Smithson, Inc. produces two types of gas grills: a family model and a deluxe model. Smithson’s controller has decided to use a plant-wide overhead rate based on direct labor costs. The president of the company recently heard of activity-based costing and wants to see how the results would differ if this system were used. Two activity cost pools were developed: machining and machine setup. Presented below is information related to the company’s operations:
Family Model Deluxe Model
Direct labor costs $75,000 $150,000
Machine hours 2,000 2,000
Setup hours 200 800
Total estimated overhead costs are $450,000. Overhead cost allocated to the machining activity cost pool is $270,000 and $180,000 is allocated to the machine setup activity cost pool.
a. Compute the overhead rate using the traditional (plantwide) approach.
b. Compute the overhead rates using the activity-based costing approach.
c. Determine the difference in allocation between the two approaches.

A.) Overhead rate = 200% of direct labor cost.

B.) $67.5 per machine hour ; $180 per setup

C.) The traditional costing applies overhead burden rate equally to all products which might sometimes give a vague picture of production cost especially that which is applied to each different product.

With the activity based costing method we could see that machining activity setup rate about 26 times the machining activity rate.

Explanation:

Overhead rate using the plantwide approach

Overhead rate = (estimated overhead cost ÷ direct labor cost)

Overhead rate = ($450,000) ÷ (75,000 +150,000)

Overhead rate = $450,000 ÷ $225,000

Overhead rate = 200% of direct labor cost.

B.) Using activity costing

machining activity cost pool = $270,000

machine setup activity cost pool = $180,000

Total Machining activity hours = (2000 + 2000) = 4000

Total machine setup activity hours = (200 + 800) = 1000

Machining activity rate = (cost /hours) :

$270,000/4000 = $67.5 per machine hour

Machining activity setup rate = (cost /hours) :

$180,000/ 1000 = $180 per setup

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