BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Evading income tax - why is D incorrect?

Expert replies
by wazzawayne » Sat Apr 27, 2013 10:34 pm
Hi,
I've checked the previous explanations given for this question; still not convinced why D is not a correct option|
When people evade income taxes by not declaring taxable income, a vicious cycle results. Tax evasion forces lawmakers to raise income tax rates, which causes the tax burden on nonevading taxpayers to become heavier.
This, in turn, encourages even more taxpayers to evade income taxes by hiding taxable income.
The vicious cycle described above could not resultunless which of the following were true?


Official Answer -
(C) When lawmakers establish income tax rates in order to generate a certain level of revenue, they do not allow adequately for revenue that will be lost through evasion.

I understand that C is a correct option; but why is D no correct?
(D) No one who routinely hides some taxable income can be induced by a lowering of tax rates to stop hiding such income unless fines for evaders are raised at the same time.


The way I see it.. the correct answer is one which, if FALSE, would break the vicious cycle.
So FALSE of D is that "Even if there are no penalties, a lowering of taxes will cause frequent tax evaders to pay tax" .. wont this break the vicious cycle??
Current cycle given Evasion --> Higher tax --> More financial pressure --> More Evasion
If D were NOT true then Evasion --> will not force to increase tax; so this would break the cycle
Where am I going wrong with this one?
Join the discussion
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

by David@VeritasPrep » Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:11 pm
You are not correctly negating that answer choice D.


"No one" should become "at least one" since that is the opposite.

So it becomes At least one person who routinely hides some taxable income can be induced by a lowering of tax rates to stop hiding such income

Now Replace "unless with even if"

"even fines for evaders are not raised at the same time."

Do you see why this does not break the cycle? At least one person is not going to break the cycle. C is a stronger answer when negated.

Does that help?
Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor

Veritas Prep Reviews
Save $100 off any live Veritas Prep GMAT Course
Join the discussion

by wazzawayne » Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:33 pm
Hi David.. yes that does help :) further, do you think that the approach of negating.the choice is the best option here to.check the validity of answer choice?
Ive been.thinking about why D doesnt make sense... And put i another way D is telling us that "it is possible to reduce evasion with the help of fines" so if this is true then it means we dont really need to increase the taxes, and the cycle vreaks.. is this reasoning also correct?
Join the discussion

by David@VeritasPrep » Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:16 pm
You are not thinking about D in the correct way.

When you negate something you need to ask what would happen if the answer choice were not true...

So you should say what if D is not true? Well that means that "At least one person who routinely hides some taxable income can be induced by a lowering of tax rates to stop hiding such income"

This is very different from what you said. At least one person is the opposite of "no one" and this is not the same as saying that you can "reduce evasion" with the help of fines.
Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor

Veritas Prep Reviews
Save $100 off any live Veritas Prep GMAT Course
Join the discussion

by wazzawayne » Wed May 01, 2013 6:09 am
Thanks David; I get where I was going wrong :)
Join the discussion