Chapter 7: Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold
Objective 7.1: Describe the issues in managing different types of inventory
Types of Inventory
- Merchandise inventory consists of products that are @@already made@@. Merchandisers then sell these finished goods to their customers.
- Manufacturers have @@three types of inventory@@: raw materials, work in process, and finished goods.
- These three types of inventory represent the manufacturing process. * Raw materials are materials that are waiting to be processed, such as plastic, steel, and fabric. * Work in Process goods are not up for sale yet, but are in the process of getting to that stage. * Finished goods are the inventory that are completed and ready to be sold to customers.
- Raw materials are used to create the goods that are in the process of being manufactured, which results in the completed products
- Consignment inventory are any products being held by a company so they do not claim ownership over the owners’ product. In the case the inventory is difficult to sell, the ownership is not under them.
- Goods in transit are goods being transported to the location of the buyer, whether this is someones front door or a store getting ready to sell those items (Walmart).
Inventory Management Decisions
- Inventory managers must: * Ensure there is enough inventory to meet demand. * Ensure the quality of the product is satisfactory. * Minimize costs of acquiring, transporting, and storing inventory.
Objective 7.2: Explain how to report inventory and cost of goods sold.
Balance Sheet and Income Statement Reporting
- Inventory is reported on the Balance Sheet as a current asset because it will be sold to generate cash within a year.
- When inventory is sold, the cost moves from the Inventory account (balance sheet) and becomes Cost of Goods Sold expense (income statement).
- ==Equation to calculate gross profit:== * Net Sales - Cost of Goods Sold = Gross Profit
Cost of Goods Sold Equation
- The Cost of Goods Sold equation changes depending if it’s for periodic or perpetual updating of inventory.
- Periodic Updating is used for small businesses (mom and pop shops). * ==It uses the Cost of Goods Equation, which is:== * Beginning Inventory + Purchases - Ending Inventory = Cost of Goods Sold
- Perpetual Updating is used for bigger companies (Walmart). * ==It uses the Ending Inventory equation, which is:== * Beginning Inventory + Purchases - Cost of Goods Sold = Ending Inventory
- Example (periodic): A company has 10 units in their beginning inventory that each cost $15. The company then purchases 25 units that cost $15 each. Its has 15 units in ending inventory. (COGAS = Cost of Goods Available for Sale)

- Periodic Steps * Step 1: Multiply number of units and cost per unit to find the total cost of beginning inventory and purchases. * 10 x $15 = $150 * 25 x $15 = $375 * Step 2: Add the number of units for beginning inventory and purchases to find COGAS units and total cost. * 10 + 25 = 35 units * $150 + $375 = $525 * Step 3: We are told that ending inventory is 15. * Step 4: Multiply ending inventory units by cost per unit to find total cost. * 15 x $15 = $225 * Step 5: Subtract total cost of ending inventory from COGAS to find the total cost of Cost of Goods Sold. * $525 - $225 * Cost of Goods Sold = $300
- Example (perpetual): A company has 10 units in their beginning inventory that each cost $15. The company then purchases 25 units that cost $15 each. It then sells 20 units.

