Depreciation
General rule
There shall be allowed as a depreciation deduction a reasonable allowance for the exhaustion, wear and tear (including a reasonable allowance for obsolescence)—
of property used in the trade or business, or
of property held for the production of income.
Cross reference
Basis for depreciation
In general
Special rule for property subject to lease
If any property is acquired subject to a lease—
no portion of the adjusted basis shall be allocated to the leasehold interest, and
the entire adjusted basis shall be taken into account in determining the depreciation deduction (if any) with respect to the property subject to the lease.
Life tenants and beneficiaries of trusts and estates
Certain term interests not depreciable
In general
Coordination with other provisions
Section 273
Section 305(e)
Basis adjustments
If, but for this subsection, a depreciation or amortization deduction would be allowable to the taxpayer with respect to any term interest in property—
the taxpayer’s basis in such property shall be reduced by any depreciation or amortization deductions disallowed under this subsection, and
the basis of the remainder interest in such property shall be increased by the amount of such disallowed deductions (properly adjusted for any depreciation deductions allowable under subsection (d) to the taxpayer).
Special rules
Denial of increase in basis of remainderman
No increase in the basis of the remainder interest shall be made under paragraph (3)(B) for any disallowed deductions attributable to periods during which the term interest was held—
by an organization exempt from tax under this subtitle, or
by a nonresident alien individual or foreign corporation but only if income from the term interest is not effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States.
Coordination with subsection (d)
Definitions
For purposes of this subsection—
Term interest in property
Related person
Regulations
Treatment of certain property excluded from section 197
Computer software
In general
Computer software
Tax-exempt use property subject to lease
Certain interests or rights acquired separately
Mortgage servicing rights
Depreciation under income forecast method
In general
If the depreciation deduction allowable under this section to any taxpayer with respect to any property is determined under the income forecast method or any similar method—
the income from the property to be taken into account in determining the depreciation deduction under such method shall be equal to the amount of income earned in connection with the property before the close of the 10th taxable year following the taxable year in which the property was placed in service,
the adjusted basis of the property shall only include amounts with respect to which the requirements of section 461(h) are satisfied,
the depreciation deduction under such method for the 10th taxable year beginning after the taxable year in which the property was placed in service shall be equal to the adjusted basis of such property as of the beginning of such 10th taxable year, and
such taxpayer shall pay (or be entitled to receive) interest computed under the look-back method of paragraph (2) for any recomputation year.
Look-back method
The interest computed under the look-back method of this paragraph for any recomputation year shall be determined by—
first determining the depreciation deductions under this section with respect to such property which would have been allowable for prior taxable years if the determination of the amounts so allowable had been made on the basis of the sum of the following (instead of the estimated income from such property)—
the actual income earned in connection with such property for periods before the close of the recomputation year, and
an estimate of the future income to be earned in connection with such property for periods after the recomputation year and before the close of the 10th taxable year following the taxable year in which the property was placed in service,
second, determining (solely for purposes of computing such interest) the overpayment or underpayment of tax for each such prior taxable year which would result solely from the application of subparagraph (A), and
then using the adjusted overpayment rate (as defined in section 460(b)(7)), compounded daily, on the overpayment or underpayment determined under subparagraph (B).
For purposes of the preceding sentence, any cost incurred after the property is placed in service (which is not treated as a separate property under paragraph (5)) shall be taken into account by discounting (using the Federal mid-term rate determined under section 1274(d) as of the time such cost is incurred) such cost to its value as of the date the property is placed in service. The taxpayer may elect with respect to any property to have the preceding sentence not apply to such property.
Exception from look-back method
Recomputation year
Special rules
Certain costs treated as separate property
For purposes of this subsection, the following costs shall be treated as separate properties:
Any costs incurred with respect to any property after the 10th taxable year beginning after the taxable year in which the property was placed in service.
Any costs incurred after the property is placed in service and before the close of such 10th taxable year if such costs are significant and give rise to a significant increase in the income from the property which was not included in the estimated income from the property.
