The Daniels Tool & Die Corporation has been in existence for a little over three years. The company's sales have been increasing each year as it builds a reputation. The company manufactures dies to its customers' specifications and therefore uses a job-order cost system. Factory overhead is applied to the jobs based on direct labour hours—the absorption-costing (full) method. Over-applied or under-applied overhead is treated as an adjustment to cost of goods sold. The company's income statements and other data for the past two years are as follows:

DANIELS TOOL & DIE CORPORATION 2019-2020 Comparative Income Statements
	2019	2020
Sales	$840,000	$1,015,000
Cost of goods sold
Finished goods, January 1	25,000	18,000
Cost of goods manufactured	548,000	657,600
Total available	573,000	675,600
Finished goods, December 31	18,000	14,000
Cost of goods sold before overhead adjustment	555,000	661,600
Under-applied factory overhead	36,000	14,400
Cost of goods sold	591,000	676,000
Gross profit	249,000	339,000
Selling expenses	82,000	95,000
Administrative expenses	70,000	75,000
Total operating expenses	152,000	170,000
Operating income	$ 97,000	$  169,000

	Daniels Tool & Die Corporation Inventory Balances
	January 1, 2018	December 31, 2019	December 31, 2020
Raw material	$22,000	$30,000	$10,000
Work in process	$40,000	$48,000	$64,000
Direct labour hours (used in WIP)	1,335	1,600	2,100
Finished goods	$25,000	$18,000	$14,000
Direct labour hours (used in FG)	1,450	1,050	820

Daniels used the same predetermined overhead rate in applying overhead to its production orders in both 2019 and 2020. The rate was based on the following estimates:

Fixed factory overhead	$ 25,000
Variable factory overhead	$155,000
Direct labour hours	25,000
Direct labour costs	$150,000

In 2019 and 2020, the actual direct labour hours used were 20,000 and 23,000, respectively. Raw materials put into production were $292,000 in 2019 and $370,000 in 2020. The actual fixed overhead was $42,300 for 2019 and $37,400 for 2020, and the planned direct labour rate was the direct labour achieved.

For both years, all of the administrative costs were fixed. The variable portion of the selling expenses results from a 5% commission that is paid as a percentage of the sales revenue.

Instructions

a.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, prepare a revised income statement for Daniels Tool & Die Corporation using the variable-costing method.

Operating income $168,730

b.

Reconcile the difference in operating income between Daniels Tool & Die Corporation's 2020 absorption-costing income statement and the revised 2020 income statement prepared under variable costing.

c.

Describe both the advantages and disadvantages of using variable costing.