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Zorluk: OrtaIncidence and Effects of Taxation

A specific indirect tax of 50\text{₦}50 per unit is levied on a commodity. If the price elasticity of demand for the commodity is 1.51.5 and the price elasticity of supply is 0.50.5, how much of the tax per unit (in Naira) is borne by the producer?

Cevap: 37.5 Naira

Cevap

The producer bears 37.5 Naira per unit of the tax burden.
The economic incidence of a specific tax depends on the relative price elasticities of demand (EdE_d) and supply (EsE_s). The producer's share per unit is calculated as T×EdEd+EsT \times \frac{E_d}{E_d + E_s}. Substituting T=50T = 50, Ed=1.5E_d = 1.5, and Es=0.5E_s = 0.5 yields 50×1.52.0=37.550 \times \frac{1.5}{2.0} = 37.5 Naira.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Identify the tax incidence formula for the producer's share
Formula: Producer’s Burden=T×(EdEd+Es)\text{Producer's Burden} = T \times \left(\frac{E_d}{E_d + E_s}\right)
Tax burden distribution between buyers and sellers depends inversely on their relative price elasticities.
2
Substitute the values into the equation
Producer’s Burden=50×(1.51.5+0.5)=50×0.75=37.5\text{Producer's Burden} = 50 \times \left(\frac{1.5}{1.5 + 0.5}\right) = 50 \times 0.75 = 37.5
With elastic demand (Ed=1.5E_d = 1.5) relative to inelastic supply (Es=0.5E_s = 0.5), the producer absorbs 75%75\% of the tax.

Anahtar Kavram

Tax Incidence and Relative Elasticity of Demand and Supply
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