Cost Terms

Cost terms and terminologies
Learning Objective 1.1
Understand cost
classifications used for
assigning costs to cost
objects: direct costs and
indirect costs
Assigning Costs to Cost Objects
Direct costs Indirect costs
• Costs that can be • Costs that cannot be
easily and conveniently easily and conveniently
traced to a unit of product traced to a unit of product
or other cost object. or other cost object.
• Examples: direct • Example: manufacturing
material and direct labor overhead
Common costs
Indirect costs incurred to support a number of
cost objects. These costs cannot be traced to any
individual cost object.
a. Identify and give
examples of each of the
three basic
manufacturing cost
categories.
b. Non manufacturing
cost
a. Classifications of Manufacturing Costs
Direct
Direct Direct
Direct Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Materials
Materials Labor
Labor Overhead
Overhead
The Product
Direct Materials
Raw materials that become an integral part of the product and that can be
conveniently traced directly to it.
Example:
Example: A
A radio
radio installed
installed in
in an
an automobile
automobile
Direct Labor
Those labor costs that can be easily traced to individual units of product.
Example:
Example: Wages
Wages paid
paid to
to automobile
automobile assembly
assembly workers
workers
Manufacturing Overhead
Manufacturing costs that cannot be easily traced directly to specific units
produced.
Examples:
Examples: Indirect
Indirect materials
materials and
and indirect
indirect labor
labor
Materials used to support Wages paid to employees

the production process. who are not directly
involved in production
Examples: lubricants and work.
cleaning supplies used in the Examples: maintenance
automobile assembly plant. workers, janitors, and
security guards.
b. Nonmanufacturing Costs
Selling Administrative
Costs Costs
Costs necessary to secure the All executive, organizational, and

order and deliver the product. clerical costs. Administrative costs
Selling costs can be either can be either direct or indirect
direct or indirect costs. costs.
Understand cost
classifications used to
prepare financial
statements: product
costs and period costs.
Cost Classifications for Preparing Financial
Statements
Product costs include direct Period costs include all
materials, direct labor, and selling costs and
manufacturing overhead. administrative costs.
Inventory Cost of Good Sold Expense
Sale
Balance Income Income

Sheet Statement Statement
Quick Check 
Which of the following costs would be considered a period rather
than a product cost in a manufacturing company?
A. Manufacturing equipment depreciation.
B. Property taxes on corporate headquarters.
C. Direct materials costs.
D. Electrical costs to light the production
facility.
E. Sales commissions.
Quick Check 
Which of the following costs would be considered a period rather than
a product cost in a manufacturing company?
A. Manufacturing equipment depreciation.
B. Property taxes on corporate headquarters.
C. Direct materials costs.
D. Electrical costs to light the production
facility.
E. Sales commissions.
Prime Costs and Conversion Costs
Manufacturing costs are often

classified as follows:
Direct Direct Manufacturing

Material Labor Overhead
Prime Conversion
Cost Cost
Understand cost
classifications used to
predict cost behavior:
variable costs, fixed
costs, and mixed costs.
Cost Classifications for Predicting Cost
Behavior
Cost behavior refers to
how a cost will react to
changes in the level of
activity. The most
common classifications
are:
▫ Variable costs.
▫ Fixed costs
▫ Mixed costs.
Variable Cost
A cost that varies, in total, in direct proportion to changes in the
level of activity. Your total texting bill may be based on how
many texts you send.
Total Texting Bill
Number of Texts Sent

Variable Cost Per Unit
However, variable cost per unit is constant. The cost per text
sent may be constant at 5 cents per text message.
Cost Per Text Sent
Number of Texts Sent

The Activity Base (Cost Driver)
Units Machine
produced hours
A measure of what
causes the
incurrence of a
variable cost
Miles Labor
driven hours
Fixed Cost
A cost that remains constant, in total, regardless of
changes in the level of the activity. Your monthly contract fee
for your cell phone may be fixed for the number of monthly
minutes in your contract.
Monthly Cell Phone
Contract Fee
Number of Minutes Used

Within Monthly Plan
Fixed Cost Per Unit
However, if expressed on a per unit basis, the average fixed cost per unit
varies inversely with changes in activity. The average fixed cost per cell
phone call made decreases as more calls are made.
Monthly Cell Phone

Contract Fee
Number of Minutes Used

Within Monthly Plan
Types of Fixed Costs
Committed Discretionary
Long-term, cannot be May be altered in the
significantly reduced in short-term by current
the short term. managerial decisions
Examples Examples
Depreciation on Buildings Advertising and
and Equipment and Real Research and
Estate Taxes Development
Mixed cost
Mixed costs are costs that contain a
portion of both fixed and variable costs.
Common examples include utilities and
even your cell phone.
Cost Classifications for Predicting Cost
Behavior
Behavior of Cost (within the relevant range)
Cost In Total Per Unit
Variable Total variable cost Increase Variable cost per unit

and decrease in proportion remains constant.
to changes in the activity level.
Fixed Total fixed cost is not affected Fixed cost per unit decreases
by changes in the activity as the activity level rises and
level within the relevant range. increases as the activity level falls.
Understand cost
classifications used in
making decisions:
differential costs,
opportunity costs, and
sunk costs.
Cost Classifications for Decision Making
• Costs may be classified as differential
cost, opportunity cost and sunk cost. This
classification is made for decision making
purposes
Differential Cost
The work of managers includes comparison of costs
and revenues of different alternatives.
Differential cost (also known as incremental cost)

is the difference in cost of two alternatives.
For example, if the cost of alternative A is $10,000

per year and the cost of alternative B is $8,000 per
year. The difference of $2,000 would be differential
cost.
Differential Revenue
The difference in revenue of two alternatives is
known as differential revenue.
For example, if alternative A’s revenue is $15,000

and alternative B’s revenue is $10,000. The
difference of $5,000 would be differential revenue.
Opportunity Cost
The potential benefit that is given up when

one alternative is selected over another.
These costs are not usually entered

into the accounting records or an
organization, but must be explicitly
considered in all decisions.
A player attends baseball training to
be a better player instead of taking a
vacation. The opportunity cost was the
vacation.
Sunk Costs
Sunk costs have already been incurred and
cannot be changed now or in the future. These
costs should be ignored when making decisions.
Example: Suppose you had purchased gold for

$1,100 an ounce, but now it is selling for $950 an
ounce. Should you wait for the gold to reach $1,100
an ounce before selling it? You may say, “Yes” even
though the $1,100 purchase is a sunk costs.

Cost Terms

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Cost terms and terminologies

Learning Objective 1.1

Materials used to support Wages paid to employees

Costs necessary to secure the All executive, organizational, and

Inventory Cost of Good Sold Expense

Balance Income Income

Manufacturing costs are often

Direct Direct Manufacturing

Number of Texts Sent

Cost Per Text Sent

Number of Texts Sent

Number of Minutes Used

Monthly Cell Phone

Number of Minutes Used

Variable Total variable cost Increase Variable cost per unit

Differential cost (also known as incremental cost)

For example, if the cost of alternative A is $10,000

For example, if alternative A’s revenue is $15,000

The potential benefit that is given up when

These costs are not usually entered

Example: Suppose you had purchased gold for

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