1. Chapter 11: Depreciation, Impairments and Depletion
Intermediate Accounting, 11th ed.
Kieso, Weygandt, and Warfield
Chapter 11: Depreciation, Impairments and Depletion
Prepared by
Jep Robertson and Renae Clark
New Mexico State University 2

2. Chapter 11: Depreciation, Impairments and Depletion
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
Explain the concept of depreciation.
Identify the factors involved in the depreciation process.
Compare activity, straight-line, and decreasing-charge methods of depreciation.
Explain special depreciation methods.

3. Chapter 11: Depreciation, Impairments and Depletion
Explain the accounting issues related to asset impairment.
Explain the accounting procedures for depletion of natural resources.
Explain how property, plant, equipment, and natural resources are reported and analyzed.

4. Depreciation: Concept
Depreciation is a means of cost allocation.
It is not a method of valuation.
Depreciation involves:
allocating the cost of tangible assets to expense in a systematic and rational manner to periods expected to benefit from use of its depreciable assets.

5. Factors in the Depreciation Process
Questions to be answered:
What is the depreciable base of the asset?
What is the asset’s useful life?
What method of depreciation is best for the asset in question?

6. Depreciable Base
Depreciable base is the dollar amount subject to depreciation.
It is determined as:
Original cost of the asset less
Estimated salvage or disposal value

7. Estimated Service Lives
An asset’s service life and physical life are not the same.
Assets’ service life are affected by:
physical factors, and economic factors
Economic factors include:
Inadequacy (asset can not meet current demand)
Supercession (by a better asset)
Obsolescence (other factors)

8. Depreciation Methods: Overview
Financial Accounting
Depreciation Methods
Tax
Depreciation
Straight-
line
Activity
Decreasing
Charge
Special
methods
1. Composite method
2. Hybrid methods
1. Declining Balance
2. Sum-of-the-years’ digits

9. Depreciation Methods: Straight-Line
Is a function of time rather than usage
Results in an equal amount of depreciation expense for a given period
Depreciation Expense is computed as:
Cost – Salvage Value
Estimated Life

10. Depreciation Methods: Activity
Is a function of usage rather than time.
Estimated life is in terms of total input/output of asset.
Depreciation expense is computed as:
Cost – Salvage Value x Input/Output this period
Total Estimated Input/Output

11. Depreciation Methods: Decreasing Charge (Accelerated)
These methods result in higher depreciation expense in the earlier years and lower charges in the later years.
Two decreasing charge methods are:
Declining balance
Sum-of-the-years’-digits

12. Depreciation Methods: Declining Balance
Salvage value is not deducted when computing depreciable base.
Utilizes a depreciation rate (%) that is some multiple of the SL rate.
The depreciation rate is multiplied by the asset’s book value at the beginning of the period to get the depreciation expense for the period.
Since the book value decreases over time this results in a decreasing amount of depreciation expense over time.
An asset’s book value can never be less than its estimated salvage value.

13. Depreciation Methods: Sum-of-the-Years’ Digits
A fraction is multiplied by the depreciable base to arrive at the depreciation expense per period.
The fraction is:
Numerator: number of years remaining in the asset’s life as of the beginning of the period.
Denominator: sum of the years in the life
For example, a 5 year life property would have depreciation expense for the first year as:
(Cost – Salvage value) X (years remaining)
15 (computed as )

14. Group and Composite Depreciation Methods
The group method is applied to a collection of assets similar in nature.
The composite method is applied to a collection of assets dissimilar in nature.
The composite depreciation rate is determined as follows:
total of annual depreciation for all assets
total cost of all assets

15. Partial Year Depreciation
When an asset is bought sometime during the year, a partial depreciation charge is required.
The procedure is:
determine depreciation for a full year, and allocate the amount between the two periods affected

16. Revision of Depreciation Estimates
Determination of depreciation involves initial estimates (e.g., life, salvage value)
When these estimates are revised, depreciation must be re-computed:
Remaining B.V. – Est. Salvage Value
Remaining Est. Life
These revised depreciation expenses apply prospectively to the remaining life of asset.
These changes do not affect prior periods.

17. Impairments An impairment of a depreciable asset occurs when:
the carrying amount of the asset is not recoverable, and therefore a write-off is needed.
The recoverability test determines if an impairment has occurred.

18. Impairments: The Recoverability Test
Sum of expected
future net cash flows
from use and disposal
of asset is less than
the carrying amount
Sum of expected
future net cash flows
from use and disposal
of asset is
equal to or more than
the carrying amount
Impairment has occurred
No impairment

19. Impairments: Measuring Loss
Impairment has occurred
Loss =
Carrying amount
less
Fair value of asset
Yes
Determine
impairment loss
Does an active market
exist for the asset?
Loss =
Carrying amount
less
present value of
expected net cash
flows
Use company’s market
rate of interest No

20. Impairment: Accounting
Impairment has occurred
Assets are held
for use
Assets are held
for sale
1. Loss = Carrying value
less Fair value
2. Depreciate new cost basis
3. Restoration of impairment
loss is NOT permitted
1. Loss = Carrying value
less Fair Value less
cost of disposal
2. No depreciation is taken
3. Restoration of impairment
loss is permitted

21. Graphic of Accounting for Impairments

22. Depletion: Terminology
Depletion refers to the cost basis write-off of natural resources (e.g., coal, oil, timber)
Depletion expense per unit is calculated:
Cost – Estimated Salvage Value
Total Estimated Units Available
This per unit cost is the multiplied by the units extracted during a period to derive the depletion for the period.

23. Depletion: Special Problems
Difficulty of estimating recoverable reserves
Problems of discovery value
Accounting for liquidating dividends

24. COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of this work beyond that permitted in Section 117 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the express written permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Request for further information should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The purchaser may make back-up copies for his/her own use only and not for distribution or resale. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or damages, caused by the use of these programs or from the use of the information contained herein.