Auto Depreciation Calculator
Book-value depreciation math — not Kelley Blue Book. Click any i for detail.
Asset
Cost basis ($)
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Cost
What you put on the books (price minus any deductible tax, plus tax you capitalized — your call). |
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Salvage ($)
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Salvage
Estimated value at the end of the useful life you enter. |
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Useful life (years)
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Life
Accounting life, not how long you hope to drive it. |
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Method
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Method
Straight-line is even. Double-declining hits early years harder, not below salvage. |
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Show year #
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Year
Which year’s expense and ending book to display for DDB (and SL book after that year). |
How to use this calculator
- Enter cost and salvage.
- Set useful life.
- Pick straight-line or DDB.
- Choose which year to display.
Results explained
Straight-line expense = (cost − salvage) ÷ years. DDB each year takes 2/years × beginning book, floored at salvage. Market values are a different question.
Quick reference: depreciation
Tax lives and book lives often differ.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| SL annual | (cost − salvage) / years |
| DDB rate | 2 / years |
| KBB / market | Not this page |
| Mileage method? | Not modeled |
Ask a CPA before filing anything from this sketch.
How the estimate is built
SL: (C−S)/n. DDB: min(book−S, book × 2/n) each year.
Example scenario
$28,000 cost, $4,000 salvage, 5 years SL → $4,800 per year.
FAQ
MACRS 5-year auto?
Half-year tables — not this worksheet.
Trade-in?
Reset cost/salvage when the books change.
EV residual?
Still just the numbers you enter.