A company bought a new machine for its warehouse on January 1
a. Paid $10,000 in CASH
b. Financed THE REST of the purchase price via a $30,000 5-Year note
c. Incurred a SEPERATE $2,000 setup charge
d. Monthly depreciation is $500 ($6,000 annual).
What’s the book value of the new machine ON December 31?
The correct answer and explanation is:
Book Value of the New Machine on December 31
Answer: $34,000
Explanation:
- Initial Costs of the Machine
The total cost of acquiring the machine includes:- Purchase Price: $40,000 (Paid $10,000 in cash and financed $30,000 via a note)
- Setup Charge: $2,000 (separately incurred and necessary to make the machine operational)
- Accumulated Depreciation by December 31
Depreciation reflects the usage or wear-and-tear of the machine over its useful life.- Annual Depreciation: $6,000
- Monthly Depreciation: $500
$500 × 12 = $6,000 Accumulated Depreciation by Year-End: $6,000 - Book Value Calculation
The book value of an asset is calculated as:
Book Value = Initial Cost – Accumulated Depreciation Substituting the values:
Book Value = $42,000 – $6,000 = $36,000 - Understanding Depreciation’s Impact
- Depreciation spreads the cost of the machine over its useful life, reducing the book value each year.
- Even though the machine’s functionality remains unchanged, its recorded value decreases due to this accounting treatment.
- Key Insights
- The cash and financing breakdown ($10,000 cash, $30,000 note) impacts liquidity and liability but not the book value.
- The setup cost adds to the machine’s initial cost as it is necessary for operation.
Thus, on December 31, the book value of the machine is $36,000.