Since counterparts of Section 167(b)(2), (3), (4), (c), (d), and (e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, were not enacted by the Legislature and made a part of this law until 1959, the "200 percent declining balance" and "sum-of-the-digits" methods of computing depreciation were not approved methods for determining income for state tax purposes until income years ending after December 31, 1958. However, if the declining balance method was in use prior to the 1955 revision of the law such method may be continued, but the rate must be limited to 150 percent of the applicable straight line method. In the case of new assets, i.e., assets acquired after December 31, 1954, the declining balance method may be used if the rate is limited to 150 percent of the applicable straight line method.
No deduction may be taken on account of depreciation actually sustained before January 1, 1928, under Chapter 2, or January 1, 1937, under Chapter 3.
EXAMPLE (1).
Under the straight line method items may be depreciated separately:
Year | Item | Cost or other basis less salvage | Useful life | Depreciation Allowable | ||
Years | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | |||
1954 | Asset A | $1,600 | 4 | $2001 | $400 | $400 |
Asset B | 12,000 | 40 | 1501 | 300 | 300 |
1 In this example it is assumed that the assets were placed in service on July 1, 1954.
EXAMPLE (2).
In group, classified, or composite accounting, a number of assets with the same or different useful lives may be combined into one account, and a single rate of depreciation, i.e., the group, classified, or composite rate used for the entire account. In the case of group accounts, i.e., accounts containing assets which are similar in kind and which have approximately the same estimated useful lives, the group rate is determined from the average of the useful lives of the assets. In the case of classified or composite accounts, the classified or composite rate is generally computed by determining the amount of one year's depreciation for each item or each group of similar items, and by dividing the total depreciation thus obtained by the total cost or other basis of the assets. The average rate so obtained is to be used as long as subsequent additions, retirements, or replacements do not substantially alter the relative proportions of different types of assets in the account. An example of the computation of a classified or composite rate follows:
Cost or other basis | Estimated useful life Years | Annual depreciation |
$10,000 | 5 | $2,000 |
10,000 | 15 | 667 |
20,000 | 2,667 |
Average rate is 13.33 percent ($2,667 / $20,000) unadjusted for salvage. Assuming the estimated salvage value is 10 percent of the cost or other basis, the rate adjusted for salvage will be 13.33 percent minus 10 percent of 13.33 percent (13.33% - 1.33%), or 12 percent.
EXAMPLE (3).
The use of the straight line method for group, classified, or composite accounts is illustrated by the following example: A taxpayer filing his returns on a calendar year basis maintains an asset account for which a group rate of 20 percent has been determined, before adjustment for salvage. Estimated salvage is determined to be 6 2/3 percent, resulting in an adjusted rate of 18.67 percent. During the years illustrated, the initial investment, additions, retirements, and salvage recoveries, which were determined not to change the composition of the group sufficiently to require a change in rate, were assumed to have been made as follows:
1954--Initial investment of $12,000
1957--Retirement $2,000, salvage realized $200
1958--Retirement $2,000, salvage realized $200
1959--Retirements $4,000, salvage realized $400
1959--Additions $10,000
1960--Retirement $2,000, no salvage realized
1961--Retirement $2,000, no salvage realized
Depreciable Asset Account and Depreciation Computation on Average Balances
Year | Asset balance Jan. 1 | Current additions | Current retirements | Asset balance Dec. 31 | Average balance | Rate (percent) | Allowable depreciation |
1954 | ___ | $12,000 | ___ | $12,000 | $6,000 | 18.67 | $1,120 |
1955 | $12,000 | ___ | ___ | 12,000 | 12,000 | 18.67 | 2,240 |
1956 | 12,000 | ___ | ___ | 12,000 | 12,000 | 18.67 | 2,240 |
1957 | 12,000 | ___ | $2,000 | 10,000 | 11,000 | 18.67 | 2,054 |
1958 | 10,000 | ___ | 2,000 | 8,000 | 9,000 | 18.67 | 1,680 |
1959 | 8,000 | 10,000 | 4,000 | 14,000 | 11,000 | 18.67 | 2,054 |
1960 | 14,000 | ___ | 2,000 | 12,000 | 13,000 | 18.67 | 2,427 |
1961 | 12,000 | ___ | 2,000 | 10,000 | 11,000 | 18.67 | 2,054 |
Corresponding Depreciation Reserve Account
Year | Depreciation reserve Jan. 1 | Depreciation allowable | Current retirements | Salvage realized | Depreciation reserve Dec. 31 |
1954 | ___ | $1,120 | ___ | ___ | $1,120 |
1955 | $1,120 | 2,240 | ___ | ___ | 3,360 |
1956 | 3,360 | 2,240 | ___ | ___ | 5,600 |
1957 | 5,600 | 2,054 | $2,000 | $200 | 5,854 |
1958 | 5,854 | 1,680 | 2,000 | 200 | 5,734 |
1959 | 5,734 | 2,054 | 4,000 | 400 | 4,188 |
1960 | 4,188 | 2,427 | 2,000 | ___ | 4,615 |
1961 | 4,615 | 2,054 | 2,000 | ___ | 4,669 |
EXAMPLE (1).
