Quick percentage Q: net pay $800 after 5% taken; find gross

metroplex2k7

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Aug 12, 2008
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My net pay was $800 after they took 5% from my gross. So how do I figure out what the gross pay was? (I lost the stub)

I wrote it as x - 5% = $800

But I can't figure it out.
 
Re: Quick percentage question...

5% is all they took?. Man, where do you live with such a tax base?.

\(\displaystyle x-.05x=800\)

Solve for x and we get \(\displaystyle \frac{800}{.95}=842.11\)
 
Re: Quick percentage question...

No, the 5% is the retainer they take out. I'm responsible for paying the taxes on the rest.

So is that 800 divided by .95 or .95 divided by 800?
 
Re: Quick percentage question...

Think a little. What do you think it is?. Would .95/800 make sense?. Did you earn .0011875 gross?.
 
Re: Quick percentage question...

The exact amount was $805.25. So I divided that by .95 and got $847.63 That what you get?

Thank you for all your help.
 
Re: Quick percentage question...

Well, now you have ME confused.

You said your pay AFTER the deduction of 5% was $800.

How did it all of a sudden become something else?

If 100% of your pay, minus 5% of your pay, is equal to $800, and we let x = your original pay,
x - 0.05x = 800
1x - 0.05x = 800
or,

0.95x = 800

Divide both sides of that equation by 0.95 to get just x:

0.95x / 0.95 = 800 / 0.95

We get confused when the conditions of a problem change "midstream."
 
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