Manufacturing

Much like the industry itself, manufacturing is a complicated field for accounting. A manufacturing
business has a variety of fronts, but what is most commonly dealt with are inventory valuation and
the cost of goods—elements that are relatively unique from other industries except on a more
basic level. Other areas include:

– Direct cost assignment

– Overhead cost assignment

– Impairment testing

As with any business that deals with inventory, the accounting is incredibly detailed. For some
companies with an excessively large inventory, this can be an ordeal. Workload can be maintained
with the proper management of inventory on hand. Other methods for reducing investment in
inventory is to encourage on-site inventory ownership from suppliers or to employ drop shipping.

It goes without saying, but all this inventory must also be carefully tracked to determine the
valuation. Periodic inventory systems are maintained by physical inventory counts, which are
incredibly time-consuming. With careful record-keeping and cycle counting, inventory counts can
be maintained in a far more efficient and accurate way.

A manufacturing company concerns itself with producing goods for resale—but this process incurs
a cost. Therefore, a cost of goods manufactured account is employed which tracks three types of
inventory:

– Direct Material

– Goods in Process

– Finished Goods

There are, of course, many methods used to track manufacturing processes and tax liabilities. We
excel in assisting clients with general financial help, such as by analyzing accounts receivable,
accounts payable, and competitors in your market. For more information about the specifics of
taxes in manufacturing, contact Atherton & Associates, LLP.