On January 8, 2012, Speedway Delivery Service purchased a truck at a cost of $65,000. Before placing the truck in service, Speedway spent $4,000 painting it, $2,500 replacing tires, and $8,000 overhauling the engine. The truck should remain in service for five years and have a residual value of $6,000. The truck’s annual mileage is expected to be 22,000 miles in each of the first four years and 12,000 miles in the fifth year—100,000 miles in total. In deciding which depreciation method to use, David Greer, the general manager, requests a depreciation schedule for each of the depreciation methods (straight-line, units-of-production, and double-declining-balance).
Requirements
1. Prepare a depreciation schedule for each depreciation method, showing asset cost, depreciation expense, accumulated depreciation, and asset book value.
2. Speedway prepares financial statements using the depreciation method that reports the highest net income in the early years of asset use. For income tax purposes, the company uses the depreciation method that minimizes income taxes in the early years. Consider the first year that Speedway uses the truck. Identify the depreciation methods that meet the general manager’s objectives, assuming the income tax authorities permit the use of any of the methods.