When using absorption costing when production is greater than sales, a portion of fixed overhead is allocated to the products sold.
What happens when production is greater than sales?
Because it allocates fixed overhead expenses to each unit of a product produced throughout the time, absorption costing differs from variable costing.
Net income recorded under absorption costing will be higher than net income reported under variable costing when production exceeds sales. Closing stocks rise under absorption costs as output outpaces sales.
When output exceeds the number of units sold, absorption costing allocates fixed overhead to the items sold, resulting in net income that is higher than that determined by variable costing.
The operating income under absorption costing is higher when production outpaces sales, i.e. when final inventory exceeds beginning inventory.