When a merchant imported a certain item, he paid a 9 percent import tax on the portion of the total value of the item in excess of $1,000. If the amount of the import tax that the merchant paid was $85.50, what was the total value of the item? Choose the most appropriate option.
A) $1,150
B) $1,350
C) $1,550
D) $1,750
E) $1,950
Let x be the value in excess of $1,000.   0.09x = 85.5   x = $950   The total value was $950 + $1,000 = $1,950.   The answer is $1,950.
<result>E</result>
When a merchant imported a certain item, he paid a 9 percent import tax on the portion of the total value of the item in excess of $1,000. If the amount of the import tax that the merchant paid was $85.50, what was the total value of the item?