How to calculate taxes and discounts | Basic Concept, Formulas and Examples - Cuemath (2024)

In mathematics, the tax calculation is related to the selling price and income of taxpayers. It is a charge imposed by the government on the citizens for the collection of funds for public welfare and expenditure activities. There are two types of taxes:direct tax and indirect tax. In this lesson, we will study the tax computation when the selling price or price before tax is given. We calculatetax on a product bymultiplying the tax rate with theproduct's net selling price.

Tax amount = \($(S.P. \times \dfrac{Tax\ rate}{100})\)

1.What Are Taxes?
2.Different Types of Taxes
3.Tax on Marked Price
4.Solved Examples on Taxes
5. Practice Questions on Taxes
6. FAQs on Taxes

What Are Taxes?

Tax is the amount paid by the people to the government for goods and services provided. In any tax transaction, there are two parties involved - a taxpayer and a tax collector. A taxpayer is a person or an organization who is paying the tax to the government. A tax collector is a government or any middleman collecting tax on behalf of the government.

The first known tax transaction took place around 3000–2800 BC in Ancient Egypt. In India, taxes were introduced in 1860 by Sir James Wilson to meet the Government's losses based on the Military Mutiny of 1857.Taxes have generally been around since the beginning of civilization or history. While the Civil War led to the creation of the first income tax in the U.S., the federal income tax as we know it was officially enacted in 1913. You may have heard terms like income tax, value-added tax, service tax, etc.The formula used to calculate tax on the selling price is given below:

Tax amount = \($(S.P. \times \dfrac{Tax\ rate}{100})\)

Let's consider an example. Let’s say an item costs $50, and a sales tax of 5%was charged. What would be the bill amount?

Let’s firstfind 5%of 50.

5/100×50 = 2.5

Now let’s add this amount to the cost price, $50+ $2.5 = $52.5. The total bill amount, including taxes, would be $52.5

When the tax amount and the selling price (S.P.) of an item are given, and we have to calculate the tax rate, then we can use the following formula:

Tax rate = \(\dfrac{Tax\ amount}{Price\ before\ tax}\times 100\%\)

Consider the following example. You purchasea mobile phone whoseprice before tax is $200, and the tax paid on it is $20. Then,the rate of tax paid on that mobile can be calculated by using the above formula.

Taxrate = (Taxamount/Price before tax)× 100

Taxrate = ($20/$200)× 100

Tax rate = 10%

Let’s now try and understand how taxes are levied on a discounted product.

  • Discount is calculated on the selling price, excluding taxes.
  • The tax is applied on the amount arrived at after subtracting the discount valuefrom the selling price.

Consider the following scenario. You have ordereda pizza at a restaurant, and it costs $12. The restaurant is offering a discount of 30%on all dine-in orders. Hence, assuming the restaurant only charges 10%service tax, the final amount is calculated in the following way. First, calculate the discounted price. Discount = 30/100× 12 = $3.6

Final Bill Amount = $12 - $3.6 = $8.4

Remember, the tax is chargedat a discounted price. We know that 10%service taxwas charged on the final amount.

10/100× 8.4 = $0.84

Final Amount = $8.4 + $0.84 = $9.24

Different Types of Taxes

There are two types of taxes. They are direct and indirect taxes.Taxes paid by the citizens directly to the government are direct taxes.For example, income tax, corporate tax, etc., are categorized as direct taxes. Taxes paid by the people but not directly collected by the government are indirect taxes.For example, sales tax, entertainment tax, excise duty, etc., are categorized as indirect taxes.

Indirect taxes are collected by the people who sell goods or services. These includeshop owners and business people, who then further pay the indirect tax to the government. Indirect tax can be passed from one entity to another.

How to calculate taxes and discounts | Basic Concept, Formulas and Examples - Cuemath (1)

Tax on Marked Price

We calculate tax on the marked price when the seller sells an item at the markedprice without any discount. In that case, the marked price and the selling price are the same. Thus, tax is calculated on the marked price. For example, if the marked price on a chair is $1200 and 8% tax is to be paid to the shopkeeper, then the amount of tax to be paid to the shopkeeper can be calculated as:

Tax amount = ${M.P.× (Tax rate/100)}

= ${1200× (8/100)}

=$(12× 8)

= $96

Therefore,We need to pay $96 as a tax on the chair's purchase at a marked price of $1200.

Always remember that only when the final selling price is the same as the marked price ofthe item purchased, we calculate tax on the marked price. Otherwise, we calculate tax on the net amount that the customer is paying to buy a product or a service.

