concept of cost accounting

In cost accounting and managerial accounting, three types of cost behavior are usually discussed: Variable costs. Job Costing – The costs incurred for a particular job can be easily identified. Financial accounting views an organization in entirety whereas cost accounting segregates the organization into various processes, projects or production units. Continuing with our example of toy manufacturing unit, sunk costs would refer to machinery cost that has been incurred. The cost concept of accounting states that all acquisition of items (such as assets or things needed for expending) should be recorded and retained in books at cost. Cost is defined as “the amount of expenditure (actual or notional) incurred on or attributable to a given thing or to ascertain the cost of a given thing”. There are also some limitations of this concept e.g. The cost principle requires that assets be recorded at the cash amount (or the equivalent) at the time that an asset is acquired. In this technique of costing the costs incurred are compared to the predetermined cost of the product,  process or project. Such revaluations (whether upwards or downwards) have to be disclosed in terms of the amount and date of the revaluation for a subsequent period of five years. It assigns a value to inventory at the lesser of the market replacement cost or the amount it was recorded at when it was initially purchased. Thus, if a balance sheet shows an asset at a certain value it should be assumed that this is its cost unless it is categorically stated otherwise. CAs, experts and businesses can get GST ready with ClearTax GST software & certification course. Cost refers the monetary measure of the amount of resources given up or used for some specified purpose. Define the term ‗cost‘. On the contrary, the concept of cost which normally enters into the accounts of a business is known as outlay cost. The Board has issued 24 standards to bring about better understanding of various elements of cost and best practices to be used. This price is then used on the balance sheet at the end of an accounting period. $1,00,000. Under this concept stability in prices of assets while recording is achieved. Certain costs are incurred and cannot be recovered these are sunk costs. Cost Accounting – Concept, Objectives, Types & Methods. Historical Cost; Verifiability Concept; In case where application of one accounting concept or principle leads to a conflict with another accounting concept or principle, accountants must consider what is best for the users of the financial information. Cost accounting is a method of accounting that aims to capture all the costs incurred (Also see Cost Accounting Basics) during an accounting period to aid the management in making the correct decisions.It involves collecting, classifying and recording all the costs incurred, which are then summarised and analysed (Also see 5 Most Important Financial Ratios) to find the best-selling price … Save taxes with ClearTax by investing in tax saving mutual funds (ELSS) online. In this technique, only the variable costs for additional units produced will be considered. Concept of Cost Audit. So these organizations were more complex and dynamic. Cost accounting uses various techniques to make an organization cost effective. Ltd. These costs vary with the production,  process or project changes. It is of interest to note that since assets are recorded at acquisition costs, as a rule, any subsequent increase or decrease in their values would not be recorded in the balance sheet. Cost accounting is defined as"a systematic set of procedures for recording and reporting measurements of the cost of manufacturing goods and performing services in the aggregate and in detail. Familiarize yourself with the most important formulas, terms, and principles you need to know to apply […] It is done for the purpose of budget preparation and profitability analysis. Answer: 1. Cost accounting is a process of recording, analyzing and reporting all of a company’s costs (both variable and fixed) related to the production of a product. The cost of an item may well be different from its true value but since ascertainment of true value would be judgmental and therefore subjective, stating assets at historical cost is generally accepted as fairway of maintaining records. Accordingly, the recording of assets at cost meets the convention of feasibility, the money paid to acquire an asset is easily ascertained and recorded without too much effort. In this all costs are charged to the product,  process or project. Above all its limitations this concept is considered to be the best one when compared with alternatives. After reading this article you will learn about Cost Audit:- 1. no money is specifically paid for its acquisition, it would not be recorded in the books of accounts of the company. Compare cost accounting with financial accounting. For a standard manufacturing unit the various costs involved can be segregated into the following : These can be further segregated into the following: Say a toy manufacturing unit procures plastic as a raw material. Since all end-users are interested in knowing the value of the assets owned by a business enterprise, it would be logical to argue that a balance sheet would fail to achieve the primary objective of communicating the worth of the enterprise, if the present value of its assets is not shown in the balance sheet. An example of such a case would be the trade off between relevance and reliability. Furthermore, the cost of recording values on a continuing basis would be so time-consuming and expensive, and the sources for determination of present value would be so diffused that it would be extremely difficult to record present values and to change them continuously. Cost accounting is mostly concerned with developing an understanding of where a company earns and loses money, and providing input into decisions to generate profits in the future. Fixed costs are not taken into consideration as they do not vary with changes in production. Following the cost concept means that unless there are special reasons for doing otherwise cost of an item should be assumed to be its true value and that all accounting entries should be made at cost. 2-45 Opportunity Cost The potential benefit that is given up when one alternative is selected over another. How is cost accounting different from financial accounting? ClearTax is a product by Defmacro Software Pvt. If a building is purchased for $5,00,000, it will continue to appear in the books at that figure irrespective of its market value. How to measure the acquisition cost of property, plant and equipment? Our experts suggest the best funds and you can get high returns by investing directly or through SIP. Discuss the role of the cost accountant in a manufacturing organisation How are costs classified? Cost Accounting is a method of accounting wherein all the costs involved in performing any process, project or product are noted and analyzed. Comparison Between Different Cost Flow Assumptions, Application of different Cost Flow Assumptions, How to Determine the Cost of Ending Inventory, Time series analysis and seasonal variations, Introduction to cost accounting – MCQs quiz. However this is not true for all the monetary assets. Cost accounting is a facet of management accounting that determines the actual cost associated with manufacturing a product or providing a service by looking at all expenses within the supply chain. So the origin and evolution of cost accounting can be traced back to the industrial revolution. Financial accounting is uniform across various businesses, however, cost accounting methods vary based on the type of business. Cost accounting is the art and science of recording, classifying, summarizing, and analyzing costs with the objective of cost control, cost calculations and projections, and cost reduction, thereby helping management make prudent business decisions. Cost Accounting is a method of accounting wherein all the costs involved in performing any process, project or product are noted and analyzed. Cost accounting uses various techniques to make an organization cost effective. Just upload your form 16, claim your deductions and get your acknowledgment number online. Suppose a business buys a plot of land for Rs 10,00,000 in the year 2016. You can efile income tax return on your income from salary, house property, capital gains, business & profession and income from other sources. The requirements of majority of them are satisfied by means of financial accounting. The cost concept stops any kind of manipulation while taking into account the net realizable value or the market value. Since each business is so varied from the other, the method of costing cannot be uniform. On the downside, this concept ignores the effect of inflation in the market, which can sometimes be very steep. Definition of Cost Behavior. Which are the techniques in Cost Accounting? Example: If you were not attending cost accounting class, you could be earning $25,00 per semester. 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