| Definition/Meaning | Word/Phrase |
|---|
| tax levied on the difference between a commodity's price before taxes and its cost of production |
ad valorem tax
,
value-added tax
,
VAT
|
| reduction of the value of an asset by prorating its cost over a period of years |
amortisation
,
amortization
|
| total cost for all units bought (or produced) divided by the number of units |
average cost
|
| industrial process for making steel using a Bessemer converter to blast air through molten iron and thus burning the excess carbon and impurities; the first successful method of making steel in quantity at low cost |
Bessemer process
|
| value at which an asset is carried on a balance sheet; equals cost minus accumulated depreciation |
book value
|
| increase in cost |
boost
,
cost increase
,
hike
,
rise
|
| cost of borrowing something |
borrowing cost
|
| expense of maintaining property (e.g., paying property taxes and utilities and insurance); it does not include depreciation or the cost of financing or income taxes |
budget items
,
operating cost
,
operating expense
,
overhead
|
| lunch (usually at a restaurant) where business is discussed and the cost is charged as a business expense |
business lunch
|
| opportunity cost of the funds employed as the result of an investment decision; the rate of return that a business could earn if it chose another investment with equivalent risk |
capital cost
,
cost of capital
|
| cost of long-term improvements |
capital expenditure
|
| opportunity cost of unproductive assets; the expense incurred by ownership |
carrying charge
,
carrying cost
|
| index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer |
consumer price index
,
cost-of-living index
,
CPI
|
| average cost of basic necessities of life (as food and shelter and clothing) |
cost of living
|
| excess of cost over budget |
cost overrun
|
| analysis of the cost effectiveness of different alternatives in order to see whether the benefits outweigh the costs |
cost-benefit analysis
|
| contract in which the contractor is paid his total cost plus a stated percentage of profit |
cost-plus contract
|
| cost accounting |
costing
|
| card (usually plastic) that enables the holder to withdraw money or to have the cost of purchases charged directly to the holder's bank account |
debit card
|
| bear the cost |
defray
|
