What is concept of depreciation?
Robert Miller
Updated on February 11, 2026
Depreciation is an accounting method of allocating the cost of a tangible or physical asset over its useful life or life expectancy. Depreciation represents how much of an asset’s value has been used up.
What is depreciation explain with example?
In accounting terms, depreciation is defined as the reduction of recorded cost of a fixed asset in a systematic manner until the value of the asset becomes zero or negligible. An example of fixed assets are buildings, furniture, office equipment, machinery etc..
What is depreciation depreciation is the process?
Depreciation is an accounting process by which a company allocates an asset’s cost throughout its useful life. In other words, it records how the value of an asset declines over time. The purpose of recording depreciation as an expense is to spread the initial price of the asset over its useful life.
Why do we need depreciation?
Depreciation is one of those costs because assets that wear down eventually need to be replaced. Depreciation accounting helps you figure out how much value your assets lost during the year. That number needs to be listed on your income statement, and subtracted from your revenue when calculating profit.
What is the purpose of the concept of depreciation?
Hence, the funds that we charge to the Profit and Loss A/c every year remain in the business itself and thus, we can use them at the time of replacement of the asset. Therefore, the concept of depreciation and its accounting is the process of allocating or apportioning the cost of the fixed assets over their useful life.
Which is an example of the opposite of depreciation?
Machinery, equipment, currency are some examples of assets that are likely to depreciate over a specific period of time. Opposite of depreciation is appreciation which is increase in the value of an asset over a period of time. Accounting estimates the decrease in value using the information regarding the useful life of the asset.
What’s the difference between depreciation and historical cost?
Charging depreciation goes to some extent against the “historical cost concept” which states that all non-current assets should be shown at cost value, whereas; all non-current assets, with the exception of land, should be subject to depreciation.
How does depreciation affect the book value of an asset?
Depreciation can be defined as a continuing, permanent and gradual decrease in the book value of fixed assets. This type of shrinkage is based on the cost of assets utilised in a firm and not on its market value. Following are the 3 principal features of depreciation: Depreciation is a decrease in the book value of fixed assets.