Important Notes

  • Tax is always calculated on the item's final selling price after considering discounts, if available on the item.
  • There are two majorcategories of taxes, and they are direct tax and indirect tax.
  • Tax is a real-lifeapplication of the percentageconcept.
  • We should always compare the tax rate and not the tax amount, as the prices before tax are different for different products.

Challenging Question on Taxes

Now let's try to solve this challenging question related to taxes.

  • Which brand of bag is chargingmore tax?
BrandPrice after taxPrice before tax
Sports k$250$225
Long run$400$340
Comfort P$100$80

Related Articles on Taxes

Check out someinteresting articles related to Taxes. Click to know more!

  • Rate Definition
  • Percentages
  • Profit and Loss
  • Simple interest
  • Compound Interest
  • Discounts
  • Unitary Method

FAQs on Taxes

How to Calculate Tax on a Product?

To calculate tax on a product, we multiply the tax rate by its net selling price. Tax amount = ${S.P. × (Tax rate/100)

What Are Taxes?

The amount paid by the people to the government for goods and services provided is called tax which is further utilized by the government for public welfare activities.

What Is the Difference Between Cost Price and Selling Price?

Cost price is when an article is purchased, and selling price is when an article is sold.

What Is the Meaning of Marked Price?

Marked price is the price set by the shopkeeper on the label of the article. It is set by adding the profit margin to the cost price of the article.

What Is the Formula to Calculate the Rate of Tax on a Product?

The formula to calculate the rate of tax is given below:

Tax rate = (Taxamount/Price before tax)× 100%

What Are the Different Types of Taxes?

There are two types of taxes: direct tax and indirect tax.

What Is a Direct Tax?

Direct tax refers to the tax directly paid to the government by the customer. Examples of direct taxes include income tax, corporate tax, wealth tax, etc.

I am an expert in mathematics, particularly in the field of taxation and financial calculations. My knowledge is deeply rooted in mathematical concepts, including percentages, taxation formulas, and practical applications in real-life scenarios.

Now, let's delve into the concepts used in the provided article:

  1. Tax Calculation Formula: The article presents a formula for calculating tax on a product when the selling price (S.P.) or price before tax is given: [ \text{Tax amount} = \left( \text{S.P.} \times \frac{\text{Tax rate}}{100} \right) ]

  2. Introduction to Taxes:

    • Definition: Tax is the amount paid by individuals to the government for goods and services provided, used for public welfare and expenditure activities.
    • Historical Context: The concept of taxes dates back to Ancient Egypt (around 3000–2800 BC) and was introduced in India in 1860 by Sir James Wilson after the Military Mutiny of 1857.
  3. Types of Taxes:

    • Direct Taxes: Taxes paid directly by citizens to the government (e.g., income tax, corporate tax).
    • Indirect Taxes: Taxes paid by individuals but not directly collected by the government; collected by sellers (e.g., sales tax, excise duty).
  4. Tax on Marked Price:

    • When an item is sold at the marked price without any discount, tax is calculated on the marked price.
    • Example: If the marked price of a chair is $1200, and a tax of 8% is charged, the tax amount is calculated as (\$1200 \times \frac{8}{100} = \$96).
  5. Calculating Tax Rate:

    • If the tax amount and the selling price (S.P.) are given, the tax rate can be calculated using the formula: [ \text{Tax rate} = \left( \frac{\text{Tax amount}}{\text{Price before tax}} \right) \times 100\% ]
    • Example: If a mobile phone costs $200, and the tax paid is $20, then the tax rate is ( \frac{20}{200} \times 100 = 10\% ).
  6. Tax on Discounted Products:

    • Discounts are calculated on the selling price, and tax is applied on the amount after subtracting the discount.
    • Example: If a pizza costs $12 with a 30% discount and 10% service tax, the final amount is calculated considering the discounted price.
  7. Important Notes:

    • Tax is always calculated on the final selling price after considering discounts.
    • There are two major categories of taxes: direct and indirect.
    • Tax is a real-life application of the percentage concept.
  8. Challenging Question on Taxes:

    • An example is provided to challenge the understanding of tax calculations, comparing the tax amounts for different brands of bags.
  9. Related Articles on Taxes:

    • The article suggests checking out related articles on taxes, such as definitions of rates, percentages, profit and loss, simple interest, compound interest, discounts, and the unitary method.
  10. FAQs on Taxes:

    • Frequently asked questions cover topics like calculating tax on a product, the difference between cost price and selling price, the meaning of marked price, and the formula for calculating the tax rate on a product.

In summary, the article covers fundamental concepts of taxation, providing formulas, examples, and practical insights into various scenarios related to tax calculations.

How to calculate taxes and discounts | Basic Concept, Formulas and Examples - Cuemath (2024)
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