Assets and Depreciation

Section landing for asset recognition, carrying values, amortization, depreciation, and related measurement issues.

Assets and depreciation pages explain how businesses recognize, measure, carry, and consume assets over time. This section focuses on long-lived assets, intangible-asset allocation, prepaid balances, and the reporting effects of carrying-value changes.

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In this section

  • Accumulated Depreciation
    Contra-asset balance showing the total depreciation recorded against a depreciable asset since acquisition.
  • Amortization
    Systematic allocation of an intangible asset's cost over the periods expected to receive its benefit.
  • Book Value
    Accounting value recorded in the books, usually referring either to an asset's net amount or to a business's net assets after liabilities.
  • Carrying Amount
    Amount at which an asset or liability is reported on the balance sheet after the relevant accounting adjustments.
  • Contra-Asset Account
    Asset-related account with a credit balance that offsets a linked asset without removing the asset's original cost.
  • Current Assets
    Assets expected to be collected, sold, or consumed within one year or the normal operating cycle.
  • Depreciation
    Systematic allocation of a tangible asset's cost over the periods expected to benefit from its use.
  • Goodwill
    Acquisition-related intangible asset representing the excess of purchase price over identifiable net assets in a business combination.
  • Impairment
    Reduction of an asset's carrying amount when recorded value is no longer supported by recoverable or expected economic benefit.
  • Prepaid Expense
    Advance payment recorded as an asset at first and expensed later as the related benefit is used.
  • Property, Plant, and Equipment
    Long-lived tangible operating assets such as land, buildings, machinery, and equipment used across multiple periods.
  • Recoverable Amount
    Amount an entity expects to recover from an asset through use or disposal, used to judge whether impairment is required.
  • Write-Down
    Partial reduction of an asset's carrying amount when the recorded amount is no longer fully supportable.
  • Write-Off
    Removal of a recorded amount from the books when a receivable, asset, or identified balance is no longer expected to provide value.