Accounting Notes

Product Costing

Product Costing Approaches:

Pro cess Costing - System for assigning cost s to large numbers of identical units that usually
proceed in a continuous fashion though a series of uniform production steps
or processes. (Producing continuous flow of similar units)

Job Costing - System for assigning costs to a specific unit or to a small batch of products or
services that (1) proceeds through production steps as a distinct identifiable job
lot and (2) can vary considerably in terms of materials, labor, and overhead costs.
(Producing different units for different jobs)

Journal entries to account for the different manufacturing costs:

During this next section it might be helpful to refer back to the flowchart in the notes for chapter
19 showing ho w the costs flow between the different accounts for a manufacturing company.

Requisition of Materials into Production:

When materials are introduced into production there are both direct and indirect
materials used. The direct and indirect costs must be separated since they are accounted
for with different accounts. The direct materials are added to the Work in Process
Inventory while the indirect materials are added to the Manufacturing Overhead.

Work In Process Inventory Direct Materials

Manufacturing Overhead Indirect Materials
Materials Inventory Total materials

Labor costs incurred:

For a manufacturing company, when labor costs are incurred (or paid) the wages are
debited to the Manufacturing Wages account instead of Wages Expense, as in a service
business.

Manufacturing Wages Labor costs

Wages Payable (or Cash) Labor costs

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Assignment of labor to production:

As with the materials used, labor costs used in production must be separated into their
direct and indirect cost components. These costs are then transferred out of the
Manufacturing Wages and added to the Work in Process Inventory and Manufact uring
overhead accounts.

Work in Process Inventory Direct Labor

Manufacturing Overhead Indirect Labor
Manufacturing Wages Total Labor costs

Accounting for other Manufacturing Overhead costs incurred:

In addition to indirect materials and labor there are other costs that a manufacturing
company incurs during the production process that can not be separated and assigned
directly to a specific unit or product in a easy and cost-effective manner. Some of these
costs include Depreciation, Utilities, Insurance, and Property taxes on the factory. It is
important to remember that these expenses must be on the factory facilities and not o n the
administrative offices. If the expenses are for the administrative office, then the expense
are debited to their normal expense accounts (Depreciation Expense, Utilities Expense,
etc...).

Manufacturing Overhead Depreciation Exp.

Accumulated Depreciation Depreciation Exp.

Manufacturing Overhead Utilities costs

Accounts Payable (or Cash) Utilities costs

Manufacturing Overhead Insurance expired

Prepaid Insurance Insurance expired

Manufacturing Overhead Property Taxes

Accounts Payable (or Cash) Property Taxes

Applying Overhead to production:

The overhead costs added to the Manufacturing Overhead account must now be
applied to the units in the Work in Process Inventory. These overhead costs are applied
by using a predetermined overhead rate. This rate is determined by dividing the total
estimated overhead costs for the year by the estimated allocation base.

Predetermined Total estimated Manufacturing Overhead

Manufacturing =
Overhead rate Allocation Base

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 Allocation Base - a common denominator that links indirect costs to cost objects
(products). Examples include Direct Labor hours, Direct Labor costs,
or Machine hours

When overhead is applied, it is added (debited) to Work in Process Inventory and

credited to the Manufacturing Overhead account.

Work in Process Inventory Applied Overhead

Manufacturing Overhead Applied Overhead

Transferring of completed goods:

When the products are completed, their costs must be transferred from the Work in
Process Inventory and into Finished Goods Inventory.

Finished Goods Inventory Cost of completed units

Work in Process Inventory Cost of completed units

Sale of Goods:

Accounting for the sale of goods is the same for a manufacturing business as for a
merchandising business. There are two journal entries that must be done. The first entry
is to record the price that the products were sold for and the second entry is to record the
cost of producing those units.

Accounts Receivable (or Cash) Sales price

Sales Sales price

Cost of Goods Sold Cost of units

Finished Goods Inventory Cost of units

Accounting for Under- and Over-Applied Overhead:

If the amount is considered to be insignificant, it is closed (transferred) to the Cost o f Goods Sold
account.

Cost of Goods Sold Under-applied amount

Manufacturing Overhead Under-applied amount

If the amount is considered to be significant, then it must be allocated between the Work in
Process Inventory, Finished Goods Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold accounts. The amount of
under-applied overhead is allocated based on the account balances.

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 Ending Proration
Balance
Work in Process $ X X / Total " Under-applied $
overhead
Finished Goods Y Y / Total " Under-applied $
overhead
Cost of Goods Sold Z Z / Total " Under-applied $
_________ overhead _________
Total Under-
applied
overhead

Work in Process Inventory Allocated amount

Finished Goods Inventory Allocated amount
Cost of Goods Sold Allocated amount
Manufacturing Overhead Under-applied overhead

The allocation process and accounts used in the journal entries are the same for Over-applied
overhead as shown above for Under-applied overhead. The only difference is that the debits and
credits are reversed.

Manufacturing Overhead Over-applied overhead

Cost of Goods Sold Over-applied overhead

or

Manufacturing Overhead Over-applied overhead

Work in Process Inventory Allocated amount
Finished Goods Inventory Allocated amount
Cost of Goods Sold Allocated amount

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