Depreciation Entry in Journal

What is Depreciation and Why Should You Care?

Depreciation is just a fancy way of saying that stuff loses value over time. Whether it’s your car, your laptop, or that fancy espresso machine, everything wears out or becomes outdated eventually. In accounting, depreciation helps spread out the cost of an asset over its useful life, making your financial statements more accurate and your tax bills a bit lighter.

Why does this matter? Well, here’s the lowdown:

• It keeps your financial reports honest by matching the cost of an asset with the revenue it helps generate.
• It can save you money on taxes since depreciation is a deductible expense.
• It helps you plan for future expenses by showing the real cost of using your assets.

Want to brush up on the basics of accounting? Check out what is a journal in accounting.

Different Ways to Calculate Depreciation

There are several ways to figure out how much value your stuff is losing. Here are the most common methods:

Straight-Line Method

This is the “keep it simple” method. You spread the cost of the asset evenly over its useful life. The formula is:

[ text{Annual Depreciation} = frac{text{Cost of Asset} – text{Salvage Value}}{text{Useful Life}} ]

This method is straightforward and works well for things that wear out evenly over time. For more examples, check out accounting general journal entries.

Asset Cost	Salvage Value	Useful Life	Annual Depreciation
£10,000	£1,000	5 years	£1,800

Double Declining Balance Method

This method is for those who want to write off more of the asset’s value in the early years. You double the straight-line rate and apply it to the asset’s remaining book value each year.

Depreciation = 2 × Straight-Line Rate × Book Value at Beginning of Year

This is great for assets that lose value quickly.

Year	Book Value	Depreciation Rate	Depreciation Expense	Ending Book Value
1	£10,000	40%	£4,000	£6,000
2	£6,000	40%	£2,400	£3,600

Sum-of-the-Year’s-Digits Method

This method also speeds up depreciation. You calculate a fraction based on the sum of the digits of the asset’s useful life and apply a decreasing fraction each year (Bench).

Depreciation = (Remaining Life of Asset / Sum of the Years’ Digits) × (Cost of Asset – Salvage Value).

For example, if an asset has a useful life of 5 years, the sum of the digits is 15 (5+4+3+2+1).

Year	Fraction	Depreciation Expense
1	5/15	£3,000
2	4/15	£2,400

Units of Production Method

This method bases depreciation on how much you use the asset. Perfect for machinery and equipment. Depreciation is calculated per unit of production or hour of use (Bench).

Depreciation per Unit = (Cost of Asset – Salvage Value) / Total Units of Production

Year	Units Produced	Depreciation Per Unit	Depreciation Expense
1	1,000	£2	£2,000
2	800	£2	£1,600

For more info on journal entries, visit journal entry examples.

Knowing these methods helps you pick the right one for accurate financial reporting and asset management. For more on journal entries, see what are entries in a journal.

How Depreciation Hits Your Financials

Financial Statements Breakdown

Depreciation isn’t just a fancy accounting term; it’s a big deal for your financial statements. When you jot down depreciation, you’re tweaking both the balance sheet and the income statement. You log it as a debit to a depreciation expense account and a credit to a contra asset account called accumulated depreciation (FloQast). This method keeps track of how much your assets are wearing out without messing with the original asset value.

On the balance sheet, accumulated depreciation chops down the book value of an asset. You get the net book value by subtracting accumulated depreciation from the asset’s original cost. Over time, this value drops until it hits the asset’s salvage value.

Asset	Original Cost	Accumulated Depreciation	Net Book Value
Equipment	£10,000	£2,000	£8,000
Vehicle	£15,000	£5,000	£10,000

Depreciation also takes a bite out of the income statement. It shows up as an expense, which lowers your earnings. This can be a good thing come tax time since it reduces taxable income

Depreciation and Cash Flow

Depreciation is a non-cash expense, meaning no actual money leaves your pocket. This is key when looking at cash flow. Depreciation doesn’t hurt your operating cash flow (OCF). Instead, it gets added back into the OCF, helping to boost net income.

Cash Flow Statement Section	Amount
Net Income	£25,000
Add: Depreciation Expense	£3,000
Operating Cash Flow	£28,000

The real cash you spend on buying a fixed asset shows up in the investing cash flow section. Companies need to make separate journal entries for the payments for the fixed asset and account for the lost value of the fixed asset over time through depreciation.

For more details on recording depreciation entries, check out our section on journal entries for depreciation.

