Marginal Costing: Meaning and Advantages

Marginal Costing: Meaning and Advantages

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Chanchal
Chanchal Aggarwal
Senior Executive Content
Updated on Nov 11, 2024 11:45 IST

Marginal costing is a cost accounting technique focusing on the variable costs of producing one additional unit of a product or service. It helps determine the contribution margin and assists in making decisions related to pricing, production, and profitability.

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Understanding a company’s cost structure is crucial for success in today’s competitive business environment. Marginal costing, or Variable Costing, is a valuable tool for managers to make informed pricing, product mix, and profitability decisions. By separating variable costs from fixed costs, marginal costing provides a clear picture of how changes in production volume affect a company’s bottom line.

This costing method helps managers optimize their operations and maximize profits. So, let’s understand the concept of marginal costing!

Suggested read: What is Accounting?

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What is Marginal Costing?

Marginal costing is a cost accounting technique that helps businesses determine the cost of producing one additional unit of a product or service. It is also known as “variable costing“ because it only considers the variable costs associated with producing an additional unit of a product or service, such as direct labour and materials.

Under marginal costing, fixed costs, such as rent and salaries, are considered period costs that are not directly related to the production of a specific unit. Instead, fixed costs are expensed in the period they are incurred. This differs from absorption costing, another cost accounting technique that allocates fixed costs to each unit produced.

It can be useful for decision-making, as it allows businesses to determine the profitability of producing additional units of a product or service. For example, suppose a business is considering whether to produce and sell additional product units. In that case, they can use this method to determine the incremental production cost and compare it to the expected revenue from selling those units.

Gain a deeper understanding of accounting principles and practices, enroll in accounting programmes from top colleges, explore online accounting courses, and make a career in this highly rewarding field.

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Business Scenario of Marginal Costing

  • Pricing Decisions for a New Product Line: A manufacturing company evaluates only variable costs, like materials and labour, to determine the minimum price for a new product line. This marginal costing helps set competitive prices while covering essential costs without impacting fixed overheads.
  • Profitability Analysis of Additional Orders: A company receives a special order at a lower price than usual. Using marginal costing, it assesses whether the additional revenue from this order will cover variable costs, allowing it to accept the order without affecting existing profits.
  • Make-or-Buy Decisions: A firm evaluates whether to produce a component in-house or purchase it from an external supplier. Marginal costing helps compare the variable production cost with the purchase price, guiding the decision based on cost efficiency and resource allocation.

Calculation of Marginal Cost

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  • Company: XYZ Pvt. Ltd., an Indian manufacturing firm.
  • Product: Pen
  • Initial Production: 1000 units
  • Initial Total Cost: ₹50,000 (including all fixed and variable costs)
  • Increased Production: 1100 units
  • New Total Cost: ₹54,000

Calculation:

  1. Change in Total Cost (ΔTC):
    • New Total Cost – Initial Total Cost
    • ΔTC=₹54,000−₹50,000=₹4,000ΔTC=₹54,000−₹50,000=₹4,000
  2. Change in Quantity (ΔQ):
    • Increased Production – Initial Production
    • ΔQ=1100−1000=100ΔQ=1100−1000=100
  3. Marginal Cost (MC):
    • MC=ΔTC/ΔQ​
    • MC=₹4,000100=₹40MC=100₹4,000​=₹40

The marginal cost of producing one additional pen is ₹40. This means for every extra pen produced, the cost increases by ₹40. This information is crucial for XYZ Pvt. Ltd. to decide on production expansion, pricing, and profitability.

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Advantages of Marginal Costing

Marginal costing offers several advantages to businesses. Here are some of the key advantages of this costing technique.

Clear Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis

Marginal costing clearly explains the relationship between costs, volume, and profit. By distinguishing between fixed and variable costs, it becomes easier to calculate the contribution margin—the difference between sales revenue and variable costs. This information is crucial for determining the breakeven point and assessing the profitability of different product lines or services.

