cost object

{{Short description|Something to which costs are assigned}}

{{Original research|date=January 2008}}

A cost object is a term used primarily in cost accounting to describe something to which costs are assigned.{{Cite web |date=1 November 2023 |title=Cost object definition |url=https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/what-is-a-cost-object.html |access-date=1 February 2024 |website=AccountingTools}} Common examples of cost objects are product lines, geographic territories, customers, departments or anything else for which management would like to quantify cost.{{Cite web |last=Averkamp |first=Harold |title=Cost object definition |url=https://www.accountingcoach.com/terms/C/cost-object |access-date=1 February 2024 |website=AccountingCoach}}

The use of cost objects is common within activity based costing and Grenzplankostenrechnung systems.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}