管理会计加里森第15版答案Chap006.docx

Chapter 6Variable Costing and Segment Reporting: Tools for ManagementSolutions to Questions6-1Absorption and variable costing differ in how they handle fixed manufacturing overhead. Under absorption costing, fixed manufacturing overhead is treated as a product cost and hence is an asset until products are sold. Under variable costing, fixed manufacturing overhead is treated as a period cost and is immediately expensed on the income statement.6-2Selling and administrative expenses are treated as period costs under both variable costing and absorption costing.6-3Under absorption costing, fixed manufacturing overhead costs are included in product costs, along with direct materials, direct labor, and variable manufacturing overhead. If some of the units are not sold by the end of the period, then they are carried into the next period as inventory. When the units are finally sold, the fixed manufacturing overhead cost that has been carried over with the units is included as part of that period’s cost of goods sold.6-4Absorption costing advocates argue that absorption costing does a better job of matching costs with revenues than variable costing. They argue that all manufacturing costs must be assigned to products to properly match the costs of producing units of product with the revenues from the units when they are sold. They believe that no distinction should be made between variable and fixed manufacturing costs for the purposes of matching costs and revenues. 6-5Advocates of variable costing argue that fixed manufacturing costs are not really the cost of any particular unit of product. If a unit is made or not, the total fixed manufacturing costs will be exactly the same. Therefore, how can one say that these costs are part of the costs of the products? These costs are incurred to have the capacity to make products during a particular period and should be charged against that period as period costs according to the matching principle.6-6If production and sales are e