The​ after-tax cost of debt is higher than the​ before-tax cost of debt. True or False

False

Explanation:

The after cost of debt is always lower than the before tax cost of debt. For example, a company borrows $1,000,000 and pays 7% interest per year. This results in $70,000 in interest expense before taxes = $1,000,000 x 7% = $70,000.

The after tax cost of the debt = $1,000,000 x 7% x (1 - tax rate) = $1,000,000 x 7% x (1 - 21%) = $1,000,000 x 7% x 0.79 = $55,300