Assignment

I. Listed below are nine technical accounting terms introduced in this chapter:

Variable costs Relevant range Contribution margin

Break-even point Fixed costs Semi variable costs

Economies of scale Sales mix Unit contribution margin

Each of the following statements may (or may not) describe one of these technical terms. For each statement, indicate the accounting term described, or answer "None" if the statement does not correctly describe any of the terms.

II. MURDER TO GO! Writes and manufactures murder mystery parlor games that it sells to retail. The following is per-unit information relating to the manufacture and sale of this product:

Unit sales price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 30

Variable cost per unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Fixed costs per year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360,000

Determine the following, showing as part of your answer the formula that you used in your computation.

For example, the formula used to determine the contribution margin ratio (part a) is:

Contribution Margin Ratio=Unit Sales Price-Variable Costs per Unit

III. Read the footnote in Appendix A referring to Home Depot's decision to close all of its remaining big box stores in China. Write a short paragraph identifying the incremental, sunk, and opportunity costs associated with this decision. Assume that any cost savings will be invested elsewhere in more productive stores.

IV. The cost to Swank Company of manufacturing 15,000 units of a particular part is $135,000, of which $60,000 is fixed and $75,000 is variable. The company can buy the part from an outside supplier for $6 per unit. Fixed costs will remain the same regardless of Swank's decision. Should the company buy the part or continue to manufacture it? Prepare a comparative schedule in the format illustrated in Exhibit 21-6.

V. The president of Cold Moo Ice Cream Company, a chain of ice cream stores in the Midwest, was unhappy with the actual six-month profit figures for the company recently prepared by the CFO. The president asked the CFO for a profit breakdown, by store, of the actual six-month results. When the president received the report, he was extremely upset and called the CFO into his office. The president stated, "These reports show that each store in the chain is profitable, but our company results are unprofitable! How can this be?" The CFO pointed out that each store was allowed to set prices for ice cream based on its cost structure. However, the stores' cost structures did not include headquarters costs or the costs of advertising and delivery of products.

What are the three characteristics for operating a successful responsibility accounting system? Consider whether the accounting system at Cold Moo Ice Cream Company includes the three characteristics of a successful responsibility accounting system. How could the responsibility accounting system at Cold Moo could be improved?

VI. A Chocolatiers Company produces two products: Solid chocolate and powdered chocolate. Cost and revenue data for each product line for the current month are as follows:

Product Lines

Solid Powdered

Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $850,000 $870,000

Contribution margin as a percentage of sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45% 55%

Fixed costs traceable to product lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175,000 $250,000

In addition, fixed costs that are common to both product lines amount to $125,000.

Instructions

a. Prepare Chocolatier's responsibility income statement for the current month. Report the responsibility margin for each product line and income from operations for the company as a whole. Also include columns showing all dollar amounts as percentages of sales.

b. According to the analysis performed in part a, which product line is more profitable? Should the common fixed costs be considered when determining the profitability of individual product lines? Why or why not?

c. Chocolatiers has $15,000 to be used in advertising for one of the two product lines and expects that this expenditure will result in additional sales of $50,000. How should the company decide which product line to advertise?