Depreciation Methods Explained: Formulas & Examples
A business owner buys a delivery van for $12,000 and pays the full amount from the bank today. Then the accountant says, "We will not show the whole $12,000 as an expense this year." The owner is confused: "But I paid all of it today. Why not record all of it today?"
This is one of the most natural questions in accounting, and the answer is depreciation. The van will help the business earn money for several years, so its cost is shared across those years instead of landing on a single one. This guide explains depreciation methods from zero. You do not need any accounting background. Every new term is explained in plain language first, then shown with numbers.
What Is Depreciation in Simple Words?
Real-life example. Suppose you buy a laptop for your business for $1,200. You expect to use it for 4 years. After that, you think you could sell it for about $200. You did not "lose" $1,200 on day one. The laptop will work for you every day for four years. What the business really "uses up" is the difference between what it paid and what it expects to get back: $1,200 − $200 = $1,000. Spread evenly over 4 years, that is $250 per year.
Accounting meaning. Under IAS 16, the international standard for property, plant and equipment, depreciation is the systematic allocation of the depreciable amount of an asset over its useful life. Two words matter here: allocation and systematic. Depreciation is not a measurement of what the laptop could be sold for today. It is a planned way of dividing cost across the periods that benefit.
Why Do We Need Depreciation?
Why not expense the whole asset immediately? Imagine a factory buys a machine for $50,000 and uses it for five years. If the full $50,000 is charged in Year 1, Year 1 looks like a terrible year, even though the machine also helps produce sales in Years 2 to 5. Those later years would look better than they really are, because they carry no machine cost at all.
Depreciation fixes this by matching cost with the periods that benefit. This idea is closely connected with accrual accounting, where cost is recognised when it is used rather than when cash moves. The result is a profit figure for each year that is fairer and more useful for owners, lenders and managers.
One more point. Depreciation is a cost allocation, not a promise that the asset loses exactly that much market value each year. A well-kept machine may be worth more on the market than its accounting figure, and a badly damaged one may be worth less.
A Simple Real-Life Example of Depreciation
A small business buys office equipment for $10,000. It expects to use it for 5 years and expects to receive $0 when it is finally scrapped.
Conceptually, the business "consumes" $10,000 of usefulness over 5 years. If it treats each year equally, each year carries $10,000 ÷ 5 = $2,000. That is the straight-line idea, and we will study it fully in a moment. After Year 1 the records show $2,000 of depreciation; after Year 2, $4,000 in total; and so on until the full $10,000 has been allocated by the end of Year 5.
The Key Terms You Must Understand First
These terms appear in every depreciation calculation. If you want a broader vocabulary refresher, read basic accounting terms every beginner should know. Then come back here.
Cost of the Asset
Simple meaning: what you paid to get the asset ready to use. Example: a machine priced at $9,000 plus $500 delivery and $500 installation costs $10,000 in total. Accounting meaning: the purchase price plus costs directly needed to bring the asset to its working location and condition (delivery, installation, non-refundable taxes and similar items), less trade discounts.
Useful Life
Simple meaning: how long the business expects to use the asset. Example: a laptop for 4 years. Accounting meaning: the period over which the asset is expected to be available for use, or the number of units of output expected from it. It is an estimate, and it depends on the business's own use, not just the asset's physical life.
Residual Value
Simple meaning: what you expect to get when you finally sell or scrap the asset. Example: $200 for the old laptop. Accounting meaning: the estimated amount the business could obtain from disposing of the asset at the end of its useful life, after deducting expected disposal costs. Many people also call it salvage value or scrap value.
Depreciable Amount
Simple meaning: the part of the cost that will actually be used up. Example: $1,200 − $200 = $1,000.
This is the amount that gets spread over the useful life. The residual value is never depreciated.
Depreciation Expense
Simple meaning: the slice of cost charged to one period, such as one year. Example: $250 for the laptop in Year 1. Accounting meaning: an expense recorded in the income statement for that period.
Accumulated Depreciation
Simple meaning: the running total of all the slices charged so far. Example: after two years, $250 + $250 = $500. Accounting meaning: the total depreciation recorded on the asset since it became available for use. It is shown on the balance sheet as a deduction from the asset's cost. The expense is for one year, while the accumulated figure is for the asset's whole life so far.
