What is overhead?

• A. Revenue
• B. Gross Profit
• C. Cash Flow
• D. The Operating Expenses of a Business

Answer: (D)

Overhead is the ongoing costs a business incurs to operate that aren’t directly tied to producing a specific product or service. These general, shared expenses keep the business running and include items like rent, utilities, administrative salaries, insurance, depreciation, and office supplies. Because they can’t be traced to a particular product, overhead sits within operating expenses on the income statement. It’s distinct from revenue (money earned from sales) and from gross profit (revenue minus direct production costs). Cash flow tracks actual cash movements, while overhead represents costs that reduce profit over time. So overhead is best described as the operating expenses of a business.