Ch 2. Job Order Costing Study Notes

Chapter 2: Job Order Costing

Learning Objectives

  • Objective 2-1: Describe the key differences between job order costing and process costing.

  • Objective 2-2: Describe the source documents used to track direct materials and direct labor costs to the job cost sheet.

  • Objective 2-3: Calculate a predetermined overhead rate and use it to apply manufacturing overhead cost to jobs.

  • Objective 2-4: Describe how costs flow through the accounting system in job order costing.

  • Objective 2-5: Calculate and dispose of overapplied or underapplied manufacturing overhead.

  • Objective 2-6: Calculate the cost of goods manufactured and cost of goods sold.

  • Objective 2-7: Apply job order costing to a service setting.

  • Objective 2-8: Prepare journal entries to record manufacturing and non-manufacturing costs in a job order cost system.

Job Order Costing vs. Process Costing

Key Differences
  • Type of Product:

    • Job Order Costing: Unique products and services, such as custom construction projects.

    • Process Costing: Homogeneous products and services, such as mass-produced items like cans of soft drinks.

  • Approach:

    • Job Order Costing: Customized to meet the specific needs of customers or clients.

    • Process Costing: Utilizes a series of standardized processes for production.

  • Cost Accumulation:

    • Job Order Costing: Accumulates costs by job, project, or customer.

    • Process Costing: Accumulates costs by process.

  • Major Cost Report:

    • Job Order Costing: Each unique job has a corresponding job cost sheet.

    • Process Costing: Each major production process has a production report.

Process Costing

  • Overview: Costs are traced to the process involved in product creation and divided by the number of units produced to achieve an average unit cost.

Manufacturing Cost Categories

  • Direct Materials: Raw materials used in production.

  • Direct Labor: Labor costs directly attributed to the production of goods.

  • Manufacturing Overhead: Indirect costs associated with production that cannot be directly traced to a specific job.

Assigning Manufacturing Costs to Jobs

Source Documents
  • Direct Materials: Tracked using a Materials Requisition Form.

  • Direct Labor: Tracked with Direct Labor Time Tickets.

Predetermined Overhead Rate (POHR)

  • Definition: A predetermined overhead rate is calculated to allocate manufacturing overhead costs to jobs throughout the period.

  • Purpose:

    • To apply overhead when actual overhead costs cannot be easily traced to specific jobs.

    • Manufacturing overhead encompasses various items, including small tools and labor costs.

    • Actual overhead for the period may only be known at the period's end.

Steps to Calculate POHR
  1. Estimation: Predetermined overhead rate is estimated before the start of the period.

  2. Cost Drivers: The allocation base should ideally be a cost driver, such as total direct labor hours, direct labor costs, or machine hours.

Example of POHR Calculation
  • Total estimated manufacturing overhead cost for the year = 150,000.

  • Estimated direct labor hours = 10,000.

  • Calculation:

ext{POHR} = rac{ ext{Estimated Manufacturing Overhead}}{ ext{Estimated Direct Labor Hours}} = rac{150,000}{10,000} = 15.

  • Interpretation: For each direct labor hour worked, apply 15.00 of manufacturing overhead cost to the job.

Cost Flow in Job Order Costing

Overview of Cost Flow
  • Start: Costs originate from Raw Materials Inventory.

  • Actual Direct Materials: Flow into Work in Process (WIP) Inventory.

  • Indirect Materials: Flow into Manufacturing Overhead.

  • Applied Overhead Costs: Calculated based on the predetermined overhead rate and total costs incurred.

  • Transfer of Costs: Once jobs are completed:

    • Costs transfer from Work in Process Inventory to Finished Goods Inventory.

    • When jobs are sold, costs transfer to Cost of Goods Sold, encompassing applied and underapplied overhead.

Recording Purchase and Issue of Materials

Example: House-flipping Company
  • Beginning Inventory: Raw Materials Inventory - 10,000.

  • Purchases: Total material purchased = 25,000.

  • Material Distribution:

    • Job 27: 15,000 direct materials.

    • Job 28: 10,000 direct materials.

    • Additional indirect materials: 500.

Recording Labor Costs

  • Total Labor Costs: 7,500 divided among jobs as follows:

    • Job 27: 4,000

    • Job 28: 2,000

    • General Contractor Costs: 1,500

Recording Manufacturing Overhead Costs

Details of Costs
  • Additional manufacturing overhead:

    • Property taxes: 1,700 (owed but unpaid).

    • Expired insurance premium: 1,000.

    • Depreciation on construction tools & equipment: 800.

Transferring to Finished Goods and Cost of Goods Sold

  • Flow of Costs:

  1. Jobs in WIP transferred to Finished Goods Inventory upon completion.

  2. When sold, costs are recorded as Cost of Goods Sold.

  3. Record any overapplied or underapplied overhead:

    • Overapplied overhead decreases Cost of Goods Sold.

    • Underapplied overhead increases Cost of Goods Sold.

Non-Manufacturing Costs

Categories of Non-Manufacturing Costs
  • Commissions to Sales Agent: 8,000.

  • Advertising Expense: 5,000.

  • Staging Expense: 6,000.

  • Administrative Expense: 2,000.

Disposing of Overapplied and Underapplied Overhead

  • Method: Commonly managed by adjusting the Cost of Goods Sold account.

    • Overapplied Overhead: Reflects a credit balance and reduces Cost of Goods Sold.

    • Underapplied Overhead: Indicates a debit balance and increases Cost of Goods Sold.

Summary of Cost Flows

  • Cost of Goods Manufactured Report: Should include applied manufacturing overhead and other incurred costs.

Job Order Costing in a Service Setting

  • Utilization: Common in various professional service firms including:

    • Types of Firms:

    • Accounting firms

    • Law firms

    • Advertising and PR firms

    • Architectural firms

    • Engineering firms

    • Healthcare providers

  • Cost Assignment:

    • Labor-intensive, thus billable hours serve as the primary driver for cost assignment.

  • Indirect Costs:

    • Examples include non-billable activities, salaries for administrative personnel, rent and utilities, and infrastructure costs.

    • These are allocated based on relevant cost drivers similar to manufacturing overhead.