Which inventory method provides a better matching of current costs with sales revenue?
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this section, which focuses on the four inventory costing methods and the impact each has on the financial statements. It is important to understand the impact of inventory valuation on your own company, and the companies that you partner with, sell to, buy from, and invest in. When selecting an inventory method, managers should look at the advantages and disadvantages of each. Summarize
the differences between LIFO, FIFO, and Specific Identification and explain how a company would use that information to select an inventory method Advantages and Disadvantages of Specific IdentificationCompanies that use the specific identification method of ‘inventory costing' state their cost of goods sold and ending inventory as the actual cost of specific units sold and on hand. Some accountants argue that this method provides the most precise matching of costs and revenues and is therefore the most theoretically sound method. This statement is true for some one-of-a-kind items, such as autos or real estate. For these items, use of any other method would seem illogical. However, one disadvantage of the specific identification method is that it permits the manipulation of income. Advantages and Disadvantages of FIFOThe FIFO method has four major advantages:
All the advantages of FIFO occur because when a company sells goods, the first cost it removes from inventory are the oldest unit costs. The cost attached to the unit sold is always the oldest cost. Under FIFO, purchases at the end of the period have no effect on cost of goods sold or net income ([fig:11053]]). The disadvantages of FIFO include the recognition of paper profits and a heavier tax burden if used for tax purposes in periods of inflation. An example of how to calculate the ending inventory balance of the period using FIFO - assume the following inventory is on hand and purchased on the following dates:
Advantages and disadvantages of LIFODuring periods of inflation, LIFO shows the largest cost of goods sold of any of the costing methods because the newest costs charged to cost of goods sold are also the highest costs. The larger the cost of goods sold, the smaller the net income. Those who favor LIFO argue that its use leads to a better matching of costs and revenues than the other methods. When a company uses LIFO, the income statement reports both sales revenue and cost of goods sold in current dollars. The resulting gross margin is a better indicator of management ‘s ability to generate income than gross margin computed using FIFO, which may include substantial inventory (paper) profits. An example of how to calculate the ending inventory balance of the period using LIFO - assume the following inventory is on hand and purchases are made on the following dates:
Advantages and Disadvantages of Weighted-AverageWhen a company uses the weighted-average method and prices are rising, its cost of goods sold is less than that obtained under LIFO, but more than that obtained under FIFO. Inventory is not as understated as under LIFO, but it is not as up-to-date as under FIFO. A company can manipulate income under the weighted-average costing method by buying or failing to buy goods near year-end. However, the averaging process reduces the effects of buying or not buying. The following is an example of the weighted average cost method:
Which inventory method matches the most current costs with revenue?LIFO gives the most realistic net income value because it matches the most current costs to the most current revenues. Since costs normally rise over time, LIFOs can result in the lowest net income and taxes.
Which method does a better job of matching expenses and revenue?Advantages of LIFO
It helps them match the latest costs of products with the sales revenue of the current period, and thus reduce tax liability.
Why FIFO method is better for inventory management?FIFO is more likely to give accurate results. This is because calculating profit from stock is more straightforward, meaning your financial statements are easy to update, as well as saving both time and money. It also means that old stock does not get re-counted or left for so long it becomes unusable.
Which one is best LIFO or FIFO?FIFO (first in, first out) inventory management seeks to value inventory so the business is less likely to lose money when products expire or become obsolete. LIFO (last in, first out) inventory management is better for nonperishable goods and uses current prices to calculate the cost of goods sold.
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