how to calculate the cost of an item if the retail is $40 and the markup is 20%

cost(1+.20) = 40

1.2x = 40

Solve for x.

x=87.71

To calculate the cost of an item given the retail price and markup percentage, you can use the formula:

Cost = Retail Price / (1 + Markup Percentage)

In this case, the retail price is $40 and the markup percentage is 20%.

Step 1: Convert the markup percentage to a decimal.
Markup Percentage = 20% = 0.20

Step 2: Apply the formula to get the cost:
Cost = $40 / (1 + 0.20)
Cost = $40 / 1.20

Step 3: Calculate the result:
Cost = $33.33 (rounded to two decimal places)

Therefore, the cost of the item, given a retail price of $40 and a markup of 20%, would be approximately $33.33.