
The inventory cost method is the way your business manages costs and it directly impacts the value of the cost of goods sold. The ending inventory includes the products and raw materials that weren’t sold during the period.Īdditionally, you need to know what inventory cost method your business or accountant is using before you can start calculating your COGS. Ending inventory: This is the cost of inventory that the company has at the end of the specified period.This includes the costs of direct labour, direct materials, and direct overheads, such as warehouse expenses, rent, and electricity directly tied to the production of the goods or services in question. Additional inventory: This is the cost of additional inventory that was purchased during the specified period.The beginning inventory includes the products and raw materials that were not sold in the previous period. Beginning inventory: This is the cost of inventory that’s on-hand at the beginning of a specified period.

We will discuss this in further detail below.Ĭost of goods sold is calculated by first adding the cost of purchased or manufactured inventory to the cost of beginning inventory for the specified period, and then subtracting the cost of ending inventory from the total.Ĭost of Goods Sold = Beginning Inventory + Additional Inventory – Ending Inventory If we take the example of a services business, COGS will include direct labour costs, payroll taxes, and benefits of workers who generate billable hours. In this case, COGS will include the cost of conversion-the production cost necessary to convert raw materials into finished goods-and other costs involved in bringing the stock to their present location and condition. When calculating COGS, you only need to take the direct costs of production into account.Īs an example, consider a company that sources raw materials from an external supplier. These include overhead costs like utilities, cleaning and office supplies, rent and so on.


Indirect costs, however, are costs that are crucial to the production process but are difficult to be traced back to any specific object of production. These include the direct costs of materials, labour, commissions and more. It is also referred to as the cost of sales or cost of services.Ī business typically incurs two types of costs: direct and indirect.ĭirect costs are costs that can be traced back to a specific product, service, or activity. To gain a high-level overview, we recommend reading our beginner’s guide to small business accounting.Ĭost of goods sold is the total cost incurred by a business in the production of goods or services.
#COGS BUSINESS HOW TO#
This includes how to open a business bank account, how to track your expenses, the pros and cons of hiring an accountant or bookkeeper, how to calculate your business tax, and so much more. Quick Tip: Before diving into the specifics of COGS, it’s important that you have a general understanding of small business accounting as a whole. In this article, we’ll help you understand what COGS is, how to calculate it, and why it matters for your business.

#COGS BUSINESS FULL#
After all, almost three in five SMEs in the UK fail due to cash flow problems.Īnd as you scale, having a clear overview of how your operations, revenue and profits go hand in hand is paramount for your company’s bottom line performance.Ĭost of goods sold, or COGS, therefore, is an important metric to help you gain a full overview of your company’s finances. Understanding these costs is key to ensuring that your business is successful and meeting its financial goals.Īs a small business, it’s incredibly important to stay on top of your finances post-launch. These can be anything from equipment and maintenance upgrades, employee turnover, credit card fees, interest on loans, permits and licences, and more. Running a business involves a lot of hidden costs.
