first in, first out

accounting

Also known as: FIFO

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June 26, 2026

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FIFO stands for "first in, first out". This is an accounting method used to value inventory. In this system, the oldest inventory items are assumed to be sold first. This means that the cost of goods sold is based on the cost of the earliest purchased items, while the remaining inventory is valued at the cost of the most recently acquired items. This contrasts with LIFO (last-in, first-out), where the newest inventory items are assumed to be sold first.123

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accounting
Cost of goods sold
…main inventory costing methods: (1) first-in, first-out (FIFO), (2) last-in, first-out (LIFO), or (3) average cost. The LIFO method is widely used in the United States, where it is also an acceptable costing method for income tax purposes; companies in most other countries measure inventory cost and the cost of…
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…main inventory costing methods: (1) first-in, first-out (FIFO), (2) last-in, first-out (LIFO), or (3) average cost. The LIFO method is widely used in the United States, where it is also an acceptable costing method for income tax purposes; companies in most other countries measure inventory cost and the cost of…
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logistics
Inventories
…is referred to as the FIFO (first in–first out) system. Storage and selling racks are often arranged so that the oldest item moves out first. Rotation is especially important in the food industry, where many items are perishable, and even packaged goods have expiration or “pull” dates on them because…
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…is referred to as the FIFO (first in–first out) system. Storage and selling racks are often arranged so that the oldest item moves out first. Rotation is especially important in the food industry, where many items are perishable, and even packaged goods have expiration or “pull” dates on them because…
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capital and interest
Heterogeneous goods
…the more conventional “FIFO” (First In, First Out) system, inventory is valued at the cost (purchase price) of the latest purchases. This leads to an inflation of inventory values, and therefore of accounting profits, in time of rising prices (and a corresponding deflation under falling prices), which may be…
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…the more conventional “FIFO” (First In, First Out) system, inventory is valued at the cost (purchase price) of the latest purchases. This leads to an inflation of inventory values, and therefore of accounting profits, in time of rising prices (and a corresponding deflation under falling prices), which may be…
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inventory
…average cost; first-in, first-out (FIFO), which assigns the cost of the last units purchased to the inventory and the cost of the first units purchased to the goods that were sold; and last-in, first-out (LIFO), in which the reverse pattern is followed. (See accounting.)
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…average cost; first-in, first-out (FIFO), which assigns the cost of the last units purchased to the inventory and the cost of the first units purchased to the goods that were sold; and last-in, first-out (LIFO), in which the reverse pattern is followed. (See accounting.)
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