Don't overlook these!
Updated for 2011
| Recovery Period | Class Life | Examples of Property |
|---|---|---|
| 3-year property | 4-years or less | Special tools and devices for the manufacture of food, beverages, rubber products, finished plastics, fabricated metal products; race horses more than two years old when placed in service and other horses more than 12 years old when placed in service |
| 5-year property | 4+yrs less than 10 | Cars and light-duty trucks (unloaded weight less than 13,000 pounds), taxis, buses, computers, computer-related peripheral equipment, typewriters, copiers, duplicating equipment, heavy general purpose trucks, trailers, cargo containers, trailer-mounted containers |
| 7-year property | 10+yrs less than16 | Office furniture and fixtures (desks, safes, files); cellular phones; fax machines; refrigerators; musical instruments, toys and sporting goods NOTE: This class life is also used as a catch-all for assets not assigned a class life by law. |
| 10-year property | 16+yrs less than 20 | Vessels, barges, tugs and water transportation equipment; assets used in petroleum refining or the manufacture of tobacco products |
| 15-year property | 20+yrs less than 25 | Land improvements such as fences, sidewalks, docks, shrubbery, roads and bridges |
| 20-year property | 25+yrs | Farm buildings and municipal sewers (residential and nonresidential real estate is excluded) |
| 27.5-year property | ------- | Residential rental property (must use straight-line depreciation) |
| 39-year property | ------- | Nonresidential real property (must use straight-line depreciation) |
Depreciation: Important Points to Keep in Mind When Depreciating Property
Copyright © 2008-2012 Larry Villano. All rights reserved.