N
The Global Insight

Does the government depreciate assets?

Author

John Johnson

Updated on February 11, 2026

In general, governments are required to report capital assets at their historical cost and to depreciate that historical cost in a systematic and rational manner over the estimated useful lives of the assets.

Is infrastructure capitalized?

Guidance on establishing when costs for infrastructure must be capitalized at the university. Infrastructure is defined as long-lived capital assets that are stationary in nature and normally preserved for a significantly greater number of years than most capital assets.

Can you depreciate infrastructure?

Traditional Depreciation Approach – Infrastructure assets are depreciated consistently with all other depreciable capital assets. In this approach, infrastructure assets are listed under depreciable capital assets.

Why is GASB 34 important?

Why is GASB 34 important? The goal of GASB 34 was to improve financial transparency within state and local governments fiscal reports. The GASB 34 increases governmental accountability by allowing citizens to participate in deciding operating budgets of state and local governments.

What is considered infrastructure asset?

In general, infrastructure assets includes streets, roads, sewer lines, water lines, bridges, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic signals, traffic signs, street trees, landscaped medians, storm drains, etc.

Are roads a fixed asset?

Road heavy maintenance and construction expenditures (less land improvement costs), as taken from the Act 51 Financial Reports, should be recorded as fixed assets by year. These are to be recorded at their original cost and depreciated up to current year.

What is general capital assets?

GASB 34 defines general capital assets as “capital assets of the government that are not specifically related to activities reported in proprietary or fiduciary funds. General capital assets are associated with and generally arise from governmental activities.

What is the purpose of GASB?

The GASB develops and issues accounting standards through a transparent and inclusive process intended to promote financial reporting that provides useful information to taxpayers, public officials, investors, and others who use financial reports.

What is all about GASB Statement 34?

The goal of GASB 34 was to improve “the value of the annual audited financial report, making it possible to comprehensively assess the overall financial health of a city, county, or other government for the first time.” As the GASB recognizes, three significant changes Statement 34 made to the appearance and content of …