Question

Suppose that the U.S. government decides to charge wine consumers a tax. Before the tax, 45,000 bottles of wine were sold every week at a price of $4 per bottle. After the tax, 39,000 bottles of wine are sold every week; consumers pay $7 per bottle (including the tax), and producers receive $1 per bottle.
(a) The amount of the tax on a bottle of wine is $----- per bottle.

(b) Of this amount, the burden that falls on consumers is $------ per bottle, and the burden that falls on producers is $---- per bottle.

(c) True or False: The effect of the tax on the quantity sold would have been larger if the tax had been levied on producers. True or False?

Answer 1

Answer: a) $6

b) Of this amount, the burden that falls on consumers is $3 per bottle, and the burden that falls on producers is $3 per bottle.

c) False

Explanation:

a) The amount of tax paid on a bottle can be calculated as,

Amount of tax = Price paid by consumers - Price received by producers

Amount of tax = 7 - 1

Amount of tax = $6

b) The tax burden on the consumer is given by,

Tax burden of consumers = Price paid by consumers - Pre-tax Price

Tax burden of consumers = 7 - 4

Tax burden of consumers = $3

Tax burden of producers = Pre-tax price - Price received by producers

Tax burden of producers

Tax burden of producers = 4 - 1

Tax burden of producers = $3

c) False

Quantity sold does not change depending on who is taxed between the producer and the supplier.