Variable vs. Absorption Costing: Operating
Income and Income Statements
When comparing variable and absorption costing, we must also take into account
whether we are looking at short- or long-term numbers. How does the data for a one-year
period differ from that of a three-year period under variable and absorption costing?
Comparing Income Statements for One Year
What will Stassen’s operating income be if it uses variable costing or absorption costing?
The differences between these methods are apparent in Exhibit 9-1. Panel A shows the
variable costing income statement and Panel B the absorption-costing income statement
for Stassen’s telescope product line for 2012. The variable-costing income statement uses
the contribution-margin format introduced in Chapter 3. The absorption-costing income
statement uses the gross-margin format introduced in Chapter 2. Why these differences
in format? The distinction between variable costs and fixed costs is central to variable