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The Daily Insight Hub

Is salaries expense an administrative expense?

Author

Daniel Santos

Updated on January 05, 2026

Wages and benefits to certain employees, such as accounting and IT staff, are considered administrative expenses. All executive compensation and benefits are considered an administrative expense. Research and development costs are not considered administrative expenses.

What type of expense is sales commission?

Sales commissions are considered to be operating expenses and are presented on the income statement as SG&A expenses. (SG&A is the acronym for selling, general and administrative expenses.) Sales commissions are not part of the cost of a product.

What is included in selling and administrative expenses?

Selling, General & Administrative expenses (SG&A) include all everyday operating expenses of running a business that are not included in the production of goods or delivery of services. Typical SG&A items include rent, salaries, advertising and marketing expenses and distribution costs.

What are included in administrative expenses?

Typical items listed as general and administrative expenses include:

  • Rent.
  • Utilities.
  • Insurance.
  • Executives wages and benefits.
  • The depreciation on office fixtures and equipment.
  • Legal counsel and accounting staff salaries.
  • Office supplies.

    Is Bad Debts an administrative expense?

    Bad debt expenses are generally classified as a sales and general administrative expense and are found on the income statement. Recognizing bad debts leads to an offsetting reduction to accounts receivable on the balance sheet—though businesses retain the right to collect funds should the circumstances change.

    How do you account for sales commission?

    Write “Sales commissions expense” and the amount of the expense as a line item in the operating expenses section of your income statement at the end of the accounting period. In this example, write “Sales commissions expense $100,000” on your income statement at the end of the year.

    Is rent an administrative or selling expense?

    Rent expense is typically allocated between the selling and administrative, and production portions of the income statement. Alternatively, the entire amount may be charged to the selling and administration part of the income statement.

    Is audit fees an administrative expense?

    Administrative Expenses Examples Here are some examples of administrative expenses: Executive salaries and bonuses. Professional fees, such as legal, consulting, and audit fees.

    Is commission allowed an expense?

    Commissions paid out by a company are an expense. A company may pay a commission to a salesperson who generates revenue for the company by selling its products or services or obtaining clients for it.

    Is sales commission a direct expense?

    Commissions are part of the direct costs that occur when the product is sold, while the salaries that sales reps earn are in the indirect costs of SG&A.

    What falls under selling expenses?

    Selling expenses include sales commissions, advertising, promotional materials distributed, rent of the sales showroom, rent of the sales offices, salaries and fringe benefits of sales personnel, utilities and telephone usage in the sales department, etc.

    Which is not a form of selling expenses?

    Explanation: Office salaries expense would not come under a selling expense.