The master budget: an overview
The master budget consists of a number of separate but interdependent budgets.
1.The sales budget shows the expected sales for the budget period expressed in dollars and units. It is usually based on a company’s sales forecast.
a.All other parts of the master budget are dependent on the sales budget.
2.The production budget is prepared after the sales budget. It lists the number of units that must be produced during each budget period to meet sales needs and to provide for the desired ending inventory. The production budget in turn directly influences the direct materials, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead budgets, which in turn enable the preparation of the ending finished goods inventory budget.
a.These budgets are then combined with data from the sales budget and the selling and administrative expense budget to determine the cash budget.
3.The cash budget is a detailed plan showing how cash resources will be acquired and used over a specified time period.
a.All of the operating budgets have an impact on the cash budget.
4.The last step of the process is to prepare a budgeted income statement and a budgeted balance sheet.
To help you see the “big picture” keep in mind that the 10 schedules in a master budget are designed to answer the 10 questions as shown on the next two slides.
It also bears emphasizing that a master budget is based on various estimates and assumptions. For example, the sales budget requires three estimates/assumptions as follows:
1.What are the budgeted unit sales?
2.What is the budgeted selling price per unit?
3.What percentage of accounts receivable will be collected in the current and subsequent periods?
When Microsoft Excel is used to create a master budget, these types of assumptions can be depicted in a Budgeting Assumptions tab, thereby enabling the Excel-based budget to answer “what-if” questions.
Helpful Hint: Budgets—particularly in large organizations—can be very complex. To keep the complexity within bounds, we have simplified the budgets. Even so, these simplified budgets are intricate, and the level of detail may be overwhelming to some students. Emphasize that each step in the process is fairly simple, but the budgets must fit together for the plan to be successful.
Preparing the master budget
Prepare a sales budget, including a schedule of expected cash collections.
A. The sales budget
Assume the facts as shown for the Royal Company.
1.The sales budget multiplies the budgeted sales in units for each month by the selling price per unit.
a. The total sales budget for the quarter ($1,000,000) is calculated by multiplying the budgeted sales in units for the quarter (100,000) by the selling price per unit ($10).
Assume the information as shown regarding Royal’s expected cash collections.
1.The first step in calculating Royal’s cash collections is to insert the beginning accounts receivable balance ($30,000) into the April column of the cash collections schedule.
a. This balance will be collected in full in April.
2.The second step is to calculate the April credit sales that will be collected during each month of the quarter.
a. $140,000 ($200,000 × 70%) will be collected in April and $50,000 ($200,000 × 25%) will be collected in May. $10,000 ($200,000 × 5%) will be uncollectible.
3.The third step is to calculate the May credit sales that will be collected during each month of the quarter.
a. $350,000 ($500,000 × 70%) will be collected in May and $125,000 ($500,000 × 25%) will be collected in June. $25,000 ($500,000 × 5%) will be uncollectible.
4.The fourth step is to calculate the June credit sales that will be collected during the month of June.
a. $210,000 ($300,000 × 70%) will be collected in June.
5.The fifth step is to calculate the total for each column in the schedule and the total for the quarter ($905,000).
B. The production budget (must be adequate to meet budgeted sales and to provide for the desired ending inventory)
Assume the information as shown to enable the preparation of Royal’s production budget (If Royal was a merchandising company it would prepare a merchandise purchases budget instead of a production budget).
1.The first step in preparing the production budget is to insert the budgeted sales in units from the sales budget.
2.The second step is to calculate the required production in units for April (26,000 units).
Notice, the desired ending inventory in units for April (10,000 units) and the beginning inventory in units for April (4,000 units).
3.The third step is to calculate the required production for May (46,000 units).
Notice, April’s desired ending inventory (10,000 units) becomes May’s beginning inventory.
4.The fourth step is to calculate the required production for June (29,000 units).
Notice, we are assuming a desired ending inventory of 5,000 units (which implies that projected sales in July are 25,000 units).
5.The fifth step is to complete the “Quarter” column.
Notice, April’s beginning inventory and June’s ending inventory are carried over to this column.
Helpful Hint: Many students have a tendency to add up the inventory amounts instead of using the ending or the beginning figure. Pointing this out early might reduce confusion on the part of students.
C.The direct materials budget
Assume the information as shown to enable the preparation of Royal’s direct materials budget which quantifies the raw materials that must be purchased to fulfill the production budget and to provide for adequate inventories.
