Depreciation Methods

Depreciation modes Depreciation is the accounting put to work of allocating the cost of tangible summations to expense in a systematic and rational manner to those periods expected to attain from the use of the plus. Factors Involved in the Depreciation Process 1. What depreciable base is to be employ for the asset? 2. What is the assets useful demeanor? 3. What order of cost apportionment is best for the asset? Depreciable Base for the addition The base established for depreciation is a function of two factors the original cost, and the salvage or governing entertain.Salvage value is the estimated amount that the party will receive when it sell the asset or removes it from service. It is the amount to which the company writes down or depreciates the asset during its useful life. Example An asset is purchased for $10,000. The company believes that it has a salvage value of $1,000. Original cost $10,000 Less Salvage value 1,000 Depreciation base$ 9,000 Methods of Depreciat ion The accounting occupation requires that the depreciation method employed be systematic and rational. The following are examples of depreciation methods 1. Activity method (units of use or production) . Straight-line method 3. Decreasing charge methods (accele located) a. Sum-of-the-years digits b. Declining-balance method The following information will be used to illustrate each of the above methods Stanley Coal Mines recently purchased an additional crane for digging purposes. monetary value of crane$500,000 Estimated useful life5 years Estimated salvage value$50,000 Productive life in hours30,000 hours Activity Method The activity method (also called the variable-charge or units-of-production approach) assumes that depreciation is a function of use or productivity, instead of the course of time.A company considers the life of the asset in terms of either the output if provides (units it produces), or an input peak such as number of hours it works. The crane Stanley purchas ed poses no particular depreciation problem. Stanley can measure the employ (hours) relatively easily. If Stanley uses the crane for 4,000 hours the first year, the depreciation charge is (Cost slight salvage value) X hours this year kernel estimated hours ($500,000 $50,000) X 4,000 30,000 = $60,000 Straight-Line MethodThe straight-line method considers depreciation a function of time rather than a function of usage. Companies wide use this method because of its simplicity. The straight-line procedure is often the most conceptually appropriate, too. Stanley computes the depreciation charge for the crane as follows Cost less salvage Estimated service life $500,000-$50,000 5 =$90,000 Sum-of-the-Years-Digits The sum-of-the-years-digits method results in a change magnitude depreciation charge based on a decreasing fraction of depreciable cost (original cost less salvage value).Each fraction uses the sum of the years as a denominator (5+4+3+2+1=15). The numerator is the number of ye ars of estimated life remaining as of the beginning of the year. In this method, the numerator decreases year by year, and the denominator cadaver constant. At the end of the useful life, the balance remaining should equal the salvage value. YearDepreciation BaseRemaining life in yearsDepreciation FractionDepreciation ExpenseBook Value, end up of Year 1$450,00055/15$150,000$350,000 2$450,00044/15$120,000$230,000 3$450,00033/15$90,000$140,000 4$450,00022/15$60,000$80,000 $450,00011/15$30,000$50,000 Totals1515/15$450,000 For assets that have a long life span, the following formula can be used to determine the denominator n(n+1) 2 For example, if an asset has a useful life of 51 years, you would calculate the denominator 51(51+1) 2 =1,326 YearDepreciation BaseRemaining life in yearsDepreciation FractionDepreciation ExpenseBook Value, End of Year 1$450,0005151/1,326$17,308$482,692 2$450,0005050/1,326$16,968$465,724 3$450,0004949/1,326$16,629$449,095 4$450,0004848/1,326$16,290$432,805 5$450,0004747/1,326$15,950$416,855 EtcDeclining-Balance Method The declining-balance method utilizes a depreciation rate (expressed as a percentage) that is some multiple of the straight-line method. For example, the double-declining rate for a 10-year asset is 20 percent (double the straight-line rate, which is 1/10 or 10 percent). Unlike other methods, the declining-balance method does non deduct the salvage value in computing the depreciation base. For example, if Stanley chose to use the double-declining-balance method, the crane would depreciate at twice the rate of the straight-line rate.See below YearBook Value of Asset First YearRate on Declining Balance (a)Depreciation ExpenseBalance accumulate DepreciationBook Value, End of Year 1$500,00040%$200,000$200,000$300,000 2$300,00040%$120,000$320,000$180,000 3$180,00040%$72,000$392,000$108,000 4$108,00040%$43,200$435,000$64,800 5$64,80040%$14,800 (b)$450,000$50,000 (a)Based on twice the straight-line rate of 20% ($90,000/$450,0 00 = 20% 20% X 2 = 40%) (b)Limited to $14,800 because the book value should not be less than the salvage value.