If 2.7 million tax returns are filed manually and there is a 20% error rate, how many erroneous returns will there be?

• A. 384,000
• B. 538,650
• C. 540,000
• D. 300,000

Answer: (B)

To determine the number of erroneous tax returns filed manually with a 20% error rate, you need to calculate 20% of the total number of tax returns.

Start by taking the total number of returns filed, which is 2.7 million. To express this in a usable figure, convert 2.7 million to its numerical form, which is 2,700,000.

Next, calculate 20% of this total. You can find 20% by multiplying the total number of returns by 0.20:

2,700,000 x 0.20 = 540,000.

This calculation shows that there will be 540,000 erroneous returns based on the 20% error rate of the 2.7 million manual filings.

Therefore, the answer is 540,000, which accurately reflects the intended mathematic operation given in the question.