To find the discount percentage, we first calculate the discount amount and then find the percentage of the regular price that the discount represents.

Step 1: Calculate the discount amount

$\text{Discount Amount} = \text{Regular Price} - \text{Sale Price}$ $\text{Discount Amount} = 16.50 - 10.75 = 5.75$

Step 2: Calculate the discount percentage

$\text{Discount Percentage} = \left( \frac{\text{Discount Amount}}{\text{Regular Price}} \right) \times 100$ $\text{Discount Percentage} = \left( \frac{5.75}{16.50} \right) \times 100 \approx 34.85\%$

Step 3: Round to the nearest whole number

$\text{Discount Percentage} \approx 35\%$

Final Answer:

The discount before tax was 35%.

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Do you want me to explain this further or assist with a related problem?
Here are some related questions:

1. If the tax rate is 7%, how much will Tom pay in total?
2. What was the sale price as a percentage of the regular price?
3. How much would Tom save if he bought 3 toy trucks?
4. If another store offered a 40% discount on the same toy truck, how much would it cost there?
5. What is the formula to calculate discounts in general?

Tip: When working with percentages, always double-check rounding to ensure accuracy.