New project analysis

You must evaluate a proposed spectrometer for the R&D department. The base price is $240,000, and it would cost another $36,000 to modify the equipment for special use by the firm. The equipment falls into the MACRS 3-year class and would be sold after 3 years for $120,000. The applicable depreciation rates are 33%, 45%, 15%, and 7%. The equipment would require an $8,000 increase in net operating working capital (spare parts inventory). The project would have no effect on revenues, but it should save the firm $44,000 per year in before-tax labor costs. The firm's marginal federal-plus-state tax rate is 40%.