Double Declining Balance Method of Deprecitiation Formula, Examples

The book value, or depreciation base, of an asset, declines over time. The DDB method records larger depreciation expenses during the earlier years of an asset’s useful life, and smaller ones in later years. They tend to lose about a third of their value following their initial purchase, and the value falls from there.

• Thus, an increase in the cost of repairs of each subsequent year is compensated by a decrease in the amount of depreciation for each subsequent year.
• Perhaps you noticed above that the asset did not fully depreciate.
• Use this calculator to calculate the accelerated depreciation by Double Declining Balance Method or 200% depreciation.
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Kirsten is also the founder and director of Your Best Edit; find her on LinkedIn and Facebook. Full BioMichael Boyle is an experienced financial professional with more than 10 years working with financial planning, derivatives, equities, fixed income, project management, and analytics. Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master’s in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses.

Double-Declining Balance (DDB) Depreciation Formula

First, the rate is doubled, because the double declining method is being https://www.bookstime.com/ used. Also, the straight line rate being used is increased, as well.

Therefore, the “double” or “200%” will mean a depreciation rate of 20% per year. FitBuilders estimates that the residual or salvage value at the end of the fixed asset’s life is $1,250. That’s why we placed that amount in the Ending Book Value column. Since we already have an ending book value, let’s squeeze in the 2026 depreciation expense by deducting $1,250 from $1,620.

Example of Sum-of-the-Years’-Digits Depreciation

Specifically, the DDB method depreciates assets twice as fast as the traditional declining balance method. Because twice the straight-line rate is generally used, this method is often referred to as double-declining balance depreciation. Under the declining balance method, depreciation is charged on the book value of the asset and the amount of depreciation decreases every year. Once the asset is valued on the company’s books at its salvage value, it is considered fully depreciated and cannot be depreciated any further. However, if the company later goes on to sell that asset for more than its value on the company’s books, it must pay taxes on the difference as a capital gain. This formula works for each year you are depreciating an asset, except for the last year of an asset’s useful life.

• The double-declining balance method is an accelerated depreciation calculation used in business accounting.
• The next year, they calculate remaining depreciable balance, divide by remaining years and multiply by two.
• You can find more information on depreciation for income tax reporting at
• Using Double-declining, our depreciation in year 4 as shown earlier was $864, but it will be more if we switch to the Straight-line method.
• Note that the double-declining multiplier yields a depreciation expense for only four years.

Then, multiply that number by 2 and that is your Double-Declining Depreciation Rate. In this method,depreciation continues until the asset value declines to its salvage value. Typically, accountants switch from double declining to straight line in the year when the straight line method would depreciate more than double declining. For instance, in the fourth year of our example, you’d depreciate $2,592 using the double declining method, or $3,240 using straight line.

What is the double declining depreciation method?

To introduce the concept of the units-of-activity method, let’s assume that a service business purchases unique equipment at a cost of $20,000. Over the equipment’s useful life, the business estimates that the equipment will produce 5,000 valuable items. Assuming there is no salvage value for the equipment, the business will report $4 ($20,000/5,000 items) of depreciation expense for each item produced. If 80 items were produced during the first month of the equipment’s use, the depreciation expense for the month will be $320 (80 items X $4). If in the next month only 10 items are produced by the equipment, only $40 (10 items X $4) of depreciation will be reported. At the beginning of the first year, the fixture’s book value is $100,000 since the fixtures have not yet had any depreciation. Therefore, under the double declining balance method the $100,000 of book value will be multiplied by 20% and will result in $20,000 of depreciation for Year 1.

A variation on this method is the 150% declining balance method, which substitutes 1.5 for the 2.0 figure used in the calculation. The 150% method does not result in as rapid a rate of depreciation at the double declining method. If you file estimated quarterly taxes, you’re required to predict your income each year. Since the double declining balance method has you writing off a different amount each year, you may find yourself crunching more numbers to get the right amount.

How To Calculate Double Declining Balance Depreciation

In the first accounting year that the asset is used, the 20% will be multiplied times the asset’s cost since there is no accumulated depreciation. In the following accounting years, double declining balance method the 20% is multiplied times the asset’s book value at the beginning of the accounting year. This differs from other depreciation methods where an asset’s depreciable cost is used.