Question

Solve the following problem involving income tax. Show all your work. Priya had $52.50 deducted from their paycheck. If Priya’s income tax rate is 12%, find Priya’s total income before tax For a 7th grader

Answer 1

To find Priya's total income before tax, we need to understand the relationship between the amount deducted and the income tax rate.

1. **Understanding the deduction**:
Priya had $52.50 deducted from their paycheck for income tax. This amount represents 12% of Priya's total income before tax.

2. **Setting up the equation**:
Let's call Priya's total income before tax \( x \). According to the information given:
\[
12\% \text{ of } x = 52.50
\]
In mathematical terms, we can express 12% as a decimal, which is 0.12. So, we can rewrite the equation as:
\[
0.12x = 52.50
\]

3. **Solving for \( x \)**:
To find \( x \), we need to divide both sides of the equation by 0.12:
\[
x = \frac{52.50}{0.12}
\]

4. **Calculating the total income**:
Now, we perform the division:
\[
x = 52.50 \div 0.12
\]
We can calculate this step-by-step:
- First, we can calculate \( 52.50 \div 0.12 \):
\[
52.50 \div 0.12 = 437.50
\]

5. **Conclusion**:
Therefore, Priya's total income before tax is:
\[
\boxed{437.50}
\]

Thus, Priya made a total income of $437.50 before income tax was deducted.