and income earned over $413,350 will be 35
percent. Income earned in excess of $415,050 will be taxed at 39.6%.
38. [LO 3] Using the facts in the previous problem, if Campbell earns an additional
$15,000 of taxable income, what is her marginal tax rate on this income? What is her
marginal rate if, instead, she had $15,000 of additional deductions?
If Campbell earns an additional $15,000 of taxable income, her marginal tax rate on
the income is 33.22 percent.

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Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
Marginal Tax Rate =

Tax
TaxableIncome =)000,400$000,415($
)25.529,115$95.512,120($
−
− = 33.22 %
If Campbell instead had $15,000 of additional tax deductions, her marginal tax rate
on the deductions would be 33.00 percent.
Marginal Tax Rate =

Tax
TaxableIncome =)000,400$000,385($
)25.529,115$25.579,110($
−
− =33.00%
39. [LO 3] Jorge and Anita, married taxpayers, earn $150,000 in taxable income and
$40,000 in interest from an investment in City of Heflin bonds. Using the U.S. tax
rate schedule for married filing jointly, how much federal tax will they owe? What is
their average tax rate? What is their effective tax rate? What is their current marginal
tax rate?
Jorge and Anita will owe $29,042.50 in federal income tax this year computed as
follows:
$29,042.50 = $10,367.50 + 25% ($150,000 −$75,300).
Jorge and Anita’s average tax rate is 19.36 percent.
Average Tax Rate =omeTaxableInc
TotalTax =000,150$
50.042,29$ = 19.36%
Jorge and Anita’s effective tax rate is 15.29 percent.
Effective tax rate =eTotalIncom
TotalTax =)000,40$000,150($
50.042,29$
+ = 15.29%
Jorge and Anita are currently in the 25 percent tax rate bracket. Their marginal tax
rate on increases of income up to $1,900 and deductions up to $74,700 is 25 percent.
40. [LO 3] Using the facts in the previous problem, if Jorge and Anita earn an additional
$100,000 of taxable income, what is their marginal tax rate on this income? What is
their marginal rate if, instead, they reported an additional $100,000 in deductions?
If Jorge and Anita earn an additional $100,000 of taxable income, their marginal tax
rate on the income is 28.87 percent.

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Marginal Tax Rate =

Tax
TaxableIncome =)000,150$000,250($
)50.042,29$913,57($
−
− = 28.87%
If Jorge and Anita instead had $100,000 of additional tax deductions, their marginal
tax rate on the deductions would be 22.47 percent.
Marginal Tax Rate =omeTaxableInc
Tax

 =)000,150$000,50($
)50.042,29$50.572,6($
−
− = 22.47%
41. [LO 3] In reviewing the tax rate schedule for married filing jointly, Jorge and Anita
note that the tax on $155,000 is $29,517.50 plus 28 percent of the taxable income
over $151,900. What does the $29,517.50 represent?
The $29,517.50 represents the income tax on $151,900 – i.e., $10,367.50 +25%
($151,900 – 75,300 ).
42. [LO 3] Scot and Vidia, married taxpayers, earn $240,000 in taxable income and
$5,000 in interest from an investment in City of Tampa bonds. Using the U.S. tax rate
schedule for married filing jointly, how much federal tax will they owe? What is their
average tax rate? What is their effective tax rate? What is their current marginal tax
rate?
Scot and Vidia will owe $54,613 in federal income tax this year computed as follows:
$54,613 = $51,791.50 + 33% ($240,000 −$231,450).
Scot and Vidia’s average tax rate is 22.76 percent.
Average Tax Rate =omeTaxableInc
TotalTax =000,240$
613,54$ = 22.76%
Scot and Vidia’s effective tax rate is 22.29 percent.
Effective tax rate =eTotalIncom
TotalTax =)000,5$000,240($
613,54$
+ = 22.29%
Scot and Vidia are currently in the 33 percent tax rate bracket. Their marginal tax
rate on increases in income up to $173,350 and deductions up to $8,550 is 33
percent.

