ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS

• The difference between job order costing and process costing relates to the type of

product or service the company provides, and whether that product or service is homogeneous or unique. Job order costing is used by companies that offer customized or unique products or services, where each unit or service tends to be very different than the next. Process costing is used in companies that offer standardized or homogeneous products or services, where each unit or service is very similar to the next.

• Job order costing is used in companies that offer customized products or services.

Examples include any product that is specially built for a specific customer (e.g.custom home, custom built boat, custom made furniture), unique services provided to customers (e.g. an auto repair shop, a catering business), or industries that serve clients with unique needs (e.g. accounting firm, law firm, architecture firm).

• Process costing is used in companies that offer standardized or homogeneous

products or services. Examples include canned and bottled goods, petroleum products, perfume, toilet paper, dishwashing detergent, and many other common household products.

• Examples of service companies that offer homogenized services include Jiffy Lube

oil and filter change, a children’s haircut salon, a nail salon, a tax return service (e.g.H&R Block), an attorney who provides standardized legal services (such as will preparation or traffic cases). In these examples, the basic service the company is performing tends to be fairly similar from one customer to the next. As a result, the company could use process costing to account for the cost of providing the standardized service. As described in the next question, they could then use elements of job order costing to keep track of any “additional” services that are added to the basic service.

• Examples of itemized bills could include any bill or receipt received from a merchant,

restaurant, etc.Managerial Accounting 2nd Edition Whitecotton Solutions Manual Visit TestBankDeal.com to get complete for all chapters

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• Many companies use a modified (or hybrid) costing system that has elements of

both job order and process costing. An example is a computer company that uses process costing to determine the “base cost” of building a computer, plus job order costing to keep track of all of the upgrades that are used to customize it for a particular customer. Auto manufacturers use process costing to account for standardized manufacturing processes (e.g. installing the engine, painting the car, installing tires), then use job order costing to account for the unique components and features that are added to a particular model.

• The three categories of manufacturing costs are direct material, direct labor, and

manufacturing overhead. Direct materials are the major material inputs that can be directly and conveniently traced to specific jobs. For an auto repair shop, this would include the major parts that are needed for the repair. Direct labor is the “hands-on” labor, such as the mechanic who does the actual work in an auto repair shop.Manufacturing overhead would include all of the other costs of making a product (or providing a service such as an auto repair) other than direct material and direct labor. For an auto repair shop, this would include the cost of rent and utilities for the repair shop, supervision, depreciation on machines and tools, and incidental supplies such as lubricants, grease, rags, etc.

• The job order cost sheet is used to keep track of all of the costs incurred on a

specific job. It should list all of the direct material, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead costs that have been incurred on the job, along with cross-references to the materials requisition form and direct labor time tickets that relate to the specific job.

• In job order costing, any entry to the Work in Process Inventory account should have

a corresponding entry to update the individual job cost record, called the job cost sheet. The job cost sheet serves as a subsidiary ledger to the Work in Process Inventory account. If you add up the job cost sheets for all jobs that are currently in process, the total should equal the overall balance in the Work in Process Inventory account.

• A materials requisition form is the source document that must be completed when

materials are withdrawn from the warehouse (inventory) to be used in production.The materials requisition form should show the quantity and cost of materials that are withdrawn from inventory, along with an indication of which job(s) the materials will be used for. This allows the accountant to assign the direct materials cost to the appropriate job cost sheet.

Chapter 02 - Job Order Costing 2-3 © 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

• Direct materials are those that can be traced to specific jobs. These costs are

added to Work in Process Inventory, with a corresponding entry on the individual job cost sheet. Indirect materials, by definition, are those that cannot be traced to a specific job, or it is simply not worth the effort to do so. Indirect costs are recorded in the Manufacturing Overhead account. These costs get “applied” to Work in Process using a predetermined overhead rate and some secondary allocation measure such as direct labor hours.

• Direct labor time tickets are used to trace the cost of direct labor to specific jobs.

The direct labor time ticket should include the number of hours that the employee worked on specific jobs during the week, along with the hourly wage rate paid to that employee. This information is used to assign the direct labor cost to specific jobs by updating the job cost sheets.

• Although the overhead rate might be more accurate if it were based on actual rather

than estimated values, companies usually won’t know the actual values until it is too late to be used for managerial decision making. Using a predetermined overhead rate based on estimated values allows us to set the overhead rate in advance, so that we can use it to apply the indirect cost to jobs throughout the accounting period.We then “settle up” at the end of the accounting period by adjusting for any difference between actual and applied manufacturing overhead.

• Direct material and direct labor costs can be traced directly to jobs and therefore are

assigned directly to the Work in Process Inventory account and the individual job cost sheet. Manufacturing overhead costs cannot be directly traced to jobs. These indirect costs are accumulated in a temporary holding account and applied to Work in Process using a predetermined overhead rate based on some observable allocation base such as direct labor hours.

• Depreciation on office equipment is a nonmanufacturing cost, which must be

expensed during the period incurred (period expense). Depreciation on manufacturing equipment is a manufacturing related cost, which according to GAAP must be treated as a cost of the product being made (product cost). Manufacturing costs are counted as inventory (raw materials, work in process, or finished goods) until the product is sold. Because depreciation on manufacturing equipment is an indirect cost (not directly traceable to a specific job), it is counted as part of manufacturing overhead and included as part of the cost of the product.

• A predetermined overhead rate is calculated by estimating the year’s total

manufacturing overhead cost and dividing it by the estimated value of the allocation base (cost driver). Ideally, the company should select an allocation base that has a cause and effect relationship with the incurrence of cost. Common allocation bases are direct labor hours, direct labor dollars, and machine hours.

Chapter 02 - Job Order Costing 2-4 © 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.

• To determine the amount of overhead to apply to Work in Process, you multiply the

predetermined overhead rate by the actual value of the allocation base. Applied manufacturing overhead is a function of both actual and estimated data. The predetermined overhead rate is based on estimated values, but this rate is multiplied by the actual value of the allocation base.

• The manufacturing overhead cost that is applied to Work in Process will not

necessarily be equal to the actual manufacturing overhead cost incurred. The applied amount is based on a predetermined overhead rate that must be estimated in advance. This rate is then multiplied by the actual value of a secondary allocation base, which may not perfectly capture the actual incurrence of cost.

• Manufacturing overhead is overapplied when the actual manufacturing overhead

cost is LESS than the amount that was applied to Work in Process using the predetermined overhead rate. If manufacturing overhead is overapplied, the Manufacturing Overhead account will show a credit balance because the amount applied (credit) is more than the actual overhead costs incurred (debit).

• Manufacturing overhead is underapplied when the actual manufacturing overhead

cost is GREATER than the amount that was applied to Work in Process using the predetermined overhead rate. If manufacturing overhead is underapplied, the Manufacturing Overhead account will show a debit balance, because actual overhead costs (debit) were more than the amount applied (credit).

• The most common method for eliminating the balance in the manufacturing

overhead account at year end is to transfer the account balance directly to Cost of Goods Sold. If manufacturing overhead is underapplied (debit balance), we will need to increase Cost of Goods Sold (with a debit) and credit Manufacturing Overhead. If manufacturing overhead is overapplied (credit balance), we will need to decrease (credit) Cost of Goods Sold and debit Manufacturing Overhead.