In: Economics
Answer the following questions regarding taxes.
a. Suppose the demand for insulin pumps is QD = 2,000 and the supply of insulin pumps is QS = 0.5 P – 1,000. What is the price that sellers receive per pump? Suppose the government imposes a tax of $400 per pump on sellers. What after-tax price per pump do sellers receive?
b. In the market for organic fruit, the elasticity of supply is 0.75 and the elasticity of demand is –1.25. If there is a tax of $2 per unit on organic fruit, what share of the tax is paid by buyers and what share is paid by sellers?
a.
Qd=Qs
2000=0.5P-1000
3000 = 0.5P
P = 6000
P |
Qd |
Qs |
Qs1 |
0 |
2000 |
-1000 |
-1200 |
1000 |
2000 |
-500 |
-700 |
2000 |
2000 |
0 |
-200 |
3000 |
2000 |
500 |
300 |
4000 |
2000 |
1000 |
800 |
5000 |
2000 |
1500 |
1300 |
6000 |
2000 |
2000 |
1800 |
7000 |
2000 |
2500 |
2300 |
As the demand is inelastic the suppliers receive 6400 after tax and consumers bear the $400
b.
Tax burden on consumer = Es/(Ed+Es) = 0.75/(1.25+0.75) = 37.5 percent = 2*0.375 = $ 0.75
Tax burden on producer = Ed/(Ed+Es) = -1.25/(-1.25+0.75) = 62.5 percent = 2*0.625 = $1.25