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Microlesson · 5-min read

Cost Sheet — Structure, Components & Treatment of Items

## Cost Sheet

A Cost Sheet (or Cost Statement) is a document providing detailed cost information, typically classified on a functional basis.

---

## Functional Classification of Costs

#Element
1Direct Material Cost
2Direct Employee (Labour) Cost
3Direct Expenses
4Production / Manufacturing Overheads
5Administration Overheads
6Selling Overheads
7Distribution Overheads
8Research & Development Costs

---

## Cost Heads (Cumulative Build-Up)

```

Direct Material + Direct Labour + Direct Expenses

= PRIME COST

+ Production/Manufacturing Overheads

− Scrap/Waste Recovery

= COST OF PRODUCTION

+ Opening WIP − Closing WIP (if applicable)

= COST OF GOODS MANUFACTURED

+ Opening Finished Goods − Closing Finished Goods

= COST OF GOODS SOLD

+ Selling Overheads + Distribution Overheads

+ Interest & Finance Charges (shown separately)

= COST OF SALES

```

---

## Key Cost Categories — What's Included

### Direct Expenses

Costs directly traceable to a cost object (not material/labour):

  • Power, fuel, steam
  • Royalty for production
  • Hire charges for specific equipment
  • Technical assistance fees
  • Amortised moulds, patterns, patents
  • Product-specific design/software

### Factory (Production) Overheads

  • Consumable stores and spares
  • Depreciation — plant, machinery, factory building
  • Lease rent of production assets
  • Repair & maintenance of plant/factory
  • Indirect employee costs (production)
  • Drawing & Designing department
  • Insurance on plant, factory, raw material & WIP stocks
  • Jigs, fixtures, tooling (amortised)
  • Service department costs (Tool Room, Maintenance, Pollution Control)

### Administration Overheads

  • Depreciation/maintenance of corporate office building/furniture
  • Salaries — admin staff, accountants, directors, secretaries
  • Rent, rates, taxes, insurance, lighting, office expenses
  • Printing & stationery, office supplies
  • Legal charges, audit fees, directors' sitting fees

### Selling Overheads

  • Sales dept. salaries & wages
  • Rent, depreciation, maintenance of sales dept.
  • Advertisement, website maintenance, market research
  • Secondary packing (for transport/marketability)

### Distribution Overheads

  • Wages of distribution staff
  • Transportation and insurance (distribution)
  • Depreciation, hire charges, maintenance of distribution vehicles

---

## Treatment of Special Items

ItemTreatment
Scrap / Waste recoveryDeducted from cost of production (reduces cost)
Abnormal costs (e.g., COVID-19 costs, pandemic lockdown costs)Excluded from cost of production — shown separately
Subsidy / Grant / Incentive receivedDeducted from the relevant cost object
Penalty, fine, damages, demurrageExcluded from cost — not part of production cost
Interest & finance chargesNot included in cost of production — shown as separate line item in cost of sales

---

## Advantages of a Cost Sheet

1. Shows total cost and cost per unit

2. Enables cost comparison across periods/products

3. Assists in preparing tender estimates

4. Helps determine selling price

5. Facilitates cost control by revealing operational efficiency

Worked example

### Example 1

Building a cost sheet step-by-step:

Given data for 1,000 units:

  • Raw material consumed: ₹2,00,000
  • Direct wages: ₹80,000
  • Power (direct): ₹20,000
  • Factory overheads: ₹60,000
  • Scrap recovery: ₹5,000
  • Admin overheads: ₹30,000
  • Selling & distribution overheads: ₹25,000
  • Interest on working capital: ₹10,000
ParticularsTotal (₹)Per Unit (₹)
Raw Material2,00,000200
Direct Wages80,00080
Direct Expenses (Power)20,00020
Prime Cost3,00,000300
Factory Overheads60,00060
Less: Scrap Recovery(5,000)(5)
Cost of Production3,55,000355
Admin Overheads30,00030
Cost of Goods Sold3,85,000385
Selling & Distribution OH25,00025
Cost of Sales (excl. interest)4,10,000410
Interest & Finance Charges10,00010
Total Cost of Sales4,20,000420

⚠️ Common exam mistakes

  • Including interest/finance charges in cost of production — they must appear as a separate line item in cost of sales only.
  • Adding abnormal costs (pandemic losses, lockdown costs) into the cost of production — these must be excluded.
  • Forgetting to deduct scrap/waste recovery from cost of production — it is a credit that reduces cost.
  • Treating penalties and fines as distribution or administration overheads — they are excluded entirely from the cost statement.
  • Treating secondary packing as a factory overhead instead of a selling overhead.
Reference:
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