COST AUDIT

According to Rule 4 of the Companies (Cost Record and Audit) Rules 2014, cost audit shall be applicable –

• Every company engaged in a strategic industry and covered under sub-clause (b) of clause (A) of rule 3 shall be required to get its cost records audited in accordance with these rules.
• In the case of a multi-product or a multi services company specified in sub-clause (b) of clause (B) and sub-clause (b) of clause (C) of rule 3, the requirement for cost audit shall apply to a product or a service for which the individual turnover (from such specific product or such specific service) is rupees one hundred crore or more;
• In the case of a company producing any one specific product or service specified in sub-clause (b) of clause (B) and sub-clause (b) of clause (C) of rule 3, the requirement for cost audit shall apply if the net worth of the company is rupees five hundred crore or more or the turnover from such product or such service is rupees one hundred crore or more.
• In the case of a company engaged in medical products or devices referred to in sub-clause (b) of clause (D) of rule 3, —
  1. which has multiple products or devices (i.e. a company producing, importing and supplying or trading in more than one medical device or product), the requirement for cost audit shall apply to a medical device or product for which the individual turnover (from such specific medical device or product) is rupees ten crore or more, or one third of the turnover, whichever is less;
  2. which has only one product or device (i.e. a company producing, importing and supplying or trading one medical device or product), the requirement for cost audit shall apply if the net worth of the company is rupees one hundred fifty crores or more or the turnover is rupees twenty five crores or more.

Maintenance of records [Rule 5]

Every company under these rules including all units and branches thereof, shall, in respect of each of its financial year commencing on or after the 1st day of April, 2014, maintain cost records in form CRA – 1.

The cost records referred to in sub-rule (1) shall be maintained on regular basis in such manner as to facilitate calculation of per unit cost of production or cost of operations, cost of sales and margin for each of its products and activities for every financial year on monthly or quarterly or half-yearly or annual basis.

The cost records shall be maintained in such manner so as to enable the company to exercise, as far as possible, control over the various operations and costs to achieve optimum economies in utilisation of resources and these records shall also provide necessary data which is required to be furnished under these rules.

Cost audit [Rule 6]

The category of companies specified in rule 3 and the thresholds limits laid down in rule 4, shall within one hundred and eighty days of the commencement of every financial year, appoint a cost auditor.

Every such company shall inform the cost auditor concerned of his or its appointment as such and file a notice of such appointment with the Central Government within a period of thirty days of the Board meeting in which such appointment is made or within a period of one hundred and eighty days of the commencement of the financial year, whichever is earlier, through electronic mode, in form CRA – 2, along with the fee as specified in Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014.

Every cost auditor appointed as such shall continue in such capacity till the expiry of one hundred and eighty days from the closure of the financial year or till he submits the cost audit report, for the financial year for which he has been appointed.

Every cost auditor, who conducts an audit of the cost records of a company, shall submit the cost audit report along with his or its reservations or qualifications or observations or suggestions, if any, in form CRA – 3.

Every cost auditor shall forward his report to the Board of Directors of the company within a period of one hundred and eighty days from the closure of the financial year to which the report relates and the Board of Directors shall consider and examine such report particularly any reservation or qualification contained therein.

Every company covered under these rules shall, within a period of thirty days from the date of receipt of a copy of the cost audit report, furnish the Central Government with such report along with full information and explanation on every reservation or qualification contained therein, in form CRA-4 along with fees specified in the Companies (Registration Offices and Fees) Rules, 2014.

The provisions of sub-section (12) of section 143 of the Act and the relevant rules made thereunder shall apply mutatis mutandis to a cost auditor during performance of his functions under section 148 of the Act and these rules.