1.The first step in preparing the direct materials budget is to insert the required production in units from the production budget.
2.The second step is to calculate the monthly and quarterly production needs, which in this case are stated in terms of pounds of direct material.
3.The third step is to calculate the materials to be purchased for April (140,000 pounds).
Notice:
a. The desired ending inventory of 23,000 pounds is 10% of the following month’s production.
b. The beginning inventory of 13,000 pounds is the same as the March 31st ending inventory.
4.The fourth step is to calculate the materials to be purchased for May (221,500 pounds).
Notice April’s desired ending inventory becomes May’s beginning inventory.
5.The fifth step is to calculate the materials to be purchased for June (142,000 pounds) and to calculate the quarterly totals.
Notice:
a. We are assuming a desired ending inventory for June of 11,500 pounds.
b. April’s beginning inventory and June’s ending inventory carry over to the “Quarter” column.
Helpful Hint: Tell the students that the inventory purchases budget or the raw materials purchase budget are really just the elements of a cost of goods sold schedule in a different order.
Assume the information as shown regarding Royal’s expected cash disbursements for materials.
1.The first step in calculating Royal’s cash disbursements is to insert the beginning accounts payable balance ($12,000) into the April column of the cash disbursements schedule.
a. This balance will be paid in full in April.
2.The second step is to calculate the April credit purchases that will be paid during each month of the quarter.
a. $28,000 ($56,000 × 50%) will be paid in April and $28,000 ($56,000 × 50%) will be paid in May.
(1). The $56,000 is derived by multiplying 140,000 pounds by the $0.40 per pound purchase price.
3.The remaining steps include:
a. Calculating the May and June credit purchases that are paid during each month of the quarter.
b. Calculating the totals for all columns in the schedule and the total for the quarter ($185,000).
D.The direct labor budgetAssume the information as shown to enable the preparation of Royal’s direct labor budget which enables the company to match its direct labor hours provided with its production needs.
1.The first step in preparing the direct labor budget is to insert the production in units from the production budget.
2.The second step is to compute the direct labor hours required to meet the production needs.
Notice 0.05 direct labor hours are needed per unit.
3.The third step, in this particular example, is to compute the direct labor hours paid.
Notice in this example, there are guaranteed labor hours that will be paid for regardless of production needs.
4.The fourth step is to compute the total direct labor cost.
Notice With direct labor, we computed all three months at the same time. This is because there is no beginning and ending inventory to consider.
E.The manufacturing overhead budget
Assume the information as shown to enable the preparation of Royal’s manufacturing overhead budget. This budget provides a schedule of all costs of production other than direct materials and direct labor.
1.The first step in preparing the manufacturing overhead budget is to calculate the variable manufacturing overhead costs for each month and in total.
Notice The direct labor hours required is taken directly from the direct labor budget.
2.The second step is to add the fixed manufacturing overhead costs ($50,000 per month) to the variable overhead costs to arrive at total manufacturing overhead costs for each month and in total.
Notice:
a. We can determine the predetermined overhead rate for the quarter ($49.70).
b. Once the level of fixed costs has been determined in the budget, the costs really are fixed; hence, the time to adjust fixed costs is during the budgeting process.
3.The third step is to calculate the cash disbursements for manufacturing overhead by subtracting noncash expenses from the total manufacturing overhead costs computed in step two.
a. In this example, $20,000 of depreciation is deducted from each month’s total overhead costs to arrive at the cash disbursements for manufacturing overhead costs.
Helpful Hint: Have the students trace the amounts from the raw materials purchase, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead budgets to the cash budget. Information from some of the budgets is needed by more than one individual—in this case the manufacturing department—and the controller would require the information from these budgets.
F.The ending finished goods inventory budget
Now Royal can complete the ending finished goods inventory budget.
1.The first step in preparing this budget is to compute the direct materials cost per unit ($2.00).
a. The information needed can be derived by referring back to the direct materials budget.
2.The second step is to compute the direct labor cost per unit ($0.50).
a. The information needed can be derived by referring back to the direct labor budget.
3.The third step is to compute the manufacturing overhead cost per unit ($2.49) and the total inventoriable cost per unit ($4.99).
