Cost Classifications
par Thanh Thanh Hoàng
1. Assigning Costs to Cost Objects
1.1. Direct cost: easily traceable to a particular cost object
1.2. Indirect cost: not easily traceable to a particular cost object
2. Cost Classifications for Decision Making
2.1. Opportunity costs: the potential benefit that is given up when one alternative is selected over another
2.2. Sunk Costs: cannot be changed by any decision
3. Cost Classifications for Predicting Cost Behavior
3.1. Variable cost
3.1.1. True/proportionately Variable Cost: whose total dollar amount varies in direct proportion to changes in the activity level
3.1.2. Step-Variable Cost: fairly wide changes in the activity level will cause a change on the fee.
3.2. Fixed cost: whose total dollar amount remains constant as the activity level changes
3.2.1. Committed Fixed cost: Long-term, cannot be significantly reduced in the short-term
3.2.2. Discretionary Fixed cost: Short-term, can be altered by current managerial decisions
3.3. Mixed cost: both fixed and variable components.
4. Manufacturing costs vs nonmanufacturing costs
4.1. Manufacturing costs
4.1.1. Direct material cost
4.1.2. Direct labor cost
4.1.3. Manufacturing overhead cost
4.2. Nonmanufacturing costs
4.2.1. Selling costs
4.2.2. Administrative costs