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Rice and Conwell is a public accounting firm that offers two primary services, a

ID: 2354573 • Letter: R

Question

Rice and Conwell is a public accounting firm that offers two primary services, auditing and tax return preparation. A controversy has developed between the partners of the two service lines as to who is contributing the greater amount to the bottom line. The area of contention is the assignment of overhead. The tax partners argue for assigning overhead on the basis of 40% of direct labor dollars, while the audit partners argue for implementing activity-based costing. The partners agree to use next war's budgeted data for purposes of analysis and comparison. The following overhead data are collected to develop the comparison. Instructions Using traditional product costing as proposed by the tax partners, compute the total overhead cost assigned to both services (audit and tax) of Rice and Conwell. Using activity-based costing, prepare a schedule showing the computations of the activity-based overhead rates (per cost driver). Prepare a schedule assigning each activity's overhead cost pool to each service based on the use of the cost drivers. Classify each of the activities as a value-added activity or a non-value-added activity.

Explanation / Answer

(a) Computation of assigned overhead under traditional costing (“direct labor dollars” appears in the first line of the schedule of overhead data):

Predetermined overhead rate X direct labor dollars

Overhead assigned to audit: .40 X $1,000,000 = $400,000

Overhead assigned to tax: .40 X $800,000 = $320,000

(b)

(1) Computation of activity-based overhead rates:

Estimated

Expected Use of

Activity-Based

Activity Cost Pools

Overhead

÷

Cost Drivers per Activity

=

Overhead Rates

Employee training

$216,000

$1,800,000 Direct labor dollars

$.12 per DL dollar

Typing and secretarial

76,200

2,500 Reports/forms

$30.48 per report/

Computing

204,000

60,000 Minutes

$3.40 per minute

Facility rental

142,500

40 Employees

$3,562.50 per employee

Travel

81,300

Direct

Direct

$720,000

(2) Assignment of overhead to audit and tax services:

                                     AUDIT                                                                                TAX

Expected

Activity-

Expected

Activity-

Use of

Based

Use of

Based

Cost

Overhead

Cost

Cost

Overhead

Cost

Activity Cost Pools

Driver

x

Rate

=

Assigned

Driver

x

Rate

=

Assigned

Employee training

$1,000,000

$0.12

$120,000

$800,000

$0.12

$96,000

Typing and secretarial

600

$30.48

18,288

1,900

$30.48

57,912

Computing

25,000

$3.40

85,000

35,000

$3.40

119,000

Facility rental

22

$3,562.50

78,375

18

$3,562.50

64,125

Travel

56,000

Direct

56,000

25,300

Direct

25,300

Overhead costs
assigned

$357,663

$362,337

(c)

Activity

Value-Added vs. Non-Value-Added

Employee training

Non-value-added

Typing and secretarial

Value-added

Computing

Value-added

Facility rental

Non-value-added

Travel

Non-value-added

Estimated

Expected Use of

Activity-Based

Activity Cost Pools

Overhead

÷

Cost Drivers per Activity

=

Overhead Rates

Employee training

$216,000

$1,800,000 Direct labor dollars

$.12 per DL dollar

Typing and secretarial

76,200

2,500 Reports/forms

$30.48 per report/

Computing

204,000

60,000 Minutes

$3.40 per minute

Facility rental

142,500

40 Employees

$3,562.50 per employee

Travel

81,300

Direct

Direct

$720,000

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