Chapter 21 Rents, Profits, and the Financial Environment of Business 325
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21-4. A British pharmaceutical company spent several years and considerable funds on the
development of a treatment for HIV patients. Now, with the protection afforded by patent
rights, the company has the potential to reap enormous gains. The government, in response,
has threatened to tax away any economic rents the company may earn. Is this an advisable
policy? Why or why not? (Hint: Contrast the short-run and long-run effects of taxing away
the economic rents.)
This may not be a sensible policy. In the short run, of course, the government can boost its tax
revenues by taxing away all of this company’s economic rents. Nevertheless, in the long run,
taxing away all of the rents the company may earn may serve as a deterrent to other companies
undertaking high-risk research. As a result, in future years, society may not benefit from as much
research into medicines and cures for diseases as it would otherwise.
21-5. Write a brief explanation of the differences among a sole proprietorship, a partnership, and
a corporation. In addition, list one advantage and one disadvantage of a proprietorship, a
partnership, and a corporation.
A sole proprietorship is a business entity owned by a single individual, whereas a partnership is a
business entity jointly owned by more than one individual. A corporation, in contrast, is a legal
entity that is owned by shareholders, who own shares of the profits of the entity. Sole
proprietorships and partnerships do not face double taxation, but corporations do. The owners of
corporations, however, enjoy limited liability, whereas the sole proprietor or partner does not.
21-6. After graduation, you face a choice. One option is to work for a multinational consulting
firm and earn a starting salary (benefits included) of $40,000. The other option is to use
$5,000 in savings to start your own consulting firm. You could earn an interest return of 5
percent on your savings. You choose to start your own consulting firm. At the end of the
first year, you add up all of your expenses and revenues. Your total includes $12,000 in rent,
$1,000 in office supplies, $20,000 for office staff, and $4,000 in telecommunications
expenses. What are your total explicit costs and total implicit costs?
Explicit costs are $12,000 in rent, $1,000 in office supplies, $20,000 for office staff, and $4,000
in telephone expenses, for a total of $37,000. Implicit costs are the forgone $40,000 salary and the
5 percent interest on the $5,000 savings ($250), for a total of $40,250.
21-7. Suppose, as in Problem 21-6, that you have now operated your consulting firm for a year.
At the end of the first year, your total revenues are $77,250. Based on the information in
Problem 21-6, what is the accounting profit, and what is your economic profit?
Accounting profit is total revenue, $77,250, minus explicit costs, $37,000, for a total of $40,250.
Economic profit is total revenue, $77,250, less explicit costs, $37,000, and implicit costs,
$40,250, for a total equal to zero.
21-8. An individual leaves a college faculty, where she was earning $80,000 a year, to begin a new
venture. She invests her savings of $20,000, which were earning 10 percent annually. She
then spends $40,000 renting office equipment, hires two students at $60,000 a year each,
rents office space for $24,000, and has other variable expenses of $80,000. At the end of the
year, her revenues are $400,000. What are her accounting profit and her economic profit
for the year?