Transcribed image text: The total (after-tax) cost of a laptop computer is $1640.35. The local sales tax rate is 7.9%. What is the retail (pre-tax) price? The retail (pre-tax) price of the computer is SI (Simplify your answer. Round to the nearest cent as needed
To find the retail (pre-tax) price, we need to work backward from the total (after-tax) cost.
Step 1: Convert the sales tax rate to a decimal
The local sales tax rate is 7.9%, which can be written as 0.079 (decimal form).
Step 2: Determine the portion of the total cost that is tax
To calculate the portion of the total cost that is due to tax, multiply the total cost by the sales tax rate:
Tax = Total cost * Sales tax rate
Tax = $1640.35 * 0.079 = $129.69
Step 3: Subtract the tax from the total cost to find the retail price
Retail price = Total cost - Tax
Retail price = $1640.35 - $129.69 = $1510.66
Thus, the retail (pre-tax) price of the laptop computer is $1510.66.