Which decisions are sunk cost relevant?
James Williams
Updated on February 21, 2026
A sunk cost is not a relevant cost for decision making. Whether a cost is relevant or irrelevant depends on the decision at hand. A cost may be relevant to one decision and that same cost may be irrelevant to another decision. A sunk cost, however, is always an irrelevant cost.
Can sunk costs be relevant?
The cost of the factory lease and machinery are both sunk costs and are not part of the decision-making process. If a sunk cost can be eliminated at some point, it becomes a relevant cost and should be a part of business decisions about future events.
Which of the following costs are relevant in decision making?
If you have two choices, and you choose A instead of B, relevant costs are those costs that will be different from those associated with choice B. These are costs that directly affect cash flow, the money coming in and going out of a business. Relevant costs include differential, avoidable, and opportunity costs.
Which of the following is an example of sunk cost?
A sunk cost refers to a cost that has already occurred and has no potential for recovery in the future. For example, your rent, marketing campaign expenses or money spent on new equipment can be considered sunk costs. A sunk cost can also be referred to as a past cost.
How are sunk costs different from relevant costs?
Sunk costs are in contrast to relevant costs, which are future costs that have yet to be incurred. When making business decisions, organizations only consider relevant costs, which include the future costs still needed to be incurred.
When to consider relevant costs when making business decisions?
When making business decisions, organizations only consider relevant costs, which include the future costs still needed to be incurred. The relevant costs are contrasted with the potential revenue of one choice compared to another.
When is it no longer a sunk cost to close a factory?
To make the decision to close the facility, XYZ Clothing considers the revenue that would be lost if production ends and the costs that are also eliminated. If the factory lease ends in six months, the lease cost is no longer a sunk cost and should be included as an expense that can also be eliminated.
Which is an example of the Sunk Cost Fallacy?
This is known as the sunk cost fallacy which is an error in reasoning that the decision maker should avoid. Essentially, this fallacy states that further investments into a certain activity are justified else the earlier investments in that activity will have been in vain.