Carrying Amount / Book Value
Simple meaning: the asset's remaining cost that has not yet been charged as expense. Example: laptop after two years: $1,200 − $500 = $700.
Important: carrying amount (book value) is an accounting figure. It is not the same as market value, which is what someone would pay for the asset today.
Main Depreciation Methods
Different depreciation methods are designed for different patterns of how an asset's economic benefits are consumed. A delivery van that is used steadily every day is different from a machine that runs for 12 hours in a busy season and sits idle in a slow one.
Under IAS 16, the method chosen should reflect the pattern in which the business expects to consume the asset's future economic benefits. It should not be chosen simply because it produces a nicer profit number. The method (and the useful life and residual value) should be reviewed at least at each financial year-end. The four methods below are the ones beginners meet first.
1. Straight-Line Method
What is it?
Think of a candle burning at a steady speed. Straight-line depreciation charges the same amount every period, as long as the cost, residual value and useful life stay unchanged.
Formula
Complete example
A business buys equipment costing $10,000. Residual value is $1,000. Useful life is 5 years.
- Depreciable amount = $10,000 − $1,000 = $9,000
- Annual depreciation = $9,000 ÷ 5 = $1,800
| Year | Depreciation | Accumulated Depreciation | Carrying Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| At purchase | — | $0 | $10,000 |
| Year 1 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $8,200 |
| Year 2 | $1,800 | $3,600 | $6,400 |
| Year 3 | $1,800 | $5,400 | $4,600 |
| Year 4 | $1,800 | $7,200 | $2,800 |
| Year 5 | $1,800 | $9,000 | $1,000 |
What the table means: the depreciation column stays the same. The accumulated column grows by $1,800 every year until it reaches the $9,000 depreciable amount. The carrying amount falls by $1,800 every year and stops at $1,000, which is exactly the residual value.
2. Reducing Balance Method
Simple idea: think of a new smartphone. It gives you the most value, and loses the most "newness", in the first year or two. Reducing balance depreciation charges more in the early years and less later.
How it works:
- A fixed percentage rate is applied each year.
- The rate is applied to the carrying amount at the start of the year, not to the original cost.
- Because the carrying amount keeps shrinking, the yearly charge keeps shrinking too.
Complete example
A delivery motorcycle costs $10,000. The business uses a rate of 30% on the reducing balance.
| Year | Opening Carrying Amount | Depreciation (30%) | Accumulated Depreciation | Closing Carrying Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $10,000.00 | $3,000.00 | $3,000.00 | $7,000.00 |
| Year 2 | $7,000.00 | $2,100.00 | $5,100.00 | $4,900.00 |
| Year 3 | $4,900.00 | $1,470.00 | $6,570.00 | $3,430.00 |
| Year 4 | $3,430.00 | $1,029.00 | $7,599.00 | $2,401.00 |
| Year 5 | $2,401.00 | $720.30 | $8,319.30 | $1,680.70 |
What the table means: Year 1 carries $3,000 while Year 5 carries only $720.30. The carrying amount never reaches zero, because a percentage of a shrinking number never becomes exactly zero.
3. Declining Balance Method
Are "reducing balance" and "declining balance" different? In everyday accounting practice they usually describe the same idea: a percentage applied to the carrying amount, so the charge falls over time. Different textbooks and countries simply prefer different words. IAS 16 calls it the diminishing balance method.
The one specific variant you will often meet is double-declining balance. Here the rate is set as twice the straight-line rate. For a 5-year life, the straight-line rate is 1 ÷ 5 = 20%, so the double-declining rate is 40%.
Example
Cost $10,000, residual value $1,000, useful life 5 years, rate 40%.
| Year | Opening Carrying Amount | Depreciation | Accumulated Depreciation | Closing Carrying Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $10,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 |
| Year 2 | $6,000 | $2,400 | $6,400 | $3,600 |
| Year 3 | $3,600 | $1,440 | $7,840 | $2,160 |
| Year 4 | $2,160 | $864 | $8,704 | $1,296 |
| Year 5 | $1,296 | $296 (limited) | $9,000 | $1,000 |
Why is Year 5 limited? 40% of $1,296 would be $518.40. But that would push the carrying amount to $777.60, below the $1,000 residual value. So only $296 is charged. This is how we make sure depreciation never goes beyond the depreciable amount of $9,000.
