Atkinson Construction assembles residential houses. It uses a job-costing system with two direct-cost categories (direct materials and direct labor) and one indirect-cost pool (assembly support). Direct labor-hours is the allocation base for assembly support costs. In December 2016, Atkinson budgets 2017 assembly-support costs to be $8,800,000 and 2017 direct labor-hours to be 220,000.At the end of 2017, Atkinson is comparing the costs of several jobs that were started and completed in 2017.Laguna ModelMission ModelConstruction periodFeb-June 2017May-0ct 2017Direct material costs$106,550$127,450Direct labor costs$ 36,250$41,130Direct labor-hours9701,000Direct materials and direct labor are paid for on a contract basis. The costs of each are known when direct materials are used or when direct labor-hours are worked. The 2017 actual assembly-support costs were $8,400,000, and the actual direct labor-hours were 200,000.Required:1. Compute the (a) budgeted indirect-cost rate and (b) actual indirect-cost rate. Why do they differ?2. What are the job costs of the Laguna Model and the Mission Model using (a) normal costing and (b) actual costing?3. Why might Atkinson Construction prefer normal costing over actual costing?

1. Compute the

(a) budgeted indirect-cost rate

$40 per labor hour

and (b) actual indirect-cost rate.

$42 per labor hour

Why do they differ?

Because total assembly support costs and labor hours were different.They both were actually lower than expected, but the labor hours were 9% lower while the costs were around 5% lower. That is why the actual rate increased (denominator decreased more than numerator).

2. What are the job costs of the Laguna Model and the Mission Model using (a) normal costing

                                               Laguna Model       Mission Model

assembly-support cost                $38,800               $40,000

and (b) actual costing?

                                              Laguna Model       Mission Model

assembly-support cost                $40,7400               $42,000

3. Why might Atkinson Construction prefer normal costing over actual costing?

The problem with actual costing is that they cannot be budgeted, you can only budget normal costing. Any business has to prepare budgets in order to control how their operations are being carried out and then they need to adjust them to the actual costs incurred.

Explanation:

                                                  Laguna Model       Mission Model

Construction period                 Feb-June 2017       May-0ct 2017

Direct material costs                   $106,550              $127,450

Direct labor costs                         $36,250                 $41,130

Direct labor-hours                             970                      1,000

budgeted indirect cost rate:

assembly-support costs $8,800,000

direct labor-hours 220,000

budgeted assembly-support cost per labor hour = $8,800,000 / 220,000 = $40 per hour

                                               Laguna Model       Mission Model

assembly-support cost                $38,800               $40,000

actual indirect cost rate:

assembly-support costs $8,400,000

direct labor-hours 200,000

actual assembly-support cost per labor hour = $8,400,000 / 200,000 = $42 per hour

                                               Laguna Model       Mission Model

assembly-support cost                $40,7400               $42,000