A number of ethical issues are important in cost allocation. First, ethical issues arise when
costs are allocated to products or services that are produced for both a competitive market and
a public agency or government department. Although government agencies very often purchase
on a cost-plus basis, products sold competitively are subject to price competition. The
incentive in these situations is for the manufacturer, using cost allocation methods, to shift
manufacturing costs from the competitive products to the cost-plus products.
A second ethical issue in implementing cost allocation methods is the equity or fair share
issue that arises when a governmental unit reimburses the costs of a private institution or
when it provides a service for a fee to the public. In both cases, cost allocation methods are
used to determine the proper price or reimbursement amount. Although no single measure of
equity exists in these cases, the objectives of cost allocation identified at the beginning of the
chapter are a useful guide.
A third important ethical issue is the effect of the chosen allocation method on the costs of
products sold to or from foreign subsidiaries. The cost allocation method usually affects the
cost of products traded internationally and therefore the amount of taxes paid in the domestic
and the foreign countries. Firms can reduce their worldwide tax liability by increasing the
costs of products purchased in high-tax countries or in countries where the firm does not
have favorable tax treatment. For this reason, international tax authorities closely watch the
cost allocation methods used by multinational firms. The methods most acceptable to these
authorities are based on sales and/or labor costs. 1