Determining asset cost, preparing depreciation schedules (3 methods), and identifying depreciation results that meet management objectives

On January 3, 2018, Rapid Delivery Service purchased a truck at a cost of \(100,000. Before placing the truck in service, Rapid spent \)3,000 painting it, \(600 replacing tires, and \)10,400 overhauling the engine. The truck should remain in service for five years and have a residual value of $12,000. The truck’s annual mileage is expected to be 32,000 miles in each of the first four years and 8,000 miles in the fifth year—136,000 miles in total. In deciding which depreciation method to use, Andy Sargeant, the general manager, requests a depreciation schedule for each of the depreciation methods (straight-line, units-of-production, and double-declining-balance).

Requirements

1. Prepare a depreciation schedule for each depreciation method, showing asset cost, depreciation expense, accumulated depreciation, and asset book value.

2. Rapid prepares financial statements using the depreciation method that reports the highest net income in the early years of asset use. Consider the first year that Rapid uses the truck. Identify the depreciation method that meets the company’s objectives.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer

The business entity will prefer to use the straight-line method of depreciation.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Depreciation

The expenses charged for the purpose of reporting the decline in the value of the fixed assets acquired by the company are known as depreciation expenses. Such expenses are reported in the statement reporting net income.

02

Preparation of depreciation schedule by each method

  1. Depreciation schedule by straight-line method

Date

Asset Cost

Depreciation Expenses

Accumulated

Depreciation

Book Value

03-1-2018

$ 114000

12-31-2018

$20,400

$ 40,800

$ 93600

12-31-2019

$20,400

$ 61,200

$ 73,200

12-31-2020

$20,400

$ 81,600

$ 52,800

12-31-2021

$20,400

$ 102,000

$ 32,400

12-31-2022

$20,400

$ 102,000

$ 12,000

Working notes:

  1. Calculation of total cost of truck
Totalcost=Purchasecost+Paintaingcost+Firecost+OverhualingcostTotalcost=$1000,000+$3,000+$600+$10,4000=$114,000 2. Calculation of depreciation amount by straight-line method.

DepreciationCost-ResidualvalueUsefullife=$114,00-$12,0005=$20,400

  1. Depreciation schedule by Units of production method

Date

Cost

Depreciation expenses

Accumulated Depreciation

Book Value

03-01-2018

$114,000

12-31-2018

$24,000

$24,000

$90,000

12-31-2019

$24,000

$48,000

$66,000

12-31-2020

$24,000

$72,000

$42,000

12-31-2021

$24,000

$96,000

$18,000

12-31-2022

$6,000

$102,000

$12,000

Working notes:

  1. Calculation of depreciation by units of production method
Depreciationbyunitsofproduction=Cost-ResidualvalueTotalmiles=$114,000-$12,000136,000=$0.75permile
  1. Depreciation schedule by double-declining balance method

Date

Opening value depreciable base

Depreciation rate

Depreciation expenses

Accumulated depreciation

Book Value

03-01-2018

$114,000

40%

12-31-2018

$114,000

40%

$45,600

$45,600

$68,400

12-31-2019

$68,400

40%

$27,360

$72,960

$41,040

12-31-2020

$41,040

40%

$16,416

$89,376

$24,624

12-31-2021

$24,624

40%

$9,850

$99,226

$14,774

12-31-2022

$14,774

40%

$5,910

$105,136

$8,864

Depreciation rate= 100/Useful life*2

= 100/5*2

=40%

03

Depreciation method meeting the company’s objective

The business entity will use the straight-line method of depreciation in its initial year because it reports the lowest depreciation expense that will meet the company’s objective of higher net income.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Whitney Plumb Associates surveys American eating habits. The company’s accounts include Land, Buildings, Office Equipment, and Communication Equipment, with a separate Accumulated Depreciation account for each asset. During 2018, Whitney Plumb completed the following transactions:

Jan. 1 Purchased office equipment, \(117,000. Paid \)77,000 cash and financed the remainder with a note payable.

Apr. 1 Acquired land and communication equipment in a lump-sum purchase. Total cost was \(350,000 paid in cash. An independent appraisal valued the land at \)275,625 and the communication equipment at \(91,875.

Sep. 1 Sold a building that cost \)520,000 (accumulated depreciation of \(285,000 through December 31 of the preceding year). Whitney Plumb received \)390,000 cash from the sale of the building. Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis. The building has a 40-year useful life and a residual value of \(25,000.

Dec. 31 Recorded depreciation as follows:

Communication equipment is depreciated by the straight-line method over a five-year life with zero residual value. Office equipment is depreciated using the double-declining-balance method over five years with a \)2,000 residual value.

Record the transactions in the journal of Whitney Plumb Associates.

Question:Jim Reed manages a fleet of utility trucks for a rural county government. He’s been in his job for 30 years, and he knows where the angles are. He makes sure that when new trucks are purchased, the residual value is set as low as possible. Then, when they become fully depreciated, they are sold off by the county at residual value. Jim makes sure his buddies in the construction business are first in line for the bargain sales, and they make sure he gets a little something back. Recently, a new county commissioner was elected with vows to cut expenses for the taxpayers. Unlike other commissioners, this man has a business degree, and he is coming to visit Jim tomorrow.

Requirements

1. When a business sells a fully depreciated asset for its residual value, is a gain or loss recognized?

2. How do businesses determine what residual values to use for their various assets? Are there “hard and fast” rules for residual values?

3. How would an organization prevent the kind of fraud depicted here?

What is the difference between capital expenditure and a revenue expenditure? Give an example of each.

Counselors of Atlanta purchased equipment on January 1, 2017, for \(20,000. Counselors of Atlanta expected the equipment to last for four years and have a residual value of \)2,000. Suppose Counselors of Atlanta sold the equipment for $8,000 on December 31, 2019, after using the equipment for three full years. Assume depreciation for 2019 has been recorded. Journalize the sale of the equipment, assuming straight-line depreciation was used.

Accounting for goodwill

Decca Publishing paid \(230,000 to acquire Thrifty Nickel, a weekly advertising paper. At the time of the acquisition, Thrifty Nickel’s balance sheet reported total assets of \)130,000 and liabilities of \(70,000. The fair market value of Thrifty Nickel’s assets was \)100,000. The fair market value of Thrifty Nickel’s liabilities was $70,000.

Requirements

  1. How much goodwill did Decca Publishing purchase as part of the acquisition of Thrifty Nickel?
  2. Journalize Decca Publishing’s acquisition of Thrifty Nickel
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