Which of the following is a characteristic of a fixed cost?

A characteristic of a fixed cost is that the total cost remains constant regardless of changes in the level of activity. Fixed costs do not change with the volume of production or sales, meaning that as a business increases or decreases its activity levels, the total amount of fixed costs incurred will remain the same. This is important for businesses as it helps in budgeting and forecasting, as fixed costs provide a stable financial foundation that can be relied upon even when operational output fluctuates.

In contrast, cost per unit for fixed costs does not vary as activity levels change; instead, what does change is the average fixed cost per unit, which is derived by dividing total fixed costs by the number of units produced. This means that as production increases, the average cost per unit decreases, and vice versa. However, the statement in option A clearly captures the core characteristic of fixed costs, making it the correct choice.