Question

Vortex Company operates a retail store with two departments. Information about those departments follows:

Department A Department B
Sales $832,000 $448,000
Cost of goods sold 410,000 291,200
Direct expenses:
Salaries 117,000 86,000
Insurance 13,500 10,900
Utilities 21,000 25,500
Depreciation 18,000 13,500
Maintenance 6,400 5,200

The company also incurred the following indirect costs.

Salaries $29,000
Insurance 6,600
Depreciation 14,800
Office expenses 40,000

Indirect costs are allocated as follows: salaries on the basis of sales; insurance and depreciation on the basis of square footage; and office expenses on the basis of number of employees. Additional information about the departments follows.

Department Square footage Number of employees
A 29,400 66
B 12,600 44

Required:
a. Determine the departmental contribution to overhead and the departmental net income for department A and Department B.
b. Should Department B be eliminated?

Answer 1

Answer:

Vortex Company

                                Department A       Department B

a. Contribution margin   $246,100                 $15,700

Net income                     $188,270                ($16,870)

b. Department B should not be eliminated unless the indirect costs allocated to it can be eliminated as well.

Explanation:

a) Data and Calculations:

                                Department A       Department B

Sales                            $832,000              $448,000

Cost of goods sold        410,000                 291,200

Gross profit                 $422,000              $156,800

Direct expenses:

Salaries                           117,000                  86,000

Insurance                         13,500                   10,900

Utilities                             21,000                  25,500

Depreciation                    18,000                   13,500

Maintenance                     6,400                    5,200

Total direct expenses $175,900                $141,100

Contribution margin   $246,100                 $15,700

Total indirect expenses  57,830                 32,570

Net income                 $188,270               ($16,870)

Department   Square footage   Number of employees

A                             29,400                         66

B                              12,600                         44

Total                       42,000                        110

Indirect Costs:       Costs            Rates            Department A   Department B

Salaries               $29,000   $0.02266                $18,850            $10,150 ($448/$1,280)

Insurance                6,600     $0.15714                    4,620                1,980

Depreciation          14,800   $0.35238                  10,360                4,440

Office expenses  40,000      $363.64                 24,000              16,000

Total costs         $90,400                                   $57,830           $32,570