How does a tax on a good affect its supply?

• A. It increases the quantity supplied
• B. It shifts the supply curve to the right
• C. It decreases production costs
• D. It shifts the supply curve to the left

Answer: (D)

A tax on a good directly affects the production costs associated with that good for suppliers. When a tax is imposed, it effectively increases the costs of production for suppliers because they need to account for the tax payment in their pricing structure. This increase in costs typically leads to producers supplying less of the good at any given price, as the after-tax revenue that they would receive for each unit sold diminishes.

As a result, the supply curve shifts to the left, indicating a decrease in supply at each price level. The leftward shift reflects that suppliers are less willing or able to produce and sell the same quantity of the good at earlier price points due to the added financial burden of the tax. This fundamental principle in economics illustrates how governmental policies, such as taxes, can influence market dynamics and ultimately affect availability and pricing for consumers.