Definition of Depreciation
Accounting Standard 6 issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India on “Depreciation Accounting” defines depreciation as follows:
“Depreciation is a measure of the wearing out, consumption or other loss of value of a depreciable asset arising from use, effluxion of time, obsolescence through technology and market changes. Depreciation is allocated so as to charge a fair proportion of the depreciable amount in each accounting period during the expected useful life of the asset. Depreciation includes amortisation of assets whose usefulness is predetermined”. The term “depreciable amount” of a depreciable asset as per the standard is its historical cost, or other amount substituted for historical cost in the financial statements less the estimated residual value. The accounting standard recommends that the depreciable amount of a depreciable asset should be allocated on a systematic basis to each accounting period during the useful life of the asset.