4. Units of Production Method
Simple idea: a car's tyres wear by kilometres driven, not by calendar days. Some assets are the same. A machine that runs for 3,000 hours in a busy year wears more than one that runs 500 hours. This method ties depreciation to actual use.
Depreciation for the Period = Depreciation per Unit × Units Produced in the Period
Machine example
A factory machine costs $50,000. Residual value is $5,000. It is expected to produce 90,000 units in its life.
- Depreciable amount = $50,000 − $5,000 = $45,000
- Depreciation per unit = $45,000 ÷ 90,000 = $0.50
- If the machine produces 10,000 units this year: 10,000 × $0.50 = $5,000
| Year | Units Produced | Depreciation | Accumulated Depreciation | Carrying Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 10,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $45,000 |
| Year 2 | 20,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 | $35,000 |
| Year 3 | 12,000 | $6,000 | $21,000 | $29,000 |
What it means: the busy year (Year 2) gets a higher charge, and a quiet year gets a lower one. This makes sense when output or usage, rather than time, is what really consumes the asset.
5. Sum-of-the-Years'-Digits Method
Simple idea: this is another way to charge more in early years. Instead of a percentage of carrying amount, it uses a set of fractions that shrink each year.
Step 1. Add the digits of the useful life. For 5 years: 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 15.
Step 2. Year 1 uses 5/15, Year 2 uses 4/15, Year 3 uses 3/15, Year 4 uses 2/15 and Year 5 uses 1/15 of the depreciable amount.
Example: cost $10,000, residual value $1,000, life 5 years, so depreciable amount = $9,000.
| Year | Fraction | Depreciation | Accumulated Depreciation | Carrying Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5/15 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $7,000 |
| Year 2 | 4/15 | $2,400 | $5,400 | $4,600 |
| Year 3 | 3/15 | $1,800 | $7,200 | $2,800 |
| Year 4 | 2/15 | $1,200 | $8,400 | $1,600 |
| Year 5 | 1/15 | $600 | $9,000 | $1,000 |
Why higher early, lower later? The top fraction (5/15) belongs to the year with the most remaining life, and the fractions then step down. The total is 15/15 = 100% of the depreciable amount, so the carrying amount finishes exactly at the residual value.
Other Depreciation Approaches
Beginners do not need to memorise these, but you should know they exist:
- Component depreciation. If a large asset has parts with very different lives (for example, an aircraft body and its engines), IAS 16 requires the significant parts to be depreciated separately.
- Land. Land normally has an unlimited life and is generally not depreciated, though buildings on it are.
- Revenue-based methods. Depreciating property, plant and equipment based on the revenue it generates is not considered appropriate under IAS 16.
- Depletion. This term is used for natural resources such as minerals and timber.
Straight-line, reducing balance and units of production are the most commonly used methods. Sum-of-the-years'-digits is widely taught, but it is less common in practice, and its use still has to be justified by the pattern of consumption.
Depreciation Methods Compared
| Method | Basic Idea | Depreciation Pattern | Suitable When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight-line | Equal charge each period | Constant | Benefits are used up fairly evenly, such as office furniture |
| Reducing / declining balance | Fixed rate on carrying amount | Higher early, lower later | Benefits are expected to be greater in early years, such as some vehicles and IT equipment |
| Units of production | Charge follows actual output or usage | Varies with use | Usage drives wear, such as production machinery |
| Sum-of-the-years'-digits | Shrinking fractions of the depreciable amount | Higher early, falling by equal steps | An accelerated pattern is justified by how the asset is consumed |
No single method is the best in every situation. The right one depends on how the asset is actually used.
Which Depreciation Method Should You Use?
- Straight-line: when benefits are used fairly evenly. Office desks, shelving and air conditioners often fit here.
- Reducing balance: when the asset gives more benefit in its early years, and repairs or technology change make it less useful later.
- Units of production: when output, kilometres or machine hours drive consumption, such as a bottling machine with seasonal demand.
If you are preparing statutory financial statements, follow the framework your business is required to use (for example, full IFRS, IFRS for SMEs or another local framework) and your written accounting policy. If the method, useful life or residual value later needs to change, that is treated as a change in estimate, not a mistake to correct backwards.
