

If you aren’t digging this particular method, you can figure out your COGS by tracking units made and changes in inventory. This is the same number you use as your beginning inventory the next year. Consider what you spend on each of your direct expenses (which you learned about above) throughout the course of the year.Īt the end of the year, you’ll redo inventory to see what you have remaining after inventory turnover from the prior year. The cost of goods is what you spend during the year to bring in or produce new items. Your beginning inventory is a number you usually calculate at the beginning of the year. So let’s break this down in a little more detail. This is just addition and subtraction - stuff we learned back in kindergarten or first grade.Īlthough it’s simple, we don’t want to leave you in the dust. Pretty easy, right? We didn’t even use multiplication or long division.
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(Beginning inventory + cost of goods) - Ending inventory = Cost of goods sold Here’s one of the most common formulas: Take your beginning inventory, add your cost of goods, and subtract your ending inventory. We’ll cover one of our favorites in the following section, but we also want you to know about a few other examples that businesses often use. Things like accounting software, office supplies, and legal fees don’t factor into your COGS, although you’ll definitely want to keep track of them for tax purposes.Ĭalculating COGS is pretty simple, and you can use one of multiple formulas. This is another important expense for your business, but not a direct factor in your COGS. Is it a direct cost? No, because it’s not directly connected to production. Does it help you sell? Depends on how good your advertising is. These can include the cost of machine maintenance, property taxes on your warehouse, and any computer equipment you use during production. Some expenses outside of labor and manufacturing are still considered direct expenses. Once your items are ready to go, you have to get them to the client. These may not be parts or materials, but they are essential tools that you use in manufacturing.
#OPERATING EXPENSES VS COGS HOW TO#
Keep reading to get the information you need about how to find your exact COGS so you can bring your business to the next level. Many companies understand that their COGS matters but don’t know how to calculate it.

If your business is in manufacturing, transportation, food, agriculture, construction, aerospace, or telecommunications, COGS is probably a big deal. This makes it a variable cost.ĬOGS is an important number for companies that make products. If your production volume goes up, your COGS goes up, too. Labor unrelated to production is an operating cost, not a production expense.ĬOGS directly relates to production. When including labor in your COGS, make sure you’re only considering production-related labor.

They may have a cost of sales instead, or they may track both numbers if they are making and selling products. This is why retailers and wholesalers don’t use COGS. Should you still have snacks in the breakroom? Yes, absolutely. Sales, marketing, and breakroom snacks are indirect costs that don’t factor into your COGS. Remember that your COGS only includes direct costs like parts and labor. Maybe you’ll even get to keep some of the saved cash as a bonus! Knowing your COGS helps you produce accurate balance sheets while impressing everyone with how much you know about accounting principles. Keep the cash flow going strong and everyone is happy.ĬOGS is important because it tells you how much you spend to make the things you sell. As a business, you make money by producing and selling goods.
