7. What uses can be made of the estimate of the cost of inventory determined by the gross profit method?

Answer 1

Sometimes a physical count may not be possible or is not cost effective. Then, estimation methods are employed.

GROSS PROFIT METHOD: One such estimation technique is the gross profit method. This method might be used to estimate inventory on hand for purposes of preparing monthly or quarterly financial statements, and certainly would come into play if a fire or other catastrophe destroyed the inventory. Such estimates are often used by insurance companies to establish the amount that has been lost by an insured party. Very simply, a company's historical normal gross profit rate (i.e., gross profit as a percentage of sales) would be used to estimate the amount of gross profit and cost of sales. Once these data are known, it is relatively simple to project the lost inventory.

For example, assume that Tiki's inventory was destroyed by fire. Sales for the year, prior to the date of the fire were $1,000,000, and Tiki usually sells goods at a 40% gross profit rate. Therefore, Tiki can readily estimate that cost of goods sold was $600,000. Tiki's beginning of year inventory was $500,000, and $800,000 in purchases had occurred prior to the date of the fire. The inventory destroyed by fire can be estimated via the gross profit method to be $700,000.

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