Suppose Alex owns a business making quilts that generates $7,000 a month in revenue. Each month, Alex spends $1,500 on fabric and other sewing materials, and he pays his two employees a combined total of $4,000 per month (they each earn $2,000). Alex makes his quilts in a workshop he has set up in his basement. If Alex did not own the quilt business, he would work as a yoga instructor earning $2,300 per month, and he would use the basement as a TV room, an option he would value at $40 per month. a. What is Alex's accounting profit

Alex's accounting profit is calculated as follows:

Revenue from quilts = $7,000

Materials costs              (1,500)

Labor costs                   (4,000)

Accounting profit        $1,500

Explanation:

Alex's accounting profit is different from the profit when calculated from the economist's point of view.  The economist would include the opportunity costs of lost earnings as a yoga instructor of $2,300 per month and the monthly rental value of $40 for the TV room in the monthly cost.  These are not considered in arriving at the accounting profit.  Accounting profit does not include opportunity costs.  It only includes the actual costs of goods sold or produced.  And it is not the costs that were paid for in cash that accounting profit considers.  All related costs whether paid for in cash or not, provided they are incurred in generating the revenue are included in accordance with the accrual concept and the matching principle of generally accepted accounting principles.