Section 12. Depreciation

A. Depreciation is a set of methods for allocating the cost of an asset over its economic life. Assets owned by proprietary funds and nonexpendable trust funds are required to be depreciated. Assets held in the general fixed assets account group may, at the option of the fund's managers, be depreciated. B. Depreciation normally should not be recorded until the asset is ready for use. C. Depreciation reduces the net book value of an asset as its economic usefulness is consumed. Depreciation expense should normally be closed to fund balance at year-end. D. The offset to the depreciation account is accumulated depreciation. This is a contra-account to assets, whose net value is historical cost less accumulated depreciation.