The systematic allocation of the cost of an asset from the balance sheet to Depreciation Expense on the income statement over the useful life of the asset. (The depreciation journal entry includes a debit to Depreciation Expense and a credit to Accumulated Depreciation, a contra asset account). The purpose is to allocate the cost to expense in order to comply with the matching principle. It is not intended to be a valuation process. In other words, the amount allocated to expense is not indicative of the economic value being consumed. Similarly, the amount not yet allocated is not an indication of its current market value.
To learn more about depreciation, see our Depreciation Outline.
Featured Review
"AccountingCoach PRO is an exceptional service. It not only provides all the essential material to succeed in learning accounting and finance, but also explains all the relevant details that make the difference when you need to understand the complexity of accounting systems. As a communication trainer and business coach, I had to pick up the language of accounting in no time in order to communicate more effectively with my clients. This website's benefits have exceeded my expectations. Many thanks for your great support." - Theirry F.
Join PRO or PRO Plus and Get Lifetime Access to Our Premium Materials
Read all 2,645 reviewsWe now offer 10 Certificates of Achievement for Introductory Accounting and Bookkeeping: