How to Calculate a Depreciation Tax Shield

A depreciation tax shield is the amount of money companies can save on income tax payments by using depreciation deductions. Higher savings are attained when the tax shield is high. The accelerated depreciation method depreciates an asset at a higher rate in the early stages of its life and slows down as the asset ages. In contrast, the straight-line depreciation method depreciates the asset in equal amounts over periods of its life. Hence, companies can save more money with the accelerated method.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Refer to the IRS depreciation deduction guidelines in the Resources section to determine what your company's depreciation deduction amount is.

2. Determine what your company's tax rate is. See the Tax Foundation link in the Resources section to find out what your corporate tax rate is, depending on the income bracket.

3. Multiply the depreciation deduction by the tax rate to find out what your depreciation tax shield is. For example, if your depreciation deduction amount is $4,500 and the tax rate is 40 percent, the tax shield is $1,800 ($4,500 x .40).

Resources

• Depreciation Deduction Guidelines
• Tax Foundation

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