Economic Profit vs. Accounting Profit: Key Differences Explained

📚 What is Accounting Profit?

Accounting profit is what most people think of as 'profit'. It's the revenue a company earns minus its explicit costs. Explicit costs are the direct, out-of-pocket expenses a business incurs, like wages, rent, and materials.

• 💰 Revenue: The total income generated from sales.
• 🧾 Explicit Costs: Actual cash outflows (e.g., salaries, rent, utilities).
• 🔢 Formula: Accounting Profit = Total Revenue - Explicit Costs

💡 What is Economic Profit?

Economic profit takes accounting profit a step further by also considering implicit costs. Implicit costs are the opportunity costs of using resources that the company already owns. This includes the potential income that could have been earned if those resources were used in their next best alternative. It's also worth noting that economic profit can be negative even if the company is turning an accounting profit.

• ⏳ Opportunity Cost: The value of the next best alternative forgone.
• 🏢 Implicit Costs: Non-cash expenses representing forgone opportunities.
• ➗ Formula: Economic Profit = Total Revenue - Explicit Costs - Implicit Costs or Economic Profit = Accounting Profit - Implicit Costs

📊 Economic Profit vs. Accounting Profit: The Key Differences

Let's compare these two concepts side-by-side in a table:

🔑 Key Takeaways

• 🎯 Accounting Profit focuses on easily quantifiable, out-of-pocket expenses.
• 🤔 Economic Profit gives a more complete picture of profitability by including the opportunity costs of a company's resources.
• 💼 Understanding both is crucial for smart business decisions and a comprehensive view of financial health.