Marginal Cost: Meaning, Formula, and Examples

Under absorption costing, the stock of finished goods and work-in-progress is valued on the basis of total cost, comprising of fixed and variable costs. But, under marginal costing valuation of stock of finished goods and work-in-progress is made on the basis of variable cost only. Marginal costing is defined by ICWAl as “the ascertainment by differentiating between fixed costs and variable costs, of marginal costs and of the effect on profit of changes in volume or type of output”. CVP analysis is an important tool that provides management with useful information for managerial planning and decision making. Profits of a business are the result of interaction of many factors such as selling price, volume of sales, variable cost, total fixed cost and sales mix.

Marginal Cost – Key Factors: Formula and Typical Examples

It studies the impact of increase or decrease in fixed and variable costs on profits. The increase in fixed cost has no effect on the P/V ratio of the firm. However, the BEP shifts upward because higher sales are required to recover the increased fixed costs. Profit maximization is one of the important objectives of majority of corporate undertakings. These include both the internal and the external factors. The important determinants of profit are price, sales volume, output, costs (both variable and fixed), etc.

It also helps the management in ascertaining the appropriate level of activity, through break even analysis, that reflect the impact of increasing or decreasing production level, on the company’s overall profit. The technique of marginal costing is very simple to operate and easy to understand. Since, fixed costs are kept outside the unit cost; the cost statements prepared on the basis of marginal cost are much less complicated.

The product is used as a loss leader for the sale of another product. Marginal costing system seeks to remove any potential difficulty. Only the sales in excess of break-even point results in profit. Marginal Cost might seem like an academic concept, but it is actually widely used in the real world.

• Profit, under marginal costing will be less than under absorption costing, since no part of fixed expenses has been carried over to the next period in the value of closing stock.
• A break-even chart not only shows the break-even point but also profit and loss at various levels of activity.
• Since fixed cost is not included in total cost, full cost is not available to outsiders to judge the efficiency.
• This means that in absorption costing, stock valuation is higher than in marginal costing.
• The fixed costs are treated as period costs and are charged to P & L A/c directly.
• (iv) Utilise the limited resources in the production of various products as per the ranking given in point (iii) above.

Ascertainment of Profit under Marginal Cost

Both marginal costing and variable costing are the techniques of product costing. In the case of both these techniques, a clear distinction is drawn between variable costs and fixed costs. In both these techniques, variable cost of manufacture is charged to cost unit and fixed cost is charged to profit and maginal costing loss account as period cost.

It may create problems in inter-firm comparison, higher demand for salaries and other benefits by employees, higher demand for tax by the Government authorities etc. (e) Prices are determined with reference to marginal cost and contribution margin. The cost of producing one additional unit of a good or service. Break up of cost into variable and fixed portions is a difficult problem. More over clear cut division of semi variable or semi fixed cost is complicated and cannot be accurate. Marginal costing serves as a good basis for reporting to management.

Pricing Strategy

• When any other factor is the key factor, the most profitable product will be that which yields the highest contribution per unit of key factor.
• The key to optimizing manufacturing costs is to find that point or level as quickly as possible.
• Such information can help management improve the relationship between these variables.
• The technique of marginal costing is based on the distinction between product costs and period costs.
• The classification of costs into fixed and variable is of special interest and importance in marginal costing.
• Since cost, volume and profit are inter-linked in price determination, which can be changed constantly, development of long-term price policy is not possible.

Even semi-variable costs are analysed into fixed and variable. An example would be a production factory that has a lot of space capacity and becomes more efficient as more volume is produced. In addition, the business is able to negotiate lower material costs with suppliers at higher volumes, which makes variable costs lower over time. Businesses may experience lower costs of producing more goods if they have what are known as economies of scale. For a business with economies of scale, producing each additional unit becomes cheaper, and the company is incentivized to reach the point where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. However, if the marginal cost is higher than the selling price, it might be better to reduce output or find ways to decrease production costs.

Marginal cost is calculated by dividing the change in costs by the change in quantity. For example, suppose that a factory is currently producing 5,000 units and wishes to increase its production to 10,000 units. If the factory’s current cost of production is $100,000, and if increasing its production level would raise its costs to $150,000, then the marginal cost of production is $10, or ($150,000 – $100,000) ÷ (10, ,000). The company has determined it will cost an additional $400 to manufacture one additional bike. Although the average unit cost is $500, the marginal cost for the 1,001st unit is $400. The average and marginal costs may differ because some additional costs (i.e., fixed expenses) may not be incurred as additional units are manufactured.

Marginal Costing – Equation

The contribution margin method is merely a restatement of the equation method in a different form. Use of either technique is a matter of personal preference. All costs can be divided into fixed and variable elements. Ascertaining the effect on profit due to changes in volume or type of output i.e., the determination of cost-volume-profit relationship.

All elements of cost—production, administration and selling and distribution—can be segregated into fixed and variable components. The stocks of finished goods and work-in-process are valued at marginal costs only. Professionals working in a wide range of corporate finance roles calculate the incremental cost of production as part of routine financial analysis. Accountants working in the valuations group may perform this exercise calculation for a client, while analysts in investment banking may include it as part of the output in their financial model.

In the other context, it is an essential tool for companies to maximize profits and achieve economies of scale. It happens by producing to the point where the marginal cost equals marginal revenue. Manufacturing and selling an additional unit of a product or service generates marginal or sales revenue.