Question

As the new accountant for Cohen & Co., you have been asked to provide a succinct analysis of financial performance for the year just ended. You obtain the following information that pertains to the company’s sole product:

	Actual			Master (Static) Budget
Units sold		35,000			40,000
Sales	$	394,000		$	460,000
Variable costs		224,000			272,000
Fixed costs		142,500			137,000

QUESTIONS:

1. What was the actual operating income for the period?

2. What was the company’s master (static) budget operating income for the period?

3. (a) What was the total master (static) budget variance, in terms of operating income, for the period? (b) Is this variance favorable (F) or unfavorable (U)? (Note: The total master (static) budget variance is also referred to as the total operating income variance for the period.) (If a variance has no amount, select "None" in the corresponding dropdown cell.)

4. The total master (static) budget variance for a period can be decomposed into a total flexible-budget variance and a sales volume variance. (a) What was the total flexible-budget variance for the period? (b) Was this variance favorable (F) or unfavorable (U)? (c) What was the sales volume variance for the period? (d) Was this variance favorable (F) or unfavorable (U)? (Do not round your intermediate calculations. If a variance has no amount, select "None" in the corresponding dropdown cell.)

Answer 1

1.

Sales Revenue	$           394,000
Variable Expenses	$           224,000
Contribution Margin	$           170,000
Fixed Expenses	$           142,500
Net Operating Income	$             27,500

2.

Sales Revenue	$           460,000
Variable Expenses	$           272,000
Contribution Margin	$           188,000
Fixed Expenses	$           137,000
Net Operating Income	$             51,000

3.
Master (static) budget variance = $51000 - 27500 = $23500
Since Actual income is lower, variance is unfavorable

4. Flexible Budget

Sales Revenue	$           402,500
Variable Expenses	$           238,000
Contribution Margin	$           164,500
Fixed Expenses	$           137,000
Net Operating Income	$             27,500

Total flexible-budget variance = $27500 - 27500 = 0
None

Sales volume variance for the period = $51000 - 27500 = $23500
Unfavorable variance