LSAT Explanation PT 25, S4, Q2: Twenty professional income-tax advisors were given

LSAT Question Stem

If the information above is correct, which one of the following conclusions can be properly drawn on the basis of it? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Must Be True question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is B. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

In this LSAT problem, we are given a passage describing a situation where twenty professional income-tax advisors were asked to prepare an income-tax return based on identical records. These records were fictitious and created by a financial magazine. The results showed that no two tax returns were the same, and only one was technically correct. Our task is to identify which conclusion can be properly drawn from this information. This is a Must Be True (MBT) question type.

Before we dive into the answer choices, let's break down the passage. The main point to understand here is that despite being professionals, the tax advisors produced different and mostly incorrect tax returns based on the same set of records. This indicates that there might be some uncertainty or lack of consistency in their work.

Now, let's analyze the answer choices:

a) Only one out of every twenty income-tax returns prepared by any given professional income-tax advisor will be correct.

- This answer choice is incorrect because we cannot generalize the results from this specific situation to all tax returns prepared by any given professional income-tax advisor. The sample size is too small and limited to this particular case.

b) The fact that a tax return has been prepared by a professional income-tax advisor provides no guarantee that the tax return has been correctly prepared.

- This answer choice is correct. Based on the passage, we know that out of twenty professional income-tax advisors, only one produced a correct tax return. This supports the idea that having a tax return prepared by a professional income-tax advisor does not guarantee its correctness.

c) In order to ensure that tax returns are correct, it is necessary to hire professional income-tax advisors to prepare them.

- This answer choice contradicts the evidence provided in the passage. The passage demonstrates that hiring professional income-tax advisors does not necessarily ensure correct tax returns, as only one out of twenty was correct in this case.

d) All professional income-tax advisors make mistakes on at least some of the tax returns they prepare.

- This answer choice is incorrect because there is not enough evidence to support such a strong claim. The passage only tells us about this specific case, and we cannot generalize it to all tax returns prepared by all professional income-tax advisors.

e) People are more likely to have an incorrectly prepared tax return if they prepare their own tax returns than if they hire a professional income-tax advisor.

- This answer choice is incorrect because there is no information in the passage about self-prepared tax returns. We cannot compare the results of professional income-tax advisors with those of individuals preparing their own tax returns based on the given information.

In conclusion, the correct answer is B, as it accurately reflects the information provided in the passage. The passage demonstrates that having a tax return prepared by a professional income-tax advisor does not guarantee its correctness, as only one out of twenty tax returns was correct in this specific case.