Depreciation is a big player in financial accounting, affecting both the balance sheet and income statement while leaving actual cash flow untouched. Knowing these impacts is crucial for accurate financial reporting and analysis. For more info about journal entries, see our accounting general journal entries and journal entries examples.

Journal Entries for Depreciation

Getting the hang of recording depreciation in journal entries is crucial for keeping your financials in check. Depreciation entries show how much value your fixed assets lose over time.

Recording Depreciation Expense

Depreciation expense spreads the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life. This helps match the expense with the revenue the asset brings in. To record depreciation, you debit the depreciation expense account and credit the accumulated depreciation account.

Example:

Imagine a company buys a machine for £10,000. It’s expected to last 10 years with no salvage value. Using the straight-line method, the annual depreciation expense would be £1,000.

Date	Account	Debit (£)	Credit (£)
31/12/2023	Depreciation Expense	1,000
	Accumulated Depreciation		1,000

Accumulated Depreciation Account

The accumulated depreciation account is a contra-asset account on the balance sheet. It shows the total depreciation charged against an asset since it was bought. This way, the asset’s original cost stays in the asset account, while depreciation is tracked separately.

Over time, the balance in the accumulated depreciation account grows, lowering the net book value of the asset. The net book value is the original cost minus accumulated depreciation.

Example:

Continuing with our machine example, after the first year, the accumulated depreciation account will show £1,000. The net book value of the machine will be:

Description	Amount (£)
Original Cost	10,000
Accumulated Depreciation	1,000
Net Book Value	9,000

Depreciation impacts equity because assets minus liabilities equal equity. When assets lose value due to depreciation, it lowers the return on equity for shareholders.

For more on journal entries, check out our articles on journal entry prompts and what is a journal. Dive into specific entries like the accrued income journal entry and the deferred revenue journal entry.

Depreciation Methods

Depreciation in accounting isn’t just about numbers; it’s about understanding how assets lose value over time. Let’s break down four popular ways to handle this: Straight-Line, Double Declining Balance, Sum-of-the-Year’s-Digits, and Units of Production.

Straight-Line Method

The Straight-Line Method is like the vanilla ice cream of depreciation—simple and reliable. You take the cost of an asset, subtract its salvage value, and spread that amount evenly over its useful life. Easy peasy.

Formula:
[ text{Annual Depreciation} = frac{text{Cost of Asset} – text{Salvage Value}}{text{Useful Life}} ]

Asset Cost	Salvage Value	Useful Life (Years)	Annual Depreciation
$10,000	$1,000	5	$1,800

Want to see it in action? Check out journal entry examples.

Double Declining Balance Method

The Double Declining Balance Method is for those who like to front-load their depreciation. You start by depreciating double the amount in the first year compared to the Straight-Line Method, then apply that rate to the remaining book value each year. Perfect for assets that lose value fast.

Formula:
[ text{Annual Depreciation} = 2 times text{Straight-Line Depreciation Rate} times text{Book Value at Beginning of Year} ]

Year	Beginning Book Value	Annual Depreciation Rate	Depreciation Expense	Ending Book Value
1	$10,000	40%	$4,000	$6,000
2	$6,000	40%	$2,400	$3,600

Need more details? Head over to accounting general journal entries.

Sum-of-the-Year’s-Digits Method

The Sum-of-the-Year’s-Digits (SYD) Method is a bit quirky but effective. You add up the digits of the asset’s useful life to get a fraction for each year. This method lets you depreciate more in the early years and less later on.

Formula:
[ text{Annual Depreciation} = frac{text{Remaining Life}}{text{Sum of Years’ Digits}} times (text{Cost of Asset} – text{Salvage Value}) ]

Year	Remaining Life	Sum of Years’ Digits	Depreciation Expense
1	5	15	$3,000
2	4	15	$2,400
3	3	15	$1,800

For more examples, visit provision double entry.

Units of Production Method

The Units of Production Method is all about how much work an asset does. Ideal for machinery or equipment, this method calculates depreciation based on the units produced. Once all units are accounted for, depreciation is done.

Formula:
[ text{Depreciation Expense} = frac{text{Total Cost} – text{Salvage Value}}{text{Total Units Produced}} times text{Units Produced in Period} ]

Total Cost	Salvage Value	Total Units	Depreciation per Unit	Units This Period	Depreciation This Period
$10,000	$1,000	10,000	$0.90	2,000	$1,800

Curious about this method? See journal entry prompts.

Understanding these methods helps you create accurate journal entries and keeps you in line with accounting standards. For more reading, check out what is journal in accounting and bookkeeping journal entries.