Answer:
$ 124
Step-by-step explanation:
Given,
The total paid amount = $ 131.44,
Let x be the original price of desk ( in dollars ),
∵ The tax is 31 cents less than 1/16 the desk price.
So, tax = [tex]\frac{1}{16}x - 0.31[/tex] ( 1 dollar = 100 cents ⇒ 1 cent = 0.01 dollar ),
Thus, the total amount paid = original price of desk + tax
[tex]=x + \frac{1}{16}x - 0.31[/tex]
[tex]\implies x + \frac{1}{16}x - 0.31 = 131.44[/tex]
[tex]\frac{16x + x}{16}=131.44 + 0.31[/tex]
[tex]\frac{17x}{16}=131.75[/tex]
[tex]\implies x =\frac{131.75\times 16}{17}=7.75\times 16 = 124[/tex]
Hence, the price of desk before tax would be $ 124.