Produktkostnader

Produktkostnader are the costs incurred to produce goods and are capitalized as inventory until the related products are sold. They include all expenses tied to manufacturing, distinguishing them from period costs such as selling, general, and administrative expenses. Understanding produktkostnader is essential for accurate inventory valuation and cost control.

The main components are direct materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead. Direct materials are the raw inputs used to manufacture products. Direct labor covers the wages of workers who directly produce the goods. Manufacturing overhead includes indirect materials and labor, depreciation and maintenance of production equipment, utilities, and other factory costs that cannot be traced directly to a single product.

Two common costing approaches are absorption costing and variable costing. Absorption costing includes all manufacturing costs (variable and fixed) in the product cost, so inventory carries a share of fixed overhead. Variable costing includes only variable manufacturing costs in the product cost, while fixed overhead is expensed in the period.

In financial reporting, produktkostnader are inventoried on the balance sheet and become cost of goods sold (COGS) when the products are sold. They influence pricing, product profitability analyses, budgeting, and cost control. Analysts may allocate product costs to products or departments using cost drivers to determine profitability by product line, assist in decision making, and perform variance analysis. Standards such as IFRS and GAAP guide the treatment of product costs, with absorption costing commonly required for external reporting.