Your questions was "When I figure out a % of a #. Do i have to place a decimal in front of that number before I x it." My answer is YES! However, please remember to drop the % sign as soon as you have converted your percentage into decimal because 25% is NOT the same as .25% So remove the % sign as soon as you have converted your percentage into decimal. Lets take your example: 14971.00 x 25% First thing and would be the easiest one is to change your 25% into .25 (please note there is a decimal in front of the 25) Remember, 25% is NOT the same as .25% So remove the % sign as soon as you have converted your percentage into decimal. Therefore, 14971 x 25% is the same as 14971 x .25 (both answer is 3742.75) But NOT the same as 14971 x .25% because this is the same as saying 14971*.25/100 which is 37.4275 Remember #% is the same as #/100 (eg 25% is the same as 25/100) Hope that helps.