Depreciation vs Amortization
Depreciation is the term normally used for physical assets such as machines, vehicles and furniture. Amortization is the term normally used for intangible assets, such as software licences, patents or trademarks, which have no physical form. The rules for these come from different standards (IAS 16 for property, plant and equipment; IAS 38 for intangible assets), and some intangible assets, such as those with an indefinite life, are not amortised at all. So do not rely only on "tangible vs intangible". Check the asset and the standard that applies.
Depreciation vs Accumulated Depreciation
| Depreciation Expense | Accumulated Depreciation |
|---|---|
| Current-period expense | Total depreciation accumulated to date |
| Affects current-period profit | Contra-asset balance on the balance sheet |
| Recognised for a period, then starts fresh next period | Builds up over multiple periods |
With numbers: take the straight-line asset from earlier ($10,000 cost, $1,800 per year). At the end of Year 3, the depreciation expense for Year 3 is $1,800. The accumulated depreciation to date is $5,400. The carrying amount is $10,000 − $5,400 = $4,600. The expense account is reset when the books are closed at year-end (see closing entries in accounting), but accumulated depreciation is carried forward.
Does Depreciation Reduce Cash?
The cash left the business when the asset was bought. Depreciation only spreads that earlier cost over the years of use. The timeline looks like this:
Purchase → Cash Payment → Asset Recorded → Depreciation Over Useful Life
For example, you pay $1,200 for a laptop in January. Your bank balance falls by $1,200 that month. In later years, you record $250 depreciation each year, and your bank balance does not fall by $250 each time. Businesses still need to plan cash for eventually replacing the asset, but that is a separate matter from the depreciation entry.
How Depreciation Affects Profit
Here is a small income statement for one year. (To learn how this statement is built, read profit and loss statement basics.)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $50,000 |
| Less: Cash expenses (salaries, rent, utilities) | ($30,000) |
| Less: Depreciation expense | ($1,800) |
| Profit | $18,200 |
Without depreciation, profit would appear as $20,000. With it, profit is $18,200, because part of the equipment's cost is fairly charged to this year. If we assume all revenue was received and all listed expenses were paid in cash, the cash generated is still $20,000. Depreciation lowered profit but did not lower cash.
How Depreciation Affects the Balance Sheet
The balance sheet is a snapshot of what a business owns and owes on a given date. It shows the asset at cost and its accumulated depreciation separately, so readers can see both how much was paid and how much has been used up. (New to this? See balance sheet for beginners.)
Using the $10,000 office equipment with a 5-year life and no residual value, at the end of Year 1:
| Balance Sheet Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Equipment at cost | $10,000 |
| Less: Accumulated depreciation | ($2,000) |
| Carrying amount | $8,000 |
In ordinary language: the business paid $10,000, has used up $2,000 of it so far, and still has $8,000 of cost waiting to be charged in future years. Together, these balance-sheet and income-statement effects are part of the bigger picture in the financial statements overview.
Depreciation Journal Entry
A journal entry is simply a written record of a business event, with two sides that always balance. The left side is called debit and the right side is called credit. If these words are new, first read journal entries for beginners with examples. Depreciation is normally recorded at period-end as an adjusting entry.
Using the straight-line example, where the annual depreciation is $1,800:
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation Expense | $1,800 | |
| Accumulated Depreciation | $1,800 |
Why is the expense debited? In accounting, expenses increase on the debit side. We are recording a new cost for the year.
Why is accumulated depreciation credited? Accumulated depreciation is a contra-asset account: it sits next to the asset and reduces it. Assets increase with debits, so a reduction is recorded with a credit. We credit this separate account instead of reducing the equipment account directly so that the original cost stays visible, alongside how much has been used up. Notice that no cash account appears in the entry.
Complete Depreciation Example From Purchase to Year 5
A company buys a delivery van for $20,000. Residual value is $2,000. Useful life is 5 years, using the straight-line method.
- Purchase: Van recorded at $20,000.
- Depreciable amount: $20,000 − $2,000 = $18,000.