A new asset having an estimated useful life of 20 years was purchased on January 1, 1959, for $1,000. The normal straight line rate (without adjustment for salvage) is 5 percent, and the declining balance rate at twice the normal straight line rate is 10 percent. The annual depreciation allowances for 1959, 1960, and 1961 are as follows:
Year | Basis | Declining balance rate (percent) | Depreciation allowance |
1959.......................... | ..........................$1,000 | 10 | $100 |
1960.......................... | ..........................900 | 10 | 90 |
1961.......................... | ..........................810 | 10 | 81 |
EXAMPLE (1).
A new asset having an estimated useful life of five years was acquired on January 1, 1959, for $1,750. The estimated salvage is $250. For a taxpayer filing its returns on a calendar year basis, the annual depreciation allowances are as follows:
Year | Cost or other basis less salvage | Fraction1 | Allowable depreciation | Depreciation reserve |
1959 | $1,500 | 5/15 | $500 | $500 |
1960 | 1,500 | 4/15 | 400 | 900 |
1961 | 1,500 | 3/15 | 300 | 1,200 |
1962 | 1,500 | 2/15 | 200 | 1,400 |
1963 | 1,500 | 1/15 | 100 | 1,500 |
Unrecovered value (salvage) | 250 |
1 The denominator of the fraction is the sum of the digits representing the years of useful life, i.e., 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, or 15.
EXAMPLE (2).
Assume in connection with an asset acquired in 1959 that 3/4 of a year's depreciation is allowable in that year. The following illustrates a reasonable method of allocating depreciation:
Depreciation for 12 months | Allowable depreciation | ||||
1959 | 1960 | 1961 | |||
1st year | $500 | ( 3/4) | $375 | ( 1/4) $125 | |
2nd year | 400 | ( 3/4) 300 | ( 1/4) $100 | ||
3rd year | 300 | ( 3/4) 225 | |||
375 | 425 | 325 |
Current depreciation | Accumulated depreciation | Balance | |
Cost of asset...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................$1,000 | |||
First year.......................... | ..........................$333 | $333 | 667 |
Second year.......................... | ..........................222 | 555 | 445 |
Third year.......................... | ..........................148 | 703 | 297 |
Fourth year.......................... | ..........................99 | 802 | 198 |
An annual allowance computed by any other method under Section 24349(b)(4) could not exceed $333 for the first year, and at the end of the second year the total allowances for the two years could not exceed $555. Likewise, the total allowances for the three years could not exceed $703 and for the four years could not exceed $802. This limitation would not apply in the fifth and sixth years. See Section 24350 for restrictions on the use of certain methods.
EXAMPLE (1).
If a building with a total cost of $100,000 is completed after December 31, 1958, and the portion attributable to construction after December 31, 1958, is determined by engineering estimates or by cost accounting records to be $80,000, the method referred to in subparagraph (A)(i) above, are applicable only to the $30,000 portion of the total.
EXAMPLE (2).
In 1959, a taxpayer has an old machine with an unrecovered cost of $1,000. If he contracts to have it reconditioned, or reconditions it himself, at a cost of an additional $5,000, only the $5,000 may be depreciated under the methods referred to in subparagraph (A)(i) above, whether or not the materials used for reconditioning are new in use.
EXAMPLE (3).
A taxpayer who acquired a building in 1945 makes major maintenance or repair expenditure in 1959 of a type which must be capitalized. For these expenditures the taxpayer may use a method of depreciation different from that used on the building (for example, the methods referred to in subparagraph (A)(i) above) only if he accounts for such expenditures separately from the account which contained the original building. In such case, the unadjusted basis on any parts replaced shall be removed from the asset account and shall be charged to the appropriate depreciation reserve account. In the alternative he may capitalize such expenditures by charging them to the depreciation reserve account for the building.
