Calculate asset depreciation with straight-line, declining balance (1×, 1.5×, 2× double), or sum-of-years-digits. Get a full year-by-year schedule with book values and CSV export.
| Year | Opening | Depreciation | Accumulated | Closing |
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This depreciation calculator works out how much value an asset loses each year, building a complete year-by-year schedule from just the purchase cost, salvage value, and useful life — with three accepted accounting methods to choose from.
Depreciation spreads the cost of a long-lived asset across the years it is actually used, rather than expensing it all at once. Pick the method that matches how the asset wears out. Straight-line splits the depreciable amount evenly, charging the same figure every year. Declining balance front-loads the expense by applying a fixed rate to the shrinking book value — choose a 1×, 1.5×, or 2× double-declining multiplier for assets like laptops and vehicles that lose most of their worth early. Sum-of-the-years-digits (SYD) sits in between, tapering the charge down gradually. Whichever method you select, the calculator shows the Year 1 deduction, the straight-line equivalent for comparison, accumulated depreciation, and the remaining book value, plus a chart that tracks book value falling toward salvage over time. Optional pro-rata handling adjusts the first year for mid-year purchases based on the date you enter. People use it to:
Everything is calculated locally in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded or stored. The schedule always depreciates the asset down to its salvage value, never below it, so totals reconcile exactly to Cost minus Salvage. Switch currency between USD, AUD, GBP, EUR, INR, and CAD for display, and toggle pro-rata off if you prefer a clean full-year schedule.
Straight-line spreads the depreciable amount (Cost − Salvage) evenly over the asset's useful life. Each year the deduction is identical: (Cost − Salvage) ÷ Life. It's the simplest method and preferred when an asset loses value uniformly over time.
DDB applies twice the straight-line rate (2 ÷ Life) to the beginning book value each year. This front-loads depreciation — useful for tech and vehicles. When the DDB amount falls below straight-line on the remaining balance, the calculator switches to SL so the asset reaches salvage value exactly.
If an asset is purchased on 1 July, only 6 months of Year 1 depreciation is claimed that year. The remaining 6 months spills into an extra final period, so the schedule has one more row than the useful life. Total depreciation always equals Cost − Salvage.
Use straight-line when an asset loses value evenly, such as buildings or furniture — it charges the same amount every year and is the simplest to explain. Use declining balance when an asset loses most of its value early, such as computers, phones, and vehicles, because it front-loads the expense. This tool lets you switch between both (plus SYD) and compares each against the straight-line equivalent, so you can see the difference before deciding.
Salvage value, also called residual or scrap value, is the amount you expect the asset to be worth at the end of its useful life. Depreciation is only applied to the depreciable amount — Cost minus Salvage Value — so the asset is never written below it. If you expect nothing left at the end, enter a salvage value of zero.
Useful life is the number of years you expect to use the asset before retiring or replacing it. It sets how long depreciation is spread over: a longer life means a smaller charge each year, a shorter life a larger one. Tax authorities often publish effective-life guidelines by asset type, so check those if the schedule is for a return.
Each row is one year. Opening is the book value at the start of the year, Depreciation is the amount charged that year, Accumulated is the running total charged so far, and Closing is the book value at the end — which carries forward as the next year's opening. The final closing value equals the salvage value. You can export the whole table as CSV.