Brief Exercise 20-5
A change in depreciation method is considered a change in accounting
estimate resulting from a change in accounting principle. In other words, a change
in the depreciation method is similar to changing the economic useful life of a
depreciable asset, and therefore the two events should be reported the same way.
Accordingly, Irwin reports the change prospectively; previous financial statements
are not revised. Instead, the undepreciated cost remaining at the time of the change
would be depreciated by the sum-of-the-years’-digits method over the remaining
useful life.
($ in millions)
Asset’s cost $35.0
Calculation of straight-line depreciation to date
Adjusting entry (2018 depreciation):
($ in millions)
Calculation of SYD depreciation