Final answer:
Eric's cost recovery deduction for a five-year class asset acquired for $50,000 in 2017, considering the half-year convention, is $5,000, which means none of the provided answer choices are correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking for the cost recovery deduction, also known as depreciation, for a five-year class asset acquired by Eric on March 2, 2017, for $50,000. According to the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS), which is the tax depreciation system in the United States, five-year class assets are depreciated over a five-year period. In the first year of service, the IRS allows a half-year convention for depreciation purposes.
Using the IRS's depreciation tables for five-year property, the first-year depreciation rate is 20%. However, because Eric acquired the asset part way through the year, we must apply the half-year convention. As a result, we calculate the first year's depreciation as 20% of the asset's cost ($50,000) divided by two, which equals $5,000.
Therefore, the cost recovery deduction for Eric in 2017 for the $50,000 five-year class asset is $5,000. Hence, the correct answer is e. None of these choices are correct.