Question

Suppose a foreign investor who holds tax-exempt Eurobonds paying 10.50% is considering investing in an equivalent-risk domestic bond in a country with a 28% withholding tax on interest paid to foreigners. If 10.50% after-tax is the investor's required return, what before-tax rate would the domestic bond need to pay to provide the required after-tax return

Answer 1

Options:

a. 14.58%  

b. 12.83%  

c. 15.46%  

d. 16.33%  

e. 16.92%

Answer:

Correct option is A.

14.58%

Explanation:

After-tax yield = pre-tax yield x (1- marginal rate)

and Taxable-equivalent yield = tax-exempt yield / (1- marginal tax rate)

Hence Taxable-equivalent yield =.105/(1-.28)  

=.105/.72=.14583333

=14.58 %