- Annual depreciation: $18,000 ÷ 5 = $3,600.
| Year | Depreciation | Accumulated Depreciation | Carrying Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| At purchase | — | $0 | $20,000 |
| Year 1 | $3,600 | $3,600 | $16,400 |
| Year 2 | $3,600 | $7,200 | $12,800 |
| Year 3 | $3,600 | $10,800 | $9,200 |
| Year 4 | $3,600 | $14,400 | $5,600 |
| Year 5 | $3,600 | $18,000 | $2,000 |
Final check: total accumulated depreciation is $18,000, which equals the depreciable amount. The final carrying amount is $2,000, which equals the residual value. Each year's journal entry is Dr Depreciation Expense $3,600 and Cr Accumulated Depreciation $3,600.
What Happens When an Asset Is Fully Depreciated?
- It does not mean the asset is worthless. A well-maintained van can keep running after its books say it is fully depreciated.
- Depreciation stops, because the depreciable amount is used up. Charging more would push the carrying amount below the residual value.
- The asset stays on the books (cost and accumulated depreciation) until it is sold, scrapped or otherwise disposed of. Disposal is a separate accounting event.
- If the asset is still productive, the business should review whether its useful life estimate was too short.
What Happens When an Asset Is Sold?
When an asset is sold, compare the money received with the carrying amount at that moment.
Take the delivery van from the complete example. After Year 3, its carrying amount is $9,200.
| Sale Price | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $10,000 − $9,200 | Gain of $800 |
| $8,000 | $8,000 − $9,200 | Loss of $1,200 |
The gain or loss is reported in profit or loss. It is different from depreciation, which happens during ownership.
Common Mistakes People Make About Depreciation
- Thinking cash is paid every year. Depreciation is generally non-cash. The payment happened at purchase.
- Confusing depreciation with accumulated depreciation. One is a yearly expense, the other is the running total.
- Ignoring residual value. Under straight-line and similar methods, depreciate only cost minus residual value.
- Using the wrong useful life. Base it on how long your business expects to use the asset, not simply a number copied from somewhere else.
- Applying reducing balance to the wrong base. The rate applies to the opening carrying amount, not the original cost every year.
- Continuing depreciation beyond the depreciable amount. Stop when the carrying amount reaches residual value.
- Confusing accounting depreciation with tax depreciation. They follow different rules and can produce different figures.
- Assuming every asset uses straight-line. It is common, but it is not automatic. The method should reflect how benefits are consumed.
- Forgetting partial-year depreciation. An asset bought mid-year has not been in use for the whole year.
- Assuming book value equals market value. Book value is an accounting figure and can be well above or below what the asset could sell for.
Depreciation and Partial-Year Purchases
If you buy a machine on 1 April and your financial year ends on 31 December, the machine has been available for only nine months of that year. Charging a full year would overstate that year's cost. Depreciation generally starts when the asset is available for use, so the first-year charge is normally adjusted to reflect the period of use.
How exactly you do this depends on your accounting policy. For illustration only, if a business's policy is to charge depreciation by full months, a machine with annual depreciation of $1,800 would carry 9 ÷ 12 × $1,800 = $1,350 in its first year. Other businesses use a different convention, so always follow your stated policy and apply it consistently.
Depreciation and Asset Improvements
Repairs and maintenance keep an asset working as expected, such as an oil change or replacing a worn tyre. These are normally expensed in the period they are incurred.
Capital improvements add to the asset or replace a significant part, for example fitting a new engine that extends the van's useful life. Such costs may be added to the asset's cost and depreciated. Whether a particular cost is capitalised depends on the facts and the applicable accounting standard, so judgement is required.
Accounting Depreciation vs Tax Depreciation
Think of it as two different rulebooks for the same asset. One rulebook tells you how to show the asset in your financial statements. The other tells you how much deduction is allowed when calculating taxable income.
| Accounting Depreciation | Tax Depreciation |
|---|---|
| Used for financial reporting | Used for calculating tax |
| Based on the accounting framework and company policies | Based on tax law |
| Useful life and method follow the relevant accounting rules and expected pattern of use | Tax rules may prescribe different rates, methods or timing |
Because of this, a business's accounting profit and taxable profit can differ. This article does not give tax rates. For your country, check the current law and guidance from your tax authority (in Pakistan, the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 and FBR guidance) or consult a qualified tax adviser.
