Which of the following best defines indirect costs?

Indirect costs are best defined as costs that cannot be directly traced to a specific product or service. This means that these costs are incurred for overall production or business operations and benefit multiple products or services instead of solely one. Indirect costs include expenses such as utilities, rent, administrative salaries, and other general office expenses that support the entire production process but do not specifically belong to a particular item being produced.

In the context of management accounting, understanding indirect costs is critical for determining the total cost of production and for pricing strategies. Accurate allocation of indirect costs to products is essential for calculating profitability and setting prices effectively.

The other options mention concepts related to costs but do not accurately capture the essence of indirect costs. For instance, some costs could be fixed and not change with production volume, but that doesn't necessarily make them indirect, as some fixed costs can be directly tied to specific outputs. Additionally, costs directly associated with revenue generation are typically considered direct costs because they can be directly linked to the production of a specific good or service.