Friday, October 26, 2018

Difference Between Overheads Allocation And Apportionment

Difference Between Overhead Allocation And Apportionment

The main dissimilarities or difference between allocation of overheads and apportionment of overheads can be described as follows:

1. Meaning

Overheads Allocation: Allotment of entire amount of overhead cost to the specific unit, department or cost center.
Overhead Apportionment: Distribution of overhead costs proportionately to several cost centers or departments.

2. Amount Of Cost

Overheads Allocation: It represents whole amount of overhead cost.
Overheads apportionment: It represents some portion of overhead cost.

3. Basis

Overhead Allocation: Overheads costs assigned on direct basis.
Overheads Apportionment: Costs assigned on proportional basis
difference-between-overhead-allocation-apportionment


4. Applicable

Overheads Allocation: It is applicable if whole overhead cost belongs to single or a specific department or cost center.
Overheads Apportionment: It is applicable in case of different cost centers or units.

Overheads Allocation Vs Apportionment (Comparison Chart)

Basis For Difference

Overheads Allocation
Apportionment
Introduction

Allotment of total overheads to the certain cost center
Distributing the overhead costs to the different cost centers
Represents

Entire overhead costs
Part of overhead costs
Assigned

On direct basis
On proportional basis
Applicable

When total overhead cost is related to a single unit
When total overhead cost belongs to different units

I hope this post is helpful to understand the difference between overhead allocation and overhead apportionment and to make comparison between them.