Depreciation Calculator — what it does
Builds a full year-by-year depreciation schedule using either Straight Line (SLM) or Written Down Value (WDV) from the asset cost and rate — the two methods the Income Tax Act and the Companies Act use for different purposes.
How to use Depreciation Calculator
- Enter the asset cost, the depreciation rate and the acquisition date.
- Choose SLM for an equal charge every year, or WDV to apply the rate to the reducing book value.
- Read the schedule: opening book value, charge for the year, closing book value, for each year of the useful life.
- Check the final year, where WDV usually leaves a small residual — that is expected, not an arithmetic error.
Worked example: the same asset under both methods
A machine costing ₹10,00,000 at 15%: SLM charges ₹1,50,000 every year and reaches zero on schedule, while WDV charges ₹1,50,000 in year one and around ₹78,000 by year five. Which you use depends on whether you are computing book depreciation or a tax deduction — the tool shows both so the difference is visible.
At a glance
| Methods | Straight Line (SLM) and Written Down Value (WDV) |
|---|---|
| Input | Asset cost, rate, acquisition date |
| Output | Full year-by-year schedule with book values |
| Where it runs | In your browser |
Frequently asked questions
- What is Depreciation Calculator?
- Straight Line (SLM) or Written Down Value (WDV) depreciation from cost and rate — a full year-by-year schedule with book values.
- Is Depreciation Calculator free to use?
- Yes — Depreciation Calculator is free to use, with no sign-up, no install and no account.
- Does Depreciation Calculator upload or store my data?
- No — Depreciation Calculator runs entirely in your browser, so your text, files and results never leave your device.
- Do I need to install anything to use Depreciation Calculator?
- No — it works in any modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari) with no downloads, accounts or plugins.
- Which method does the Income Tax Act require?
- Income tax blocks use WDV (with the 50% rule in the year of acquisition or disposal for certain blocks). The Companies Act and Schedule II use useful lives, commonly on a straight-line basis. The methods are not interchangeable between purposes.
- How do I handle an asset bought mid-year?
- Enter the actual acquisition date and read the first year's charge proportionally. Income tax has its own half-rate convention in the year of purchase, which is a rule to apply on top of the schedule rather than a calculation this does.