Car Depreciation Calculator

Depreciation

Conceptually, depreciation is the reduction in the value of an asset over time due to elements such as wear and tear. For instance, a widget-making machine is said to “depreciate” when it produces fewer widgets one year compared to the year before it, or a car is said to “depreciate” in value after a fender bender or the discovery of a faulty transmission.

For accounting, in particular, depreciation concerns allocating the cost of an asset over a period of time, usually its useful life. When a company purchases an asset, such as a piece of equipment, such large purchases can skewer the income statement confusingly. Instead of appearing as a sharp jump in the accounting books, this can be smoothed by expensing the asset over its useful life. Within a business in the U.S., depreciation expenses are tax-deductible.

Methods of Depreciation

There are many methods of distributing depreciation amount over its useful life. The following are some of the widely used methods. The total amount of depreciation for any asset will be identical in the end no matter which method of depreciation is chosen; only the timing of depreciation will be altered. Keep in mind that accelerated depreciation methods (such as declining balance or sum of the years’ digits) can artificially reduce profit in the near term, followed by higher profits in later terms, which can influence reported cash flows.

Straight-Line Depreciation Method

Straight-line depreciation is the most widely used and simplest method. It is a method of distributing the cost evenly across the useful life of the asset. The following is the formula: