The main purpose of cost accounting is to analyse, calculate and control costs in an organisation. While on the other hand, the central purpose of management accounting is to provide non-financial and financial information to assist in planning, decision-making, and control.
To learn about Financial Accounting Terms, look here.
There are many differences between cost accounting vs. management accounting. Let’s glance at these distinctions in detail with the help of this table.
Aspect | Cost Accounting | Management Accounting |
---|---|---|
Meaning | Control and calculation of costs inside the organisation. | Provision of non-financial as well as financial information for the purpose of decision-making at the managerial level. |
Information Type | The focus is primarily on information related to cost | Involves both non-financial and financial information for making decisions strategically. |
Objective – Cost Accounting vs Management Accounting | Determination of cost analysis, cost control, and overall costs. | Assisting planning, managerial decision-making as well as control. |
Scope | The primary concentration is on the incurred cost of production and activities related to cost. | Entertains a broader focus encompassing finance and financial aspects like evaluation of performance and planning strategically. |
Specific Procedure | Involvement of several methods like job, process, and activity-based costing. | Involves variance analysis, budgeting, investment analysis, and forecasting, among others. |
Recording | Puts emphasis on the recording and analysis of the incurred cost | Analysis and records different non-financial and financial data for the purpose of management. |
Planning – Cost Accounting vs Management Accounting | Helps in price planning, cost planning, and planning of various cost-control measures. | Ensures resource allocation. strategic planning, and budgeting. |
Interdependency | Offers necessary input for the processes concerning management accounting. | Makes use of accounting data |
If you are interested in finance management, look here to know the Meaning Of Finance Management as well as the various Key Scope of Financial Management.
Below are the differences between cost accounting and management accounting in terms of advantages and disadvantages they carry.
Cost accounting enjoys the following benefits:
Management accounting enjoys the following benefits:
This has been a guide to Cost Accounting vs. Management Accounting. Here we discuss the top difference between cost accounting and management accounting. Basically, understanding the difference between cost accounting and management accounting is essential for individuals involved in financial management within organisations. While both disciplines share some similarities, they have distinct focuses and objectives. By recognising the unique contributions of cost accounting and management accounting, individuals can effectively utilise these disciplines to drive financial success and optimise organisational performance.
You may also like
Carefully gathered content to add value to and expand your knowledge horizons