- Step 1: Multiply number of units and cost per unit to find the total cost of beginning inventory and purchases. * 10 x $15 = $150 * 25 x $15 = $375
- Step 2: Add the number of units for beginning inventory and purchases to find COGAS units and total cost. * 10 + 25 = 35 units * $150 + $375 = $525
- Step 3: We are told that cost of goods sold is 20
- Step 4: Multiply cost of goods sold units by cost per unit to find total cost. * 20 x $15 = $300
- Step 5: Subtract total cost of cost of goods sold from COGAS to find the total cost of ending inventory. * $525 - $300 * Ending inventory = $225
Objective 7.3: Compute costs using four inventory costing methods.
Inventory Costing Methods
- The four inventory costing methods tell us the @@value of what was sold and what should be in Cost of Goods expense@@.
- All methods are accepted by the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
- Specific identification * Individually identifies and records the cost of each item sold as Cost of Goods Sold. * The cost of each item must be tracked. * This method is best used for luxury items (Cars, Jewelry)
- The last three are not based on physical flow of goods, but based on Cost Flows Assumptions, which are assumptions accountants make about the flow of inventory costs.
- First in, first out (FIFO) - Inventory goes out (sold) in the order the goods are received.
- Last in, last out (LIFO) - The last goods received are the first to be sold.
- Weighted average - The average for Cost of Goods Available for Sale is used for each good sold and for the goods that are still in inventory. * Equation to calculate weighted average cost: * Cost of Goods Available for Sale/Number of Units Available for Sale = Cost per unit
- Apply the average to what was sold and what was not sold (sales and ending inventory).
- ==Equation to calculate total cost:== * Number of units x Cost per units = Total cost
- After sales are made, calculate ending inventory by subtracting sales from beginning inventory.
- Example: Using the following table of information, we will apply it using the specific identification method, FIFO method, LIFO method, and weighted average.
| Date | Description | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| November 1 (first in) | Purchased 1 Unit | $60 |
| November 5 | Purchased 1 Unit | $65 |
| November 7 (last in) | Purchased 1 Unit | $85 |
| November 10 | Sold 2 Units | $115 per unit |
Specific Identification
- The cost of each item sold is recorded as part of Cost of Goods Sold.
- Example: Units from from November 1 and November 7 are sold. * $60 + $85 = $145 * $145 is reported as Cost of Goods Sold * The unit from November 5th that was not sold remains in Inventory ($65).
FIFO (First in, first out)
- We are selling 2 units.
- The first unit purchased was on November 1st, so we sell that first.
- The second unit we would sell would be from November 5th.
- Add those units together: $60 + $65 = $125 (Cost of Goods Sold)
LIFO (Last in, first out)
- We are selling 2 units.
- The last unit purchased was on November 7th, so we selling that first.
- The second unit we would sell would be from November 5th.
- Add those units together: $85 + $65 = $125
Weighted Average
- We use the equation (total cost/total units) = Cost per unit.
- Add the cost of each unit together to find total cost: $85 + $65 + $60 = $210
- We have a total of 3 units.
- Divide total cost by total units: 210/3 = $70 per unit

Financial Statement Effects
- The inventory costing methods split cost of goods available for sale between ending Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold differently.
- Cost that goes into Inventory will not go into Cost of Goods Sold.
- The method that results in the highest cost in Inventory will have the lowest cost in Cost of Goods Sold.
- The method that results in the highest cost in Cost of Goods Sold will have the lowest cost in Inventory.
- @@Costs rising and falling have different financial effects@@ * Rising costs = larger inventory and smaller cost of goods sold. * Falling costs = smaller inventory and larger costs of goods.
Tax Implications and Cash Flows Effects
- Using a method that results in lower inventory and higher cost of goods sold is beneficial because of lower income tax.
- A company may only switch from one method to another if it improves the accuracy of the company’s financial results.
- Methods can also be used for specific types of inventory, but must be consistent with how the method is used.
- The LIFO conformity rule says the method used for the company’s income tax return must also be used for the financial statement.
Objective 7.4: Report inventory at the lower of cost or market/net realizable value.
Lower of Cost or Market/Net Realizable Value
- The value of inventory may be lower than the cost of the inventory because… * It is replaced by similar goods and a lower cost * The goods are outdated or damaged.
- As required by the GAAP, @@there is a rule for reporting inventory at the lower cost or market (LCM)/net realizable value (NRV)@@.
- If the inventory value has fallen below its cost, it must be marked down to the lower value.
- Market value is a replacement cost.
- Net realizable value is the inventory value to be realized when sold.
Objective 7.5: Evaluate inventory management by computing and interpreting the inventory turnover ratio.
Inventory Turnover
- Inventory balance can be good or bad. When you have a lot of inventory for sale, you will make good profit. When inventory builds up because of lack of sales, thats bad.
- Inventory turnover is the cycle of an increasing balance when a company buys goods and a decreasing balance when a company sells goods.
- To evaluate change in inventory, we use inventory turnover analysis.
- An inventory turnover ratio shows how many times inventory is bought and sold. A higher ratio indicates inventory is bought and sold quickly.
- ==Equation to calculate the inventory turnover ratio:== * Cost of Goods Sold/Average Inventory * The higher the better.
Days to Sell
- “Days to Sell” focuses on the length of time it takes to sell inventory.
- ==Equation to calculate days to sell:== * 365/Inventory Turnover Ratio * A higher number represents a longer amount of time to sell goods.
Example of Inventory Turnover and Days to Sell

- The chart shows the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and Inventory of a company from two different years.
- Using this information, it is plugged into the inventory turnover equation.
- The inventory turnover ratio is then plugged into the days to sell equation to get the final answer.
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