Select figures from a firm’s budget for next month are as follows.
Sales – $450000 Gross profit on sales – 30% Decrease in trade payables over the month – $10000 Increase in cost of inventory held over the month – $18000
What is the budgeted payment to trade payables?
Answer payment=$(450000×70%+18000+10000)= $343000
My problem is that I understand everything except adding the 10000. I would think that decrease in payables would mean less of an expense, right?
The question is not asking for the expense, it is asking for the amount actually paid.
For the payables to fall by $1,000 then they must have paid an extra $1,000. If all they had done was paid for what they had bought during the month, then the amount owing would not have changed.