XYZ rapid prototyping (RP) software costs

$29,000

and lasts one year, and will be expensed (i.e., written off in one year, and treated as an end-of-year cash flow). The cost of the upgrades will increase

11%

per year beginning in the second year (again, using end-of-year cash flows). How much can be spent now for an RP software upgrade agreement that lasts three years and must be depreciated with the SL method to zero over three years? MARR is

20%

per year

(im),

and the effective income tax rate

(t)

is

22%.