ABSORPTION AND VARIABLECOSTING INCOME STATEMENTS

Portland Optics, Inc., specializes in manufacturing lenses for large telescopes and cameras used in space exploration. As the specifications for the lenses are determined by the customer and vary considerably, the company uses a job order costing system. Manufacturing overhead is applied to jobs on the basis of direct labor hours, utilizing the absorption or full costing method. Portland’s predetermined overhead rates for 2006 and 2007 were based on the following estimates:

 

2006

2007

Direct labor hours

32,500

44,000

Direct labor cost

$325,000

$462,000

Fixed manufacturing overhead

$130,000

$176,000

Variable manufacturing overhead

$162,500

$198,000

Jim Bradford, Portland’s controller, would like to use variable (direct) costing for internal reporting purposes as he believes statements prepared using variable costing are more appropriate for making product decisions. In order to explain the benefits of variable costing to the other members of Portland’s management team, Jim plans to convert the company’s income statement from absorption costing to variable costing. He has gathered the following information for this purpose, along with a copy of Portland’s 2006–2007 comparative income statement.

Portland Optics, Inc.

 

Comparative Income Statement

 

For the Years 2006–2007

 

 

2006

2007

Net sales

$1,140,000

$1,520,000

Cost of goods sold:

 

 

Finished goods at January 1

$ 16,000

$ 25,000

Cost of goods manufactured

720,000

976,000

Total available

$ 736,000

$1,001,000

Less: Finished goods at December 31 Unadjusted cost of goods sold

25,000

14,000

$ 711,000

$ 987,000

Overhead adjustment Cost of goods sold

12,000

7,000

$ 723,000

$ 994,000

Gross profit

$ 417,000

$ 526,000

Selling expenses

(150,000)

(190,000)

Administrative expenses

(160,000)

(187,000)

Operating income

$ 107,000

$ 149,000

Portland’s actual manufacturing data for the two years are as follows:

 

2006

2007

Direct labor hours

30,000

42,000

Direct labor cost

$300,000

$435,000

Direct materials used

$140,000

$210,000

Fixed manufacturing overhead

$132,000

$175,000

The company’s actual inventory balances were as follows:

 

December 31,

December 31,

December 31,

 

2005

2006

2007

Direct materials

$32,000

$36,000

$18,000

Work in process:

 

 

 

Costs

$44,000

$34,000

$60,000

Direct labor hours

1,800

1,400

2,500

Finished goods:

 

 

 

Costs

$16,000

$25,000

$14,000

Direct labor hours

700

1,080

550

For both years, all administrative expenses were fixed, while a portion of the selling expenses resulting from an 8 percent commission on net sales was variable. Portland reports any over or underapplied overhead as an adjustment to the cost of goods sold.

Required:

1. For the year ended December 31, 2007, prepare the revised income statement for Portland Optics, Inc., utilizing the variable costing method. Be sure to include the contribution margin on the revised income statement.

2. Describe two advantages of using variable costing rather than absorption costing.