Depreciation Schedule Calculator

About this calculator

A straight-line depreciation schedule spreads an asset's depreciable cost (purchase price minus salvage value) evenly across its useful life, using the formula annual depreciation = (cost − salvage value) ÷ useful life in years. Accumulated depreciation at any given year is simply that annual amount multiplied by the number of years elapsed, and book value is the original cost minus accumulated depreciation.

Accountants and business owners use straight-line depreciation — the simplest and most widely used of the standard depreciation methods (alongside declining-balance and units-of-production) — to expense the cost of equipment, vehicles, or buildings over time for both financial reporting (matching an asset's cost to the periods it generates revenue) and tax purposes, where many jurisdictions require a specific depreciation schedule to calculate deductible expense each year. It's also used when valuing used equipment or negotiating asset sales, since book value gives a standardized reference point distinct from market value.

This calculator takes an asset's cost, salvage value, and useful life, then returns the annual depreciation amount along with accumulated depreciation and book value for any year you specify, so you can see exactly how the asset's value declines on the books over time.