Straight-Line Depreciation Calculator

How to use this calculator

1. Enter asset cost and estimated salvage value.
2. Enter useful life in years.
3. See the depreciable base and annual depreciation expense.

Inputs explained

Asset cost

Purchase price or capitalized cost of the asset.

Salvage value

Expected residual value at the end of useful life.

Useful life (years)

Number of years you plan to depreciate the asset.

When to use it

• Building depreciation schedules for equipment, vehicles, or furniture.
• Quickly estimating book expense for a fixed asset purchase.
• Comparing depreciation impact of different useful life assumptions.

Tips & cautions

• Use accounting policy or IRS class lives for useful life benchmarks.
• If salvage value is negligible, set it to zero to avoid overestimating annual expense.
• For accelerated methods (MACRS, DDB, SYD), use specialized calculations; this is straight-line only.
• Does not include mid-month conventions, bonus depreciation, or Section 179 rules.
• Book vs tax depreciation can differ—check your jurisdiction and accounting policies.
• Assumes a constant annual expense; no partial-year proration included.

Worked examples

Deep dive

FAQs

Does this handle MACRS or accelerated methods?

No. This is straight-line only. Use tax-specific schedules for MACRS, bonus depreciation, or Section 179.

Do I need salvage value?

If you expect no residual value, set salvage to zero. Otherwise subtract it from cost to avoid over-depreciating.

Partial-year depreciation?

Not included here. Apply your convention (half-year, mid-quarter, etc.) separately.

Book vs tax depreciation?

Book policies may differ from tax rules. Confirm with your accountant which life and method to use.

Can I use this for intangible assets?

Use amortization schedules for intangibles; this tool is focused on tangible fixed assets with salvage and useful life.

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