Depreciation Methods Quick Cheat Sheet
| Method | Formula / Concept | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Straight-line | (Cost − Residual) ÷ Useful life | Equal every year |
| Reducing balance | Opening carrying amount × Rate | Falls every year |
| Units of production | ((Cost − Residual) ÷ Total units) × Units used | Follows usage |
| Sum-of-the-years'-digits | (Remaining life ÷ Sum of digits) × Depreciable amount | Falls by equal steps |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is depreciation in simple words?
Depreciation is the way a business spreads the cost of a long-lasting asset, such as a laptop or machine, over the years it is used instead of treating the whole cost as an expense on the day of purchase.
2. Why do businesses calculate depreciation?
To match the cost of an asset with the periods that benefit from using it, so profit for each period is fairer and financial statements are more meaningful.
3. What are the main depreciation methods?
The commonly taught methods are straight-line, reducing (declining) balance, units of production and sum-of-the-years-digits.
4. What is the straight-line depreciation formula?
Annual depreciation = (Cost - Residual value) / Useful life. For example, ($10,000 - $1,000) / 5 = $1,800 per year.
5. What is reducing balance depreciation?
Reducing balance applies a fixed percentage to the asset's carrying amount at the start of each period, so the depreciation charge is higher in early years and smaller later.
6. What is units of production depreciation?
Units of production depreciation is based on actual usage or output. Depreciation per unit = (Cost - Residual value) / Total expected units, multiplied by the units produced in the period.
7. What is residual value?
Residual value is the amount a business expects to receive from disposing of the asset at the end of its useful life, after deducting estimated disposal costs.
8. What is accumulated depreciation?
Accumulated depreciation is the total depreciation recorded on an asset from the date it became available for use up to the reporting date. It is shown as a deduction from the asset's cost on the balance sheet.
9. Does depreciation reduce cash?
No. Depreciation is generally a non-cash expense. The cash was paid when the asset was bought, and depreciation only spreads that cost across the years of use.
10. Does depreciation reduce profit?
Yes. Depreciation is an expense, so it reduces accounting profit for the period even though no cash is paid out in that period because of it.
11. Does depreciation reduce the value of an asset?
It reduces the asset's carrying amount in the accounting records, but carrying amount is not the same as market value. An asset's market value can be higher or lower.
12. What is the difference between depreciation and amortization?
Both spread cost over time. Depreciation is normally used for physical assets such as machines and vehicles, while amortization is normally used for intangible assets such as software licences or patents. The exact accounting depends on the asset type and the applicable standard.
13. What happens when an asset is fully depreciated?
It means the depreciable amount has been fully charged, so the carrying amount has reached the residual value. Depreciation stops being charged on that asset, but the asset is not automatically disposed of.
14. Can a fully depreciated asset still be used?
Yes. A fully depreciated asset can remain in use. If it is still productive, the business should also review whether its useful life estimate needs updating.
15. Is accounting depreciation the same as tax depreciation?
No, not necessarily. Accounting depreciation follows the financial reporting framework, while tax depreciation follows tax law, so the amounts can differ. Check current tax rules from your tax authority or a qualified tax adviser.
Key Takeaways
- What it means: depreciation is the systematic allocation of an asset's depreciable amount (cost minus residual value) over its useful life.
- Why it is used: it matches the cost of an asset with the periods that benefit from it.
- Main methods: straight-line, reducing (declining) balance, units of production and sum-of-the-years'-digits.
- How they differ: straight-line is even, reducing balance and sum-of-the-years'-digits are higher early, and units of production follows usage. All of them stop at the depreciable amount.
- Why the choice matters: the method should reflect how the asset's benefits are consumed, not which profit figure looks better.
- Depreciation and cash: depreciation reduces profit but is generally non-cash. The cash was spent at purchase.
- Depreciation and accumulated depreciation: one is a single-period expense, the other is the running total. Cost minus accumulated depreciation gives carrying amount.
- Judgement: useful life, residual value and method are estimates that should be reviewed regularly, and tax depreciation may follow different rules.
Reference: the definitions and principles in this article follow IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment (IFRS Foundation). Larger businesses often handle depreciation schedules automatically inside their systems, which you can read more about in this guide to ERP accounting automation. Depreciation also fits into the wider accounting cycle. This article is for education and is not tax or professional advice.
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