by Cost recovery is a method of accounting in which businesses gain back the initial costs that they incur on certain investments or expenditures. This can be done through a variety of ways. For example, some companies use depreciation to reduce the taxes that they pay on capital assets. This can result in higher profits for the company. Another common way of recovering business expenses is through the cost-of-goods-sold (COGS) method. This is a form of accrual accounting that recognizes revenue when the cost element of the sales transaction has been collected from customers in cash.
In some cases, it is difficult to guarantee that a business will be paid in full for a project. This is when the cost recovery method becomes especially useful. This type of accounting method allows a company to recognize profit and defer taxes in these uncertain situations.
The first step to using the cost recovery method is assessing the total amount of expense that has been incurred for completing a project. This can include labor, materials, and any other expenses that may have been incurred in the process of completing the project. The next step is to determine the total amount of revenue that has been received by the company from the project. This can be in the form of a lump sum payment or in installments that have been spread out over time. Once this information is known, the final step is to subtract the cost of the project from the total revenue to quantify the profits that have been realized by the company.
Expense Recovery Ratios
An expense recovery ratio is a measure of how much a project has paid for itself. It can be a percentage or a dollar amount per month, six months, year, or other period of time. The higher the expense recovery ratio, the more successful a project has been. It can also be compared to the break even point, which is when revenues surpass expenses.
EPA uses an accounting system to track the amount of money that it is owed by PRPs and to calculate the prejudgement interest that is accrued over time. EPA sends PRPs demand letters to request that they reimburse the agency for costs related to the cleanup activities, and, if they fail to do so or cannot reach a satisfactory agreement with EPA, EPA may file a lawsuit against them to recover its costs.
In addition, if the extension program has been funded by non-appropriated funds such as from a foundation or other private sources, these dollars must be recovered from outside of the department. In these cases, an external cost recovery charge is recorded in the fiscal period when the goods are received or services are rendered.