Effective Decision Making

Marginal costing aids decision-making by providing insights into various options’ incremental costs and revenues. It helps assess the impact on overall profitability. It can evaluate the profitability of a new project, pricing decisions, or make-or-buy choices. It enables managers to make informed decisions by considering the incremental contribution of each option.

Simplified Costing

Unlike absorption costing, which allocates fixed overheads to products, marginal costing only considers variable costs directly attributable to production. This simplifies the costing process, making it easier to understand and apply. It also eliminates the complexities of apportioning fixed overheads, sometimes leading to misleading cost information.

Efficient Cost Control

It facilitates effective cost control by identifying and isolating variable costs. Managers can focus on managing and controlling these costs more directly, as they tend to be more controllable in the short term. By monitoring and analyzing variable costs, businesses can identify areas of cost overruns, implement cost-saving measures, and improve overall cost efficiency.

Flexibility in Pricing Decisions

It offers flexibility by separating fixed costs from variable costs. Businesses can set prices based on incremental production costs. It ensures that each unit sold contributes towards covering the variable costs and generating a positive contribution margin. This approach helps optimize pricing strategies and achieve profitability objectives.

Performance Evaluation

Marginal costing facilitates performance evaluation at various levels, such as products, departments, or business segments. Focusing on contribution margins provides a more accurate assessment of profitability. It also analyzes the performance of different units within the organization. Managers can identify underperforming products or divisions and take necessary corrective actions.

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Limitations of Marginal Costing

While this costing method offers several advantages, there are also some limitations that businesses should be aware of. Here are some of the key disadvantages:

Doesn’t consider all costs: This approach only considers variable costs and doesn’t consider fixed costs, such as rent and salaries. This can lead to an incomplete picture of a business’s costs and profitability.

Can be misleading: It can be misleading in situations where fixed costs are high and production levels are low. In such cases, the marginal cost per unit may be high, leading to the incorrect conclusion that the product could be more profitable.

Difficulty in allocating fixed costs: This costing method doesn’t allocate fixed costs to each unit produced, making it difficult to accurately determine each unit’s cost.

Not suitable for long-term planning: It is primarily a short-term planning tool and may not be suitable for long-term planning. In the long term, fixed costs may change and become variable, affecting product profitability.

Doesn’t account for inventory valuation: This method needs to consider the value of inventory, which can lead to distorted profitability figures.

Wrapping It Up!!

Marginal costing has limitations, and it cannot be used in isolation. However, it can also be a valuable tool for businesses to understand their costs and profits better. It is a useful technique for analyzing the cost and profitability of their products or services. By separating variable costs from fixed costs, businesses can more accurately determine the impact of changes in sales volume on their profits. This can help businesses make better decisions about pricing, production, and sales strategies.

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FAQs

What is marginal costing?

Marginal costing is a costing technique that focuses on segregating costs into fixed and variable components. It considers only variable costs directly associated with production, helping businesses analyze the impact of production volume on profitability.

How does marginal costing differ from absorption costing?

Marginal costing only considers variable costs, while absorption costing includes both variable and fixed costs in the cost per unit. Absorption costing allocates fixed overheads to products, while marginal costing treats fixed costs as period costs.

What is the contribution margin in marginal costing?

The contribution margin is the difference between sales revenue and variable costs. It represents the amount available to cover fixed costs and contribute to profit. The contribution margin per unit helps in analyzing profitability at different levels of production.

What are the main advantages of marginal costing?

Marginal costing offers advantages such as clearer cost-volume-profit analysis, better decision making through incremental cost evaluation, simplified costing process, improved cost control, flexibility in pricing decisions, and enhanced performance evaluation.

Can marginal costing be used for external financial reporting?

Marginal costing is primarily used for internal management purposes and is not generally accepted for external financial reporting. Absorption costing, which includes fixed costs, is commonly used for external reporting to provide a more comprehensive view of costs.

About the Author
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Chanchal Aggarwal
Senior Executive Content

Chanchal is a creative and enthusiastic content creator who enjoys writing research-driven, audience-specific and engaging content. Her curiosity for learning and exploring makes her a suitable writer for a variety ... Read Full Bio