MACRS Depreciation Calculator
Estimate MACRS depreciation for a business asset, build the full schedule, and see what changes when you take Section 179 or bonus depreciation.
Built around IRS Pub. 946, Form 4562, and current federal rules.
First-year deduction
2026$0
on a $0 basis
Advanced adjustments §179, bonus, ADS, overrides, mid-quarter
Expenses part of the cost in year one. Limited by business taxable income.
First-year deduction on qualified property.
GDS = faster. ADS = straight line, longer life.
3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 27.5, or 39.
Auto uses half-year, switches to mid-quarter if the Q4 test below is over 40%, and uses mid-month for real property.
Total basis across all assets this year.
Runs the mid-quarter 40% test.
Federal only; states may differ.
Depreciation schedule
| Year | Rate | Depreciation | Cumulative | Remaining |
|---|
How year one breaks down
Why the timing matters
This is an estimate, not tax advice. It computes federal MACRS for planning. Your filed return can differ because of income limits, auto caps, state rules, and short tax years. Confirm anything material with a CPA or enrolled agent.
The basics
What MACRS depreciation is
Instead of deducting an asset's full cost the year you buy it, MACRS spreads the write-off over a set number of years and front-loads the early ones.
GDS vs. ADS
GDS (the default) allows accelerated 200%/150% declining balance. ADS is straight line over longer lives, required for some property and ≤50% business use.
Recovery period
How many years you write the asset off over, set by its class: 5 years for computers and vehicles, 7 for most equipment, 39 for a commercial building.
Placed in service
When the asset is ready and available for use, not when you paid for it. Depreciation starts here, and the month or quarter can change year one.
Conventions
Half-year is the default. Mid-quarter kicks in when over 40% of the year's basis lands in Q4. Mid-month applies to real property.
The math
The formula, and the order it runs in
Each year's regular MACRS deduction is simple once the basis is set. The work is getting to that basis, and the order is fixed.
Year deduction = Remaining MACRS basis × MACRS rate (Pub. 946 table)
Business-use basis
Cost times the business-use percentage.
Section 179
Subtract any amount you elect to expense.
Bonus depreciation
Subtract the bonus percentage of what's left.
Regular MACRS
Apply the table rate to the remaining basis, year by year.
Worked examples
Four ways it plays out
The same $50,000 asset, deducted very differently depending on the elections you make. Change the inputs above to match your own.
$50,000 of office furniture, 100% business, placed in service in March. No Section 179, no bonus.
- Basis$50,000
- Year 1 × 14.29%$7,145
- Year 2 × 24.49%$12,245
$12,000 of computers, 100% business, placed in service in June. No elections.
- Basis$12,000
- Year 1 × 20%$2,400
- Year 2 × 32%$3,840
$50,000 of equipment, elect $20,000 of Section 179, then run MACRS on the rest.
- Section 179 expense$20,000
- Remaining basis$30,000
- MACRS Y1 × 14.29%$4,287
$50,000 of equipment, take 100% bonus depreciation (the 2026 rate), no Section 179.
- Bonus 100% (2026)$50,000
- Remaining basis$0
Watch out
Common mistakes to avoid
- Depreciating the land under a building. Land isn't depreciable, so use only the building's value.
- Forgetting business use. A 70%-business asset only depreciates 70% of its cost.
- Missing the mid-quarter test after a big Q4 purchase, which changes every asset placed in service that year.
- Stacking Section 179, bonus, and MACRS on the same basis. Each one reduces the basis for the next.
- Assuming your state follows federal bonus and Section 179. Many don't.
- Ignoring the auto caps on vehicles, which limit the deduction regardless of MACRS.
When to bring in a pro. Talk to a CPA or enrolled agent when real money rides on the answer: vehicles and other listed property, real estate, a short tax year, selling an asset the same year you bought it, or a Section 179 election near your income limit.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How does it handle Section 179 and bonus?
In the IRS order: business-use basis, then Section 179, then bonus, then regular MACRS on whatever basis is left. You see each step in the first-year breakdown.
Half-year or mid-quarter?
Usually half-year. You must use mid-quarter if more than 40% of the total basis you placed in service that year came in the last three months. Enter your year total and Q4 total in Advanced and it runs that test.
Does it do state depreciation?
No, federal only. Many states don't follow federal bonus or the full Section 179 amount, so your state number can differ. There's a note field to track that separately.
Why doesn't it match my tax software?
Usually the Section 179 income limit, passenger-auto caps, a short tax year, a same-year disposal, or a state adjustment. This tool skips those to stay simple, so treat it as a planning estimate.
Can I use it for a vehicle or building?
With care. Vehicles are 5-year but have annual caps this tool doesn't apply. Buildings use 39-year (commercial) or 27.5-year (residential rental) straight line, mid-month. Enter the building value only, not the land.
What tax year does it use?
The calculator defaults to tax year 2026 and lets you switch years at the top; the Section 179 limit, phase-out threshold, and bonus rate all follow the year you pick, with the 2026 figures confirmed against IRS Publication 946 and Revenue Procedure 2025-32. The 2025 figures reflect the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, P.L. 119-21): 100% bonus for property acquired and placed in service after Jan 19, 2025, and 40% before that date — the calculator warns if you enter a 2025 placed-in-service date before January 20.