Question

Miller Mining, a calendar-year corporation, purchased the rights to a copper mine on July 1, Year 1. Of the total purchase price, $2.8 million was appropriately allocable to the copper. Estimated reserves were 800,000 tons of copper. Miller expects to extract and sell 10,000 tons of copper per month. Production began immediately. The selling price is $25 per ton. Miller uses percentage depletion (15%) for tax purposes. To aid production, Miller also purchased some new equipment on July 1, Year 1. The equipment cost $76,000 and had an estimated useful life of 8 years. After all the copper is removed from this mine, however, the equipment will be of no use to Miller and will be sold for an estimated $4,000. If sales and production conform to expectations, what is Miller’s depreciation expense on the new equipment for financial accounting purposes for the Year 1 calendar year?

Answer 1

Answer: $4,500

Explanation:

Equipment was purchased for $76,000.

It has an estimated useful life of 8 years.

It will be sold for $4,000 after these 8 years so that is the salvage value.

With these figures depreciation per annum is calculated with the following formula;

$Depreciation per annum = \frac{Cost of Asset - Salvage Value}{Useful life}$

= $\frac{76,000 - 4,000}{8}$

= $9,000

The Equipment was purchased on July 1, Year 1. In Year 1 therefore it will only be in use for half the year and this is what it should b depreciated in light of.

Semi-annual Depreciation = 9,000/2

= $4,500