Browse Accounting

Cost Accounting

Cost accounting terms covering cost behavior, contribution analysis, revenue metrics, budgeting, variance analysis, and management-accounting controls.

Cost Accounting covers cost behavior, contribution analysis, revenue metrics, budgeting, variance analysis, and management-accounting controls.

Use these pages when cost classification or operating metrics change margin analysis, pricing, budgeting, capacity decisions, or performance review. It sits inside Accounting, so readers can move up when the broader accounting context matters.

Use the table below to choose the narrower accounting branch before applying a term to a statement line, model input, audit trail, tax schedule, covenant test, or management report.

What This Branch Covers

AreaUse it for
Break-Even, Contribution, and Margin AnalysisCost accounting terms for contribution margin, break-even analysis, markup, margin of safety, and profit-volume relationships.
Budgeting, Variance, and Cost ControlCost accounting terms for budgets, variances, capacity use, target costing, inventory control, and transfer pricing.
Cost Behavior, Drivers, and Production CostsCost accounting terms for fixed and variable costs, direct and indirect costs, cost drivers, production costs, and overhead.
Profit Sharing, Centres, and Management AccountingManagement accounting terms for profit centres, profit-sharing ratios, and responsibility-style performance reporting.
Revenue, Pricing, and Operating MetricsManagement accounting terms for revenue growth, pricing, churn, yield management, subscription models, and operating revenue measures.

What to Check

  • Cost pool, cost driver, fixed versus variable behavior, direct versus indirect classification, and relevant activity level.
  • Budget, standard cost, variance report, production volume, sales mix, pricing data, and responsibility-center report.
  • Effect on gross margin, contribution margin, break-even point, operating leverage, unit economics, and forecast assumptions.
  • Whether the metric is external reporting, internal management accounting, tax, or operational KPI evidence.
  • Comparability across products, segments, periods, capacity levels, and accounting policies.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating fixed costs as fixed at every activity level.
  • Mixing gross margin, contribution margin, markup, and operating margin.
  • Using budget variance without separating price, volume, mix, and efficiency effects.
  • Applying internal cost metrics as if they were audited external reporting facts.

Cost-accounting content is educational and does not provide accounting, tax, audit, pricing, management, or investment advice.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

Break-Even & Margins

Cost accounting terms for contribution margin, break-even analysis, markup, margin of safety, and profit-volume relationships.

Budgeting & Variance

Cost accounting terms for budgets, variances, capacity use, target costing, inventory control, and transfer pricing.

Cost Behavior

Cost accounting terms for fixed and variable costs, direct and indirect costs, cost drivers, production costs, and overhead.

Management Accounting

Management accounting terms for profit centres, profit-sharing ratios, and responsibility-style performance reporting.

Revenue Metrics

Management accounting terms for revenue growth, pricing, churn, yield management, subscription models, and operating revenue measures.

Revised on Sunday, June 21, 2026
Audit and Assurance
Depreciation and Amortization