Depreciation Schedule Calculator

Q: What is the difference between straight-line and declining-balance depreciation?

Straight-line depreciation records an equal amount each year. Declining-balance methods record more depreciation in earlier years and less in later years.

Build monthly and annual schedules for individual assets, compare four methods, and combine every asset into one portfolio view.

Add an asset

Asset name

Original cost ($)

Salvage value ($)

Useful life (years)

Placed in service

Depreciation method

Book depreciation planning draft. Each asset year is 12 months starting in the placed-in-service month (a full month is charged for that month); asset years are not calendar or fiscal years. This tool does not compute MACRS or other tax depreciation rules — confirm with your accounting policy.

Assets

0 assets

Add your first asset to create a schedule.

Added or updated assets auto-save in this browser only (localStorage). Unsubmitted form edits are not saved. Nothing is synced or backed up online.

Your schedule will appear here

Enter an asset’s cost, useful life, method, and service date.

Asset

Annual schedule

Asset-year basis

Declining-balance methods top up the final year so ending book value reaches salvage value exactly. All posted amounts are whole cents; monthly rows sum exactly to their asset-year charge.

Depreciation methods explained

Choose a method that reflects how the asset’s economic value is consumed. Tax depreciation may require different statutory rules.

Straight-line

Spreads depreciable cost evenly across useful life; useful for assets with consistent economic benefit.

(cost − salvage) ÷ life

Double-declining balance + final-year top-up

Applies twice the straight-line rate to opening book value; useful when value or productivity falls quickly. The final year is topped up so book value reaches salvage value exactly.

opening book value × (2 ÷ life)

150% declining balance + final-year top-up

Uses a gentler accelerated rate; useful when early-year benefits are higher but decline gradually. The final year is topped up so book value reaches salvage value exactly.

opening book value × (1.5 ÷ life)

Sum-of-years-digits

Weights depreciation by remaining life; useful for a structured decline without using book-value percentages.

remaining life ÷ SYD × depreciable cost

How the schedule works

Every posted amount is a whole cent. Each asset-year charge is split into 12 monthly cents (any remainder lands in the 12th month), and the final year is adjusted so annual charges sum exactly to depreciable basis — monthly rows always reconcile to their annual charge.

Enter each assetAdd cost, salvage value, useful life, service date, and the method used for your books.
Review the scheduleSwitch between annual, monthly, comparison, and combined portfolio views.
Take the data with youCopy a concise summary, or download annual, monthly, and input tables as separate CSV files — each asset carries a stable ID so rows join cleanly.

Depreciation Schedule FAQ

What is the difference between straight-line and declining-balance depreciation?

Straight-line records an equal amount each year. Declining-balance methods record more depreciation in earlier years and less in later years.

What does salvage value mean?

Salvage value is the estimated amount an asset will be worth at the end of its useful life. Depreciation is limited so book value does not fall below this amount.

Can book value fall below salvage value?

No. This calculator caps the final depreciation charge so ending book value equals, but never falls below, salvage value.

Which method should I use for tax reporting versus financial books?

Financial reporting commonly uses straight-line or another systematic method, while tax depreciation follows jurisdiction-specific rules such as MACRS in the United States. Consult a qualified tax professional for tax filings.

How does the calculator handle an asset purchased mid-year?

The monthly schedule starts in the placed-in-service month and assigns one-twelfth of each asset-year charge to each month. It does not apply tax conventions such as half-year or mid-quarter conventions.

Why can accelerated depreciation end with a larger final charge?

A pure declining-balance formula may not fully depreciate the asset by the end of its useful life. The calculator adjusts the last year so ending book value reaches salvage value exactly.

Are the displayed totals rounded?

Every posted amount is a whole cent. Each asset-year charge is split into 12 monthly cents with any remainder in the 12th month, and the final year is adjusted so annual charges sum exactly to depreciable basis. Monthly rows always sum to their annual charge.

Accounting software partners

Connections to bookkeeping and fixed-asset platforms are planned for a future release.

QuickBooksPartnership coming soon

XeroPartnership coming soon

Fixed-asset softwarePartnership coming soon

Affiliate disclosure: future partner references may be eligible to earn LarkKit a commission. No partner links are currently active.