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43. [LO 3] Using the facts in the previous problem, if Scot and Vidia earn an additional
$70,000 of taxable income, what is their marginal tax rate on this income? How
would your answer differ if they, instead, had $70,000 of additional deductions?
If Scot and Vidia earn an additional $70,000 of taxable income, their marginal tax
rate on the income is 33 percent.
Marginal Tax Rate =

Tax
TaxableIncome =)000,240$000,310($
)613,54$713,77($
−
− = 33%
If Scot and Vidia instead had $70,000 of additional tax deductions, their marginal tax
rate on the deductions would be 28.61 percent.
Marginal Tax Rate =

Tax
TaxableIncome =)000,240$000,170($
)613,54$50.585,34($
−
− = 28.61%
44. [LO 3, LO 4] Melinda invests $200,000 in a City of Heflin bond that pays 6 percent
interest. Alternatively, Melinda could have invested the $200,000 in a bond recently
issued by Surething, Inc. that pays 8 percent interest with similar risk and other
nontax characteristics to the City of Heflin bond. Assume Melinda’s marginal tax rate
is 25 percent.
a. What is her after-tax rate of return for the City of Heflin bond?
Since the City of Heflin bond is a tax exempt bond, Melinda’s after tax rate of
return on the bond is equal to its pretax rate of return (6 percent).
b. How much explicit tax does Melinda pay on the City of Heflin bond?
Since the City of Heflin bond is a tax exempt bond, Melinda pays no explicit tax
on the interest earned from the City of Heflin bond.
c. How much implicit tax does she pay on the City of Heflin bond?
Melinda earns $12,000 of interest on the City of Heflin bond (i.e., 6% ×
$200,000). A similar priced taxable bond (i.e., the Surething, Inc. bond) would
pay $16,000 of taxable interest (i.e., 8% × $200,000). Melinda pays $4,000 of
implicit tax on the City of Heflin bond (i.e., the difference between the pretax
interest earned from a similar taxable bond ($16,000) and the pretax interest
earned from the City of Heflin bond ($12,000)).
d. How much explicit tax would she have paid on the Surething, Inc. bond?
Since Melinda’s marginal tax rate is 25 percent, she would have paid $4,000 of

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Solutions Manual – McGraw-Hill’s Taxation, by Spilker et al.
explicit tax (i.e., 25% ×$16,000) on the interest earned from the Surething, Inc.
bond.
e. What is her after-tax rate of return on the Surething, Inc. bond?
Her after-tax income from the Surething, Inc. bond would be $12,000 ($16,000
interest income − $4,000 tax). Thus, her after-tax return from the Surething, Inc.
bond would be 6 percent (after-tax income of $12,000 divided by her $200,000
investment).
45. [LO 3, LO 4] {Planning} Hugh has the choice between investing in a City of Heflin
bond at 6 percent or a Surething bond at 9 percent. Assuming that both bonds have
the same nontax characteristics and that Hugh has a 40 percent marginal tax rate, in
which bond should he invest?
Hugh’s after tax rate of return on the tax exempt City of Heflin bond is 6 percent. The
Surething bond pays taxable interest of 9 percent. Hugh’s after tax rate of return on
the Surething bond is 5.4 percent (i.e., 9% interest income – (9% ×40%) tax = 5.4%).
Hugh should invest in the City of Heflin bond.
46. [LO 3, LO 4] {Planning} Using the facts in the previous problem, what interest rate
does Surething, Inc. need to offer to make Hugh indifferent between investing in the
two bonds?
To be indifferent between investing in the two bonds, the Surething, Inc. bond should
provide Hugh the same after-tax rate of return as the City of Heflin bond (6 percent).
To solve for the required pretax rate of return we can use the following formula:
After-tax return = Pretax return ×(1 – Marginal Tax Rate).
Surething, Inc. needs to offer a 10 percent interest rate to generate a 6 percent after-
tax return and make Hugh indifferent between investing in the two bonds – i.e.,
6% = Pretax return ×(1 – 40%);
Pretax return = 6% / (1 – 40%) = 10%
47. [LO 3, LO 4] {Planning} Fergie has the choice between investing in a State of New
York bond at 5 percent and a Surething bond at 8 percent. Assuming that both bonds
have the same nontax characteristics and that Fergie has a 30 percent marginal tax
rate, in which bond should she invest?
Fergie’s after tax rate of return on the tax exempt State of New York bond is 5
percent. The Surething bond pays taxable interest of 8 percent. Fergie’s after tax rate
of return on the Surething bond is 5.6 percent (i.e., 8% interest income – (8% ×30%)

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McGraw-Hill's Taxation of Individuals 2017, 8th Edition Solution Manual

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