Final answer:
To determine the tax owed by James based on his $103,000 taxable income, one must refer to the specific tax brackets for 2019. The progressive tax system taxes different portions of income at increasing rates. Without the 2019 tax brackets, it is not possible to accurately calculate James's tax liability from the given options.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves calculating the amount of income tax owed by an individual, which is based on the United States' progressive tax system. In this case, the individual, James, is single and had a taxable income of $103,000 in 2019. To determine his tax liability, we would need to know the specific tax brackets that were in effect for that year, as the tax rates can change. These tax brackets determine the percentages of tax that apply to different portions of a taxpayer's income.
For example, the first portion of income up to a certain threshold may be taxed at 10%, the next portion up to a higher threshold at 15%, and so on, up to the top portion of the income which may be taxed at a higher rate, such as 35%. Since the question does not provide the exact tax bracket thresholds for 2019, and considering tax rates and brackets vary year to year, it is not possible to determine James's tax liability without additional information. The list of amounts given in the question seems to suggest possible tax liabilities, but without the 2019 tax bracket information, one cannot confidently select the correct amount.