When a business buys a long-term asset, it records a portion of the asset's cost as a depreciation expense on the income statement each period to account for wear and tear. With the ...

Accumulated depreciation is the sum of an asset’s depreciation expense. It’s calculated from the start of its use to a specific date. It’s also a contra-asset account. That means it decreases the ...

Over time, the assets a company owns lose value, which is known as depreciation. As the value of these assets declines over time, the depreciated amount is recorded as an expense on the balance sheet.

As a business owner, you need to keep an up-to-date valuation of your business and its assets. One adjustment that you need to make every year is to account for the annual depreciation of your total ...

When teaching depreciation in Introduction to Accounting, faculty always cover a variety of different depreciation methods, including straight-line depreciation. Next time you teach this topic, build ...

Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. Dr. Melody Bell is a personal finance expert ...

Depreciation determines the loss of value of an asset over its useful life. Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take ...

Amortization and depreciation are non-cash expenses on a company's income statement. Depreciation represents the cost of capital assets on the balance sheet being used over time, and amortization is ...

Depreciation is an accounting methodology that allocates the cost of an asset over its expected useful life. Learn more about how depreciation works and how it affects company financials. blackred ...

Assets like equipment, vehicles and furniture lose value as they age. Parts wear out and pieces break, eventually requiring repair or replacement. Depreciation helps companies account for the ...