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Business Depreciation Calculator

Calculate MACRS depreciation schedules, compare Section 179 vs bonus depreciation, and see vehicle depreciation with §280F luxury auto limits. Updated for 2026 OBBBA rules.

$
Original purchase price of the asset
Half-year is default. Mid-quarter if >40% of assets placed in Q4.
%
Your top federal income tax bracket

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How to Use This Calculator

Depreciation Schedule tab

The default tab. Enter your asset cost, select the asset type (5-year, 7-year, 15-year, 27.5-year, or 39-year property), and see the complete year-by-year MACRS depreciation schedule. Expand "More options" to switch between half-year and mid-quarter conventions or adjust your marginal tax rate.

Section 179 & Bonus tab

Compare three depreciation strategies side by side: regular MACRS (spread deductions over the asset's life), Section 179 expensing (deduct up to $1,250,000 in year 1), and 100% bonus depreciation (deduct the full cost in year 1). See year-1 tax savings and NPV comparison for each option.

Vehicle Depreciation tab

Calculate business vehicle depreciation with IRC §280F luxury auto limits. Enter the vehicle cost, GVWR (check the door sticker), and business use percentage. Heavy vehicles over 6,000 lbs bypass the luxury auto caps. Light vehicles are subject to annual deduction limits regardless of purchase price.

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The Formula

MACRS (Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System) uses declining-balance methods that front-load depreciation deductions:

Annual Depreciation = Asset Cost × MACRS Rate for That Year

Tax Savings = Depreciation Deduction × Marginal Tax Rate

MACRS rates (half-year convention):
5-year (200% DB): 20%, 32%, 19.2%, 11.52%, 11.52%, 5.76%
7-year (200% DB): 14.29%, 24.49%, 17.49%, 12.49%, 8.93%, 8.92%, 8.93%, 4.46%
15-year (150% DB): 5%, 9.5%, 8.55%, 7.7%, 6.93%, 6.23%, ... 2.95%
27.5-year (SL): 3.636%/year
39-year (SL): 2.564%/year

Section 179 and 100% bonus depreciation allow you to deduct the entire cost in year 1 instead of spreading it over 5–39 years. The time value of money makes immediate deductions worth significantly more.

For vehicles under 6,000 lbs GVWR, IRC §280F caps annual depreciation regardless of the asset's cost. These “luxury auto limits” are adjusted for inflation annually.

Example

Apex Construction — $85,000 Excavator

Apex Construction bought an $85,000 excavator (5-year property) in March 2026. They want to compare depreciation strategies at a 24% marginal tax rate.

Section 179 & Bonus tab

Option A: Regular MACRS year 1$17,000
Option A: Year 1 tax savings$4,080
Option B: Section 179 year 1$85,000
Option B: Year 1 tax savings$20,400
Option C: 100% Bonus year 1$85,000
Option C: Year 1 tax savings$20,400

By choosing Section 179 or 100% bonus depreciation, Apex saves $20,400 in year 1 vs $4,080 with regular MACRS — a $16,320 cash flow advantage in the first year.

Dr. Patel — $62,000 BMW X5 (GVWR 4,828 lbs)

Dr. Patel bought a $62,000 BMW X5 for her medical practice. The X5's GVWR is 4,828 lbs (under 6,000), so IRC §280F luxury auto limits apply.

Vehicle Depreciation tab

Vehicle cost$62,000
Business use100%
Year 1 limit (with bonus)$20,400
Year 1 deduction (NOT $62,000)$20,400
Years to fully depreciate~9 years

§280F limits cap the year-1 deduction at $20,400 (with bonus), not $62,000. The remaining $41,600 is depreciated at $7,160/year in years 4+, taking about 9 years to fully recover. If Dr. Patel had chosen an SUV over 6,000 lbs GVWR, she could deduct the full $62,000 in year 1.

FAQ

MACRS (Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System) is the IRS-required method for depreciating most business assets. It assigns each asset a recovery period (5, 7, 15, 27.5, or 39 years) and uses declining-balance rates that front-load deductions into the early years. The half-year convention assumes you placed the asset in service at the midpoint of the year. MACRS rates are published in IRS Publication 946.
Both allow you to deduct the full cost of an asset in year 1, but they work differently. Section 179 has a dollar limit ($1,250,000 in 2026) and a phase-out threshold ($3,130,000), and the deduction cannot exceed your business income. Bonus depreciation (100% under OBBBA §70301) has no dollar limit and can create a net operating loss. Section 179 is elected per asset; bonus depreciation applies to an entire class of property unless you opt out.
IRC §280F caps annual depreciation deductions on passenger vehicles under 6,000 lbs GVWR, regardless of the vehicle’s price. In 2026 (estimated), the limits are: Year 1: $20,400 (with bonus) or $12,400 (without); Year 2: $19,800; Year 3: $11,900; Year 4+: $7,160. SUVs, trucks, and vans over 6,000 lbs GVWR are exempt from these limits but subject to a $30,500 Section 179 cap.
Yes. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) §70301 permanently restored 100% first-year bonus depreciation, effective for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. This reversed the scheduled phase-down (which had reduced bonus to 60% in 2025). Qualifying property includes new and used tangible personal property with a recovery period of 20 years or less.
Real property (buildings) must use straight-line depreciation: 27.5 years for residential rental property and 39 years for commercial property. Section 179 and bonus depreciation are generally not available for buildings. One important exception is Qualified Improvement Property (QIP) — interior improvements to nonresidential buildings — which has a 15-year MACRS life and qualifies for bonus depreciation.

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