Relevant Costs vs Irrelevant Costs Explanation Examples

Thus, incurring an expense may be avoided by deciding not to perform a certain activity. Irrelevant costs are costs which are independent of the various decisions or alternatives. Costs that are same for various alternatives are not considered e.g. fixed costs. Only those costs that are different for each alternative are the relevant costs and are considered in decision making e.g. variable costs. Irrelevant costs are costs that are not affected by the ultimate decision. In other words, these are the costs which shall be incurred in the all managerial alternatives being considered.

However, not all costs listed in these documents are pertinent to every decision. The challenge lies in discerning which costs should be set aside to avoid skewing the analysis. In any managerial decision involving two or more alternatives, the prime focus of analysis is to find out which alternative is more profitable. The profitability of alternatives is determined by considering the revenues generated by and costs incurred under each alternative. Some costs may stay the same regardless of which alternative is chosen while some costs may vary between the alternatives. The classification between relevant and irrelevant costs is useful in such situations.

Special Order Decision

While relevant costs are important, managers should also consider nonquantitative factors in decision-making. In this article, we’ll go over the process of relevant costing and how you can apply it in a sample of common business decisions. Moreover, the psychological impact of irrelevant costs cannot be underestimated. Human nature tends to resist acknowledging losses, leading to an emotional attachment to past investments. This attachment can cloud judgment, making it difficult to objectively assess the potential benefits of alternative options.

Examples of irrelevant factors are common costs and allocated costs. In general, costs that are avoidable are considered in the analysis. Instead of looking at the overall margin, try looking at the segment margin and see if it is still profitable without considering common costs. The analysis of relevant costs also extends to the assessment of profitability for individual product lines or business segments. This targeted approach allows for more strategic allocation of resources and better financial performance overall. Fixed costs can also be irrelevant in certain decision-making scenarios, particularly when these costs are not subject to change as a result of the decision.

Management can use this concept to make cost-effective business decisions and avoid unnecessary expenses. The relevant costs are usually related to the short term, while the irrelevant costs are usually related to the long term. The basic costing process of both the relevant cost and irrelevant cost is almost same. Both are based on the sound principles and techniques of accounting and costing.

Continue or Shutdown Decision

Opportunity costs represent the benefits a business foregoes when choosing one alternative over another. This concept is not reflected in financial statements but is a critical component of decision-making. For example, if a company must decide between two potential investments, the opportunity cost is the profit that could have been generated by the alternative relevant and irrelevant cost not chosen.

Sunk costs are irrelevant, as they do not affect the future cash flows. Relevant costs are costs that are affected by a managerial decision in a particular business situation. In other words these are the costs which shall be incurred in one managerial alternative and avoided in another.

Types of Irrelevant Costs:

1. This concept is not reflected in financial statements but is a critical component of decision-making.
2. The opposite of relevant costs is sunk cost or irrelevant costs, which refers to the expenses already incurred.
3. The main factor to consider would be the overall incremental profit.
4. Note that the $2m total profit is the same as the profit of $6m from Production Line A and the loss of $4m from Production Line B as shown in the table at the start of this example.

For example, a manager might hesitate to discontinue a product line that has been underperforming, fearing the admission of a failed investment. This reluctance can prevent the company from reallocating resources to more profitable areas, thereby stifling overall performance. The relevant costs affect the future cash flows, whereas the irrelevant costs do not affect future cash flows.

As the name suggests they are ‘relevant’ for managerial analysis and should be considered in all calculations made for the purpose. There is seldom a “one-size fits all” situation for relevant or irrelevant costs. Relevant costs are future costs that will differ between two or more alternative actions. Expressed another way, relevant costs are the costs that will make a difference when making a decision.