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Accounting for overheads

Forums › Ask ACCA Tutor Forums › Ask the Tutor ACCA MA – FIA FMA › Accounting for overheads

  • This topic has 10 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by John Moffat.
Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • August 29, 2021 at 4:10 pm #633397
    Nguyen
    Participant
    • Topics: 14
    • Replies: 13
    • ☆

    Hi John. I have a problem with question 7a.24 in MA Kit book.

    A company uses standard absorption costing to value inventory. Its fixed overhead absorption rate is $12 per labour hour and each unit of production should take four hours. In a recent period where there was no opening inventory of finishing goods. 20,000 units were produced using 100,000 labour hours. 18,000 units were sold. The actual profit was $464,000.
    What profit would have been earned under a standard marginal costing system?

    A. $368,000
    B. $440,000
    C. $344,000
    D. $560,000

    Could you please explain why the answer is A? Thank you so much in advance.

    August 29, 2021 at 8:37 pm #633426
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54699
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    I assume that you have watched my free lectures and therefore know that the only difference ever between the absorption profit and the marginal profit is the change in inventory multiplied by the fixed overheads per unit.

    Here, the inventory increased by 2,000 units (they produced 20,000 and only sold 18,000). The fixed overheads per unit are 4 hours x $12 per hour = $48. Therefore the profits are different by 2,000 x $48 = $96,000.

    Given that the inventory increased, the marginal profit is lower and is 464,000 – 96,000 = $368,000

    August 29, 2021 at 8:44 pm #633431
    johnbriane
    Member
    • Topics: 170
    • Replies: 160
    • ☆☆☆

    But sir in the lectures you stated the only difference between marginal costing profits and absorption costing profits

    Is

    Oar x difference in inventory

    Not
    Oh/ unit x difference in inventory

    August 29, 2021 at 9:12 pm #633443
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54699
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    Of course it is per unit otherwise it would make absolutely no sense at all.

    Watch the lectures again!!!

    August 30, 2021 at 1:17 am #633447
    Nguyen
    Participant
    • Topics: 14
    • Replies: 13
    • ☆

    Thank you so much John. I understand it now.

    August 30, 2021 at 6:14 am #633463
    johnbriane
    Member
    • Topics: 170
    • Replies: 160
    • ☆☆☆

    Then sir In the below Kaplan question they have given overhead absorption rate
    Per liter

    So we also need to multiply it by the standard number of liters per unit in order to get the overhead cost per unit

    But they have not given it
    So how to solve it

    Should we take

    Overhead absorption rate

    Or

    Overhead cost per unit

    When opening inventory was 8,500 litres and closing inventory was 6,750 litres, a firm had a profit of $62,100 using marginal costing.
    Assuming that the fixed overhead absorption rate was $3 per litre, what would be the profit using absorption costing?

    August 30, 2021 at 8:28 am #633481
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54699
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    Nguyen: You are welcome 🙂

    johnbriane: Given that the inventories are given as litres then the units must be litres. Had you been told that the inventories were 1,850 and 6.750 bottles each holding 2 litres, then the units would be bottles and the overheads per unit would have been 2 x $48. But that is not the case in this question.

    August 30, 2021 at 2:41 pm #633520
    johnbriane
    Member
    • Topics: 170
    • Replies: 160
    • ☆☆☆

    Dear sir

    Are there any differences between

    Overhead absorption rate per unit

    And

    Overhead cost per unit

    ?

    August 30, 2021 at 3:45 pm #633542
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54699
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    No – not if both are expressed per unit.

    However the OAR is often expressed in (for example) a rate per hour. If each unit takes (say) 4 hours to make, then the overhead rate per unit is 4 x the OAR per hour.

    August 30, 2021 at 4:34 pm #633549
    johnbriane
    Member
    • Topics: 170
    • Replies: 160
    • ☆☆☆

    Ok sir thank you so much for your support

    August 30, 2021 at 7:05 pm #633557
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54699
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    You are welcome.

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • The topic ‘Accounting for overheads’ is closed to new replies.

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