12. The interest tax shield is a key reason why: A. the required rate of return on assets rises when debt is added to the capital structure. B. the value of an unlevered firm is equal to the value of a levered firm. C. the net cost of debt to a firm is generally less than the cost of equity. D. the cost of debt is equal to the cost of equity for a levered firm. E. firms prefer equity financing over debt financing