Cost of Goods Sold



Module 4:
Inventory & Costing

Duration:
45-60 minutes

Level:
Beginner to Diploma-Level


Lesson Objectives

Define Cost of Goods Sold

Identify components of COGS

Calculate COGS under a periodic inventory system

Explain how COGS affects gross profit and net profit

Understand the relationship between inventory and COGS

Identify common COGS errors


Key Vocabulary

Cost of Goods Sold
Beginning Inventory
Ending Inventory
Purchases
Freight-In
Gross Profit
Net Sales


What Is Cost of Goods Sold?

Cost of Goods Sold represents the direct cost of merchandise sold to customers during an accounting period.

COGS appears on the Income Statement and directly affects profitability.


Components of COGS | Periodic System

COGS includes

Beginning Inventory
Purchases
Freight-in
Less: Purchase returns and allowances
Less: Purchase discounts
Less: Ending Inventory


COGS Formula | Periodic Inventory System

Beginning Inventory
+ Net Purchases
− Ending Inventory
= Cost of Goods Sold

Where
Net Purchases = Purchases + Freight-In − Returns − Discounts


COGS and Profit Relationship

Change
Higher COGS
Lower COGS

Effect on COGS
Increase
Decrease

Effect on Profit
Lower profit
Higher profit

COGS has an inverse relationship with profit.


Common COGS Errors

Incorrect inventory counts
Including damaged or obsolete goods
Errors in purchase records
Incorrect freight-in treatment


Identify the Component

State whether each item is Included or Excluded from COGS

Beginning inventory
Ending inventory
Freight-in
Sales returns
Purchase discounts


Fill in the Blanks

1. COGS represents the cost of goods __________.

2. COGS is reported on the __________ statement.

3. Higher COGS results in __________ profit.

4. Freight-in is __________ in COGS.


COGS Calculation

A business reports

Beginning Inventory
Purchases
Freight-In
Purchase Returns
Ending Inventory

= $10,000
= $40,000
= $2,000
= $3,000
= $9,000

Task
Calculate Cost of Goods Sold.


Error Analysis

Ending inventory was overstated by $4,000.

Questions

Effect on COGS?
Effect on profit?


Mini Case Study

A retailer notices that profits dropped even though sales increased.

Questions

How could COGS explain this situation?

Name two reasons COGS might increase.

How can better inventory control help manage COGS?


Quick Quiz

What is Cost of Goods Sold?

Where does COGS appear in the financial statements?

Name two components of COGS.

How does overstated ending inventory affect COGS?

Why is COGS important to management?

Answers ➧ Here

Stock Count & Inventory Controls ➧ Here