Generate year-by-year asset depreciation schedules instantly
Asset Details
Summary
Asset Cost
$50,000.00
Salvage Value
$5,000.00
Total Depreciation
$45,000.00
Annual Depreciation
$4,500.00
Formula: ($50,000.00 − $5,000.00) ÷ 10 years = $4,500.00 / year
Depreciation Schedule
| Year | Opening Value | Depreciation | Accumulated | Closing Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $50,000.00 | $4,500.00 | $4,500.00 | $45,500.00 |
| 2 | $45,500.00 | $4,500.00 | $9,000.00 | $41,000.00 |
| 3 | $41,000.00 | $4,500.00 | $13,500.00 | $36,500.00 |
| 4 | $36,500.00 | $4,500.00 | $18,000.00 | $32,000.00 |
| 5 | $32,000.00 | $4,500.00 | $22,500.00 | $27,500.00 |
| 6 | $27,500.00 | $4,500.00 | $27,000.00 | $23,000.00 |
| 7 | $23,000.00 | $4,500.00 | $31,500.00 | $18,500.00 |
| 8 | $18,500.00 | $4,500.00 | $36,000.00 | $14,000.00 |
| 9 | $14,000.00 | $4,500.00 | $40,500.00 | $9,500.00 |
| 10 | $9,500.00 | $4,500.00 | $45,000.00 | $5,000.00 |
| Total | $45,000.00 | $45,000.00 | $5,000.00 | |
Method Comparison
Straight-Line (SL)
Spreads the depreciable cost evenly across the asset's useful life. Simple, predictable, and preferred for assets with uniform usage (e.g. office furniture, buildings).
Declining Balance (DB)
Front-loads depreciation — higher expense in early years, lower later. Best for assets that lose value quickly (e.g. computers, vehicles). Double-Declining (2×) is the most common variant.
A depreciation calculator helps businesses and accountants spread the cost of a fixed asset over its useful life for tax and financial reporting purposes. Choose between the straight-line method — which applies an equal expense every year — or declining-balance depreciation, which front-loads expenses in early years. Enter your asset cost, salvage value, and useful life to get a complete schedule instantly.
Straight-line depreciation deducts the same fixed amount every year: (Cost − Salvage Value) ÷ Useful Life. Declining-balance depreciation applies a fixed percentage to the remaining book value each year, resulting in larger deductions early in the asset's life and smaller ones later. Double-declining balance (2×) is the most widely used variant.
Salvage value — also called residual value or scrap value — is the estimated worth of an asset at the end of its useful life. It reduces the total depreciable amount: only the difference between original cost and salvage value is depreciated.
Use declining balance for assets that lose value quickly or become obsolete early — like computers, vehicles, or machinery. Straight-line is simpler and better suited for assets with steady, predictable use, such as buildings, furniture, or long-term equipment.
In standard double-declining balance accounting, you switch from the DB method to straight-line in the year that straight-line depreciation (on the remaining depreciable value) yields a higher deduction than DB. This calculator handles that switch automatically, so the asset fully depreciates to its salvage value.