Notice:
a. Royal is using an absorption costing approach to valuing its inventory.
b. The quantities shown for direct labor and manufacturing overhead are the same (0.05 hours) because direct labor hours is the overhead allocation base.
c. The predetermined overhead rate was calculated when we prepared the manufacturing overhead budget.
4.The fourth step is to calculate the value of the ending finished goods inventory ($24,950).
Notice The ending inventory in units (5,000) is derived from the production budget.
G.The selling and administrative expense budget
Assume the information as shown to enable the preparation of Royal’s selling and administrative expense budget. This budget lists the budgeted expenses for areas other than manufacturing and it is typically a compilation of many smaller, individual budgets.
1.The first step in preparing this budget is to multiply the variable S, G & A rate by the number of units sold.
2.The second step is to add in the fixed S, G & A expenses to arrive at total S, G & A expenses.
3.The third step is to deduct noncash S, G & A expenses to arrive at cash disbursements for S, G & A expenses.
4.The same steps are followed for the months of May and June to arrive at total cash disbursements for S, G & A expenses for the quarter of $230,000.
H.The cash budget
The format of the cash budget
1.This budget should be broken down into time periods that are as short as feasible. It consists of four major sections:
a. The receipts section lists all cash inflows excluding cash received from financing.
b. The disbursements section consists of all cash payments excluding repayments of principal and interest.
c. The cash excess or deficiency section determines if the company will need to borrow money or if it will be able to repay funds previously borrowed.
d. The financing section details the borrowings and repayments projected to take place during the budget period.
Helpful Hint: The idea that the cash budget should cover time periods as a short as possible should be understood by students with checking accounts. Fluctuations in cash flows can lead to a negative balance during the month even though the balance is positive at both the beginning and end of the month.
Assume the information as shown to enable the preparation of Royal’s cash budget.
1.The first step in preparing this budget is to calculate the total cash available ($210,000).
Notice The cash collections for April ($170,000) come from the schedule of expected cash collections.
2.The second step is to calculate the total cash disbursements ($230,000).
Notice Each cash disbursement, except dividends, comes from a schedule or budget that had already been prepared.
3.The third step is to calculate the excess (deficiency) of cash available over disbursements ($20,000).
4.The fourth step is to determine the financing requirements and the ending cash balance.
Notice:
a. Because Royal maintains a $30,000 cash balance, it must borrow $50,000 on its line-of-credit.
b. The ending cash balance ($30,000) coincides with Royal’s minimum requirement.
c. The ending cash balance for April will carry forward to become the beginning balance for May.
5.These four steps are repeated for the month of May. The result is a $30,000 excess of cash available over disbursements for May.
a. Since Royal must maintain a minimum cash balance of $30,000, it will not repay any of its loan in May.
6.The same four steps are repeated for June. The result is an excess of cash available of $95,000.
a. This excess enables Royal to repay the $50,000 in principal that was borrowed plus interest on the loan of $2,000 ($50,000 × 16% × 3/12).
b. The ending cash balance for the quarter is $43,000.
7.Once the cash budget has been completed, the budgeted income statement can be prepared. The cash budget must be prepared first so that the interest expense can be determined for the budgeted income statement.
I.The budgeted income statementThe numbers for the budgeted income statement come from other budgets that have already been prepared. More specifically:
1.The sale revenue comes from the sales budget.
2.The cost of goods sold, on a per unit basis, comes from the ending finished goods inventory budget.
3.The selling and administrative expenses come from the selling and administrative expenses budget.
4.The interest expense comes from the cash budget.
Helpful Hint: Indicate that, for simplicity, income taxes were not included in these budgets, but taxes must be considered in a company’s budgeting process.
J.The budgeted balance sheetAssume the information as shown to enable the preparation of the budgeted balance sheet.
1.The budgeted balance sheet is prepared as follows:
a. Cash ($43,000) is taken from the ending cash balance of the cash budget.
b. Accounts Receivable ($75,000) is 25% of June’s sales ($300,000).
c. Raw materials inventory ($4,600) is calculated by multiplying the ending inventory of raw material in pounds (11,500) by the cost per pound ($0.40).
d. The finished goods inventory ($24,950) is taken from the ending finished goods inventory budget.
e. Land, equipment, and common stock are all given.
f. Accounts payable ($28,400) is 50% of June’s purchases ($56,800).
g. The ending retained earnings ($336,150) is calculated by adding net income ($239,000) to the beginning retained earnings ($146,150), and then subtracting dividends ($49,000).
