Which of the following is not typically classified as a direct cost?

Direct costs are expenses that can be directly traced to a specific cost object, such as a product, project, or department. This classification is essential in management accounting as it helps businesses determine the true cost of producing goods or services.

Utilities for the manufacturing facility are generally considered indirect costs because they cannot be traced directly to a specific product. Instead, utilities are incurred as part of the overhead necessary to operate the facility as a whole, regardless of the number of products produced. This means that while utilities are essential for the production environment, they do not specifically relate to one product or another, making them an indirect cost.

In contrast, raw materials, labor assigned to a project, and manufacturing supplies related to a product are all costs that can be directly attributed to the production of a specific item or service. Raw materials are the essential components used in manufacturing a product, labor is the personnel directly working on that product, and manufacturing supplies are items consumed in the production of a product. Each of these can be traced specifically to a product and therefore classified as direct costs.