Variable costs and expenses divided by net sales. To learn more, see Explanation of Break-even Point.
Variable costs and expenses divided by net sales. To learn more, see Explanation of Break-even Point.
Within a reasonable range of activity, the slope of the cost line is the variable rate, which is often denoted as ‘b’ in the straight line y = a + bx.
Costing system wherein fixed manufacturing overhead is allocated to (or absorbed by) products being manufactured. This system, which treats fixed manufacturing costs as a product cost, is required for external financial...
The actual cost of direct materials, the actual cost of direct labor, and manufacturing overhead applied by using a predetermined annual overhead rate.
causes of the overhead costs. Examples of Cost Allocations The following are only a few of the many cost allocations that occur in some companies or organizations: The cost of a manufacturing building is allocated to...
What is a cost center? Definition of Cost Center A cost center is often a department within a company. The manager and employees of a cost center are responsible for its costs but are not directly responsible for...
See Explanation of Standard Costing.
See Explanation of Standard Costing.
The next best benefit foregone. The opportunity lost. Often measured as the contribution margin given up by not doing an activity. For example, if a sole proprietor is foregoing a salary and benefits of $50,000 at...
A cost associated with a batch of items, but not directly traceable to an individual item within the batch. For example, the cost to set up a machine to run a batch of 5,000 items is a batch-level cost. This cost must...
What is cost incurred? Definition of Cost Incurred A cost incurred is a cost that a company (or other organization) becomes liable for. Example of Cost Incurred Assume that a retailer begins operations on December 1 and...
In manufacturing, the product cost includes direct materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead. A retailer’s product cost is the net cost from suppliers plus costs to get the product in place and ready for...
Standard Costing (Word Scramble) Download PDF To see each answer, press or click on the blue "Unscramble" button. If you have difficulty answering the following questions, learn more about this topic by reading...
For a merchandiser this is the cost of merchandise purchased after deducting purchase returns, purchase allowances, and purchase discounts but after adding freight-in.
See cost of goods sold.
What is the cost of capital? Definition of Cost of Capital The cost of capital is the weighted-average, after-tax cost of a corporation’s long-term debt, preferred stock (if any), and the stockholders’ equity...
A common cost. Often refers to the costs prior to the point where several products emerge from a common process.
Usually a department within a company that is responsible for its costs but not revenues or profit.
A cost or expense that is not directly traceable to a department, product, activity, customer, etc. As a result indirect costs and expenses are often allocated to the department, product, etc. For example, a...
The amount of an asset’s cost that will be depreciated. It is the cost minus the expected salvage value. For example, if equipment has a cost of $30,000 but is expected to have a salvage value of $3,000 then the...
What is the cost principle? Definition of Cost Principle The cost principle is one of the basic underlying guidelines in accounting. It is also known as the historical cost principle. The cost principle requires that...
In estimating the ending inventory under the retail method the cost ratio is the cost of goods available divided by the retail value of the goods available.
See cost of goods sold.
The cost transferred from one department to the next department in a process costing system.
See job order cost sheet.
The original cost incurred to acquire an asset (as opposed to replacement cost, current cost, or cost adjusted by a general price index). If a company purchased land in 1980 for $10,000 and continues to hold that land,...
The amount by which total costs will change when an activity is increased by one unit. In the equation of the line, y = a + bx, the variable cost rate is represented by ‘b’ and the units of activity are...
The additional cost of an additional quantity. It is similar to marginal cost, except that marginal cost refers to the cost of the next unit. Incremental cost might be the additional cost from the next 200 units.
What is a variable cost? Definition of Variable Cost A variable cost is a constant amount per unit produced or used. Therefore, the total amount of the variable cost will change proportionately with the change in volume...
The allocation of manufacturing overhead (indirect manufacturing costs) to products on the basis of a volume metric such as direct labor hours or production machine hours. As manufacturing becomes more sophisticated the...
See incremental cost.
A cost object is often a product or department for which costs are accumulated or measured. For example, a product is the cost object for direct materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. The factory maintenance...
The cost associated with setting up a piece of production equipment. This would include the cost of the setup mechanic, the cost of scheduling, record keeping, moving the starting material, and testing the first few...
What is absorption costing? Definition of Absorption Costing Absorption costing (also known as full absorption costing) indicates that all of the manufacturing costs have been assigned to (absorbed by) the units of goods...
A corporation’s cost of capital is its weighted average after-tax cost of its debt, preferred stock, common stock, retained earnings, and other components of stockholders’ equity. The cost of capital is...
To learn more, see our Nonmanufacturing Overhead Outline.
See our Standard Costing Outline.
A symbol that indicates the total amount of fixed costs during a specified period of time. In the equation of the straight line, y = a + bx, the total amount of fixed costs during the period is represented by...
Accounting reports that identify the differences between standard costs and actual costs, between budget amounts and actual amounts, etc.
Also referred to as manufacturing overhead, factory overhead, indirect manufacturing costs, or manufacturing support costs. To learn more, see Explanation of Manufacturing Overhead.
Featured Review
"I am currently employed as an accounting manager, and have been involved with accounting all throughout my career. I became a PRO user after reviewing AccountingCoach with a CFO at a previous employer. He agreed that this would be a useful tool to have available to me and the accounting department. The detail and amount of accounting information available in AccountingCoach has been very helpful in my career. There are so many challenges to accounting work. Having AccountingCoach to find answers for general and specific processes has been invaluable to me. It has helped me to work through challenging issues as well as to just get a refresher on basic accounting situations. It is assuring to know that I will always have this tool at my disposal." - Michael S.
Join PRO or PRO Plus and Get Lifetime Access to Our Premium Materials
Read all 2,645 reviewsWe now offer 10 Certificates of Achievement for Introductory Accounting and Bookkeeping: