If the demand for a commodity is perfectly elastic, the incidence of a tax on that commodity will be, other things being equal, entirely on the_______
Answer Details
If the demand for a commodity is perfectly elastic, it means that even a small change in price will cause a significant change in the quantity demanded. In other words, consumers are very sensitive to changes in price, and if the price increases, they will simply buy another substitute product that is cheaper.
Now, if a tax is imposed on this commodity, it will cause the price of the commodity to increase. Since the demand is perfectly elastic, consumers will not be willing to pay the higher price and will switch to substitute products. As a result, the entire incidence of the tax falls on the seller or producer of the commodity. This is because the higher price caused by the tax will result in a decrease in the quantity demanded, and the producer will have to reduce the price in order to sell the product. Therefore, the producer bears the entire burden of the tax.
In summary, if the demand for a commodity is perfectly elastic, the incidence of a tax on that commodity will be entirely on the seller or producer, as consumers are very sensitive to price changes and will switch to substitute products if the price increases.