<klink type="prcdr">How do I track the depreciation of an asset?</klink>
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<p>To depreciate a business asset in Money, create an account to track each depreciable asset. Once a year (or as recommended by your accountant), enter a transaction to decrease the value of the asset by the depreciation amount.</p>
<p>Consult your accountant to determine the best depreciation method for your assets and the period of time over which you should depreciate them.</p>
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<li>Create an asset account.</li>
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<li>On the <emph>Accounts & Bills</emph> menu, click <emph>Account Setup</emph>.</li>
<li>Click <emph>Add a new account</emph>.</li>
<li>Click <emph>Not held at a bank, broker, or other financial institution</emph>, and then click <emph>Next</emph>.</li>
<li>In the list of account types, click <emph>Fixed Asset,</emph> and then click <emph>Next</emph>.</li>
<li>Type an appropriate name for the asset account, enter the date you acquired the asset or put it into service in your business, and then click <emph>Next</emph>.</li>
<li>Click <emph>Business</emph>, click <emph>Next</emph>, and then follow the instructions on the screen.</li>
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<li>Open the asset account you created.</li>
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<li>On the <emph>Accounts & Bills</emph> menu, click <emph>Account List</emph>.</li>
<li>Click the asset account you created.</li>
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<li>In the upper right corner of the page, make sure the <emph>Show Transaction Forms</emph> check box is selected.</li>
<li>Click the <emph>Decrease</emph> tab on the transaction form.</li>
<li>Enter the <emph>Category</emph> you want to use, such as Depreciation.</li>
<p>If this is a new category, create it using the New Category wizard.</p>
<li>Click <emph>Business</emph>, and then click <emph>Next</emph>.</li>
<li>Click <emph>Other business expense</emph>, click <emph>Next</emph>, and then follow the instructions on your screen.</li>
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<tease>Should I include the new depreciation category in my Schedule C report?</tease>
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<p>You should include depreciation in your Schedule C report only if you are certain that the method you use complies with the IRS rules for the type of asset and your tax situation. For more information, talk to your accountant or see IRS publication 946, How to Depreciate Property, on the <alink type="xtnl" href="http://www.irs.gov">IRS Web site</alink>.</p>
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<tease>Why should I exclude depreciation transactions from my cash flow report?</tease>
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<p>Because depreciation transactions do not affect your cash balance, you should not include the depreciation category on your cash flow report.</p>