What does it mean to report expenses by function?

To report expenses by function means to report them according to the activity for which the expenses were incurred.

For a business, the reporting of expenses by function means the income statement will report expenses according to the following functional classifications: manufacturing, selling, general administrative, and financing.

For a not-for-profit organization, the reporting of expenses by function means the statement of activities will report expenses according to the following functional classifications: 1) each of its major programs, and 2) the supporting services which are a) management and general, b) fund-raising, and c) membership development.

(Classifying expenses according to salaries, electricity, repairs, etc. is referred to as natural classifications, or classifyng expenses by their nature.)

About the Author: Harold Averkamp (CPA) has worked as an accountant, consultant, and university accounting instructor for more than 25 years.

He is the author of the 2010 Master Accounting Download Package which has been praised for it's ability to simplify accounting in a way that anybody can understand.

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