Selling Price is $500
Mark up on selling price has this formula:
Markup Amount / Selling Price = Markup Percentage.
OR
Item Cost / (1.00 - Mark up Percentage) = Price.
Since the problem gave us the item cost and markup percentage, we use the 2nd formula:
Item cost = 300
selling price-based markup = 40%
300 / (1-0.40) = 300 / 0.60 = 500 Selling Price.
Selling Price : 500
Item cost : - 300
Mark up amt : 200
With the above figures, we can compute for the mark up percentage using the 1st formula.
Mark up amount / selling price = mark up percentage
200 / 500 = 0.40 or 40%