EXAMPLE (1).
A taxpayer contracted in 1958 to purchase a new machine which he acquired in 1959 and put into first use in that year. He may use the methods referred to in subparagraph (A)(i) above, in recovering the cost of the new machine.
EXAMPLE (2).
A taxpayer instead of reconditioning his old machine buys a "factory reconditioned" machine in 1959 to replace it. He cannot apply the methods referred to in subparagraph (A)(i) above, to any part of the cost of the reconditioned machine since he is not the first user of the machine.
EXAMPLE (3).
In 1959, a taxpayer buys a house for $20,000 which had been used as a personal residence and thus had not been subject to depreciation allowances. He makes a capital addition of $5,000 and rents the property to another. The taxpayer may use the methods referred to in subparagraph (A)(i) above, only with respect to the $5,000 cost of the addition.
A timely election under this regulation shall be made for the first income year to which the election applies, or in the case of income years beginning before January 1, 1964 on or before the last day prescribed by law (including extensions thereof) for filing a return for the last income year beginning before January 1, 1964. The election shall consist of a computation made in accordance with one of the provisions of this regulation or by filing a written statement signed by the taxpayer declaring which of the methods provided by this regulation is adopted. If a taxpayer has elected to deduct the proper depreciation allowed under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, and has not made an election in its return or otherwise within the period provided for by this regulation, it shall be deemed to have elected to adopt method number (2).
EXAMPLE:
A new asset having a useful life of 10 years for which the federal investment credit was allowed was acquired on January 1, 1962, for $1,000. It has no salvage value and the depreciation allowance is determined under the straight line method. The depreciation allowances for 1962, 1963, and 1964 under state and federal law are as follows:
Adjusted Basis | Depreciation | ||||
As of December 31 | Allowance | ||||
Year | State | Federal | State | Federal | Difference |
1962.......................... | $900 | $8371 | $100 | $93 | $7 |
1963.......................... | $800 | $744 | $100 | $93 | $7 |
$14 | |||||
1964.......................... | $700 | $712.252 | $101.75 | ||
State adjustment........................................................................................................................................................................................... | -1.753 | ||||
$100.00 |
If the taxpayer in the above example had used the declining balance method, with a rate not exceeding twice the straight line allowance, the adjustment would be as follows:
Adjusted Basis | Depreciation | |||||
As of December 31 | Allowance | |||||
Year | State | Federal | State | Federal | Difference | |
1962.......................... | $800 | $744 | $200 | $186 | $14 | |
1963.......................... | $640 | $595.20 | $160 | $148.80 | $11.20 | |
$25.20 | ||||||
1964.......................... | $510.11 | $532.165 | $133.04 | |||
State adjustment4.................................................................................................................................. | -3.15 | |||||
$129.89 | ||||||
1 Cost............................................................................................................................................................................................ | $1,000 | |||||
Less: Investment credit...................................................................................................................................................... | $70 | |||||
1962 depreciation.............................................................................................................................................................. | 93 | 163 | ||||
$837 | ||||||
2 1963 adjusted basis............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... | $744.00 | |||||
Plus investment credit.............................................................................................................................................................. | 70.00 | |||||
$814.00 | ||||||
Less 1964 depreciation........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ | $101.75 | |||||
($814.00 / 8).............................................................................................................................................................................. | $712.25 | |||||
3 Adjustment (Remaining life $14 / 8 difference between State and Federal depreciation) | ||||||
4 Adjustment (Remaining life $25.20 / 8 difference between State and Federal adjustment) | ||||||
5 1963 adjusted basis.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... | $595.20 | |||||
Plus investment credit.............................................................................................................................................................. | 70.00 | |||||
$665.20 | ||||||
Less 1964 depreciation.................................................................................................................................................................................................... | $133.04 | |||||
$532.16 |
The elections provided by this paragraph shall be made for the first income year ending after December 31, 1963. Adjustments may be made in returns filed for any income year ending on or before December 31, 1966, provided that the required adjustments are made for all applicable years. An election to make the adjustment provided for by this regulation shall be made by computing the depreciation allowance in the manner provided for by this regulation.
Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 18, § 24349(k)
Note: Authority cited: Section 26422, Revenue and Taxation Code. Reference: Section 24349, Revenue and Taxation Code.