Syndication income from television series
In the case of property which is 1 or more episodes in a television series, income from syndicating such series shall not be required to be taken into account under this subsection before the earlier of—
the 4th taxable year beginning after the date the first episode in such series is placed in service, or
the earliest taxable year in which the taxpayer has an arrangement relating to the future syndication of such series.
Special rules for financial exploitation of characters, etc.
Collection of interest
Treatment of distribution costs
Determinations
Treatment of pass-thru entities
Limitation on property for which income forecast method may be used
The depreciation deduction allowable under this section may be determined under the income forecast method or any similar method only with respect to—
property described in paragraph (3) or (4) of section 168(f),
copyrights,
books,
patents, and
other property specified in regulations.
Such methods may not be used with respect to any amortizable section 197 intangible (as defined in section 197(c)).
Treatment of participations and residuals
In general
Participations and residuals
Special rules relating to recomputation years
Other special rules
Participations and residuals
Coordination with other rules
Authority to make adjustments
Special rules for certain musical works and copyrights
In general
If an election is in effect under this paragraph for any taxable year, then, notwithstanding paragraph (1), any expense which—
is paid or incurred by the taxpayer in creating or acquiring any applicable musical property placed in service during the taxable year, and
is otherwise properly chargeable to capital account,
shall be amortized ratably over the 5-year period beginning with the month in which the property was placed in service. The preceding sentence shall not apply to any expense which, without regard to this paragraph, would not be allowable as a deduction.
Exclusive method
Applicable musical property
For purposes of this paragraph—
In general
Exceptions
Such term shall not include any property—
with respect to which expenses are treated as qualified creative expenses to which section 263A(h) applies,
to which a simplified procedure established under section 263A(i)(2) 1
which is an amortizable section 197 intangible (as defined in section 197(c)).
Election
Termination
Amortization of geological and geophysical expenditures
In general
Half-year convention
Exclusive method
Treatment upon abandonment
Special rule for major integrated oil companies
In general
Major integrated oil company
For purposes of this paragraph, the term “major integrated oil company” means, with respect to any taxable year, a producer of crude oil—
which has an average daily worldwide production of crude oil of at least 500,000 barrels for the taxable year,
which had gross receipts in excess of $1,000,000,000 for its last taxable year ending during calendar year 2005, and
to which subsection (c) of section 613A does not apply by reason of paragraph (4) of section 613A(d), determined—
by substituting “15 percent” for “5 percent” each place it occurs in paragraph (3) of section 613A(d), and
without regard to whether subsection (c) of section 613A does not apply by reason of paragraph (2) of section 613A(d).
For purposes of clauses (i) and (ii), all persons treated as a single employer under subsections (a) and (b) of section 52 shall be treated as 1 person and, in case of a short taxable year, the rule under section 448(c)(3)(B) shall apply.
Cross references
For additional rule applicable to depreciation of improvements in the case of mines, oil and gas wells, other natural deposits, and timber, see section 611.
For amortization of goodwill and certain other intangibles, see section 197.
Source
(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 51; Pub. L. 85–866, title I, § 89(b),Notes
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Amendments
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2007 Amendment
Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
Effective Date of 2005 Amendment
Effective Date of 2004 Amendment
Effective Date of 1997 Amendment
Effective Date of 1996 Amendment
In general.—
The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to property placed in service after
Binding contracts.—
The amendment made by subsection (a) shall not apply to any property produced or acquired by the taxpayer pursuant to a written contract which was binding on
Underpayments of income tax.—
No addition to tax shall be made under section 6662 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as a result of the application of subsection (d) of that section (relating to substantial understatements of income tax) with respect to any underpayment of income tax for any taxable year ending before the date of the enactment of this Act [
Effective Date of 1993 Amendment
Effective Date of 1990 Amendment
Effective Date of 1989 Amendment
In general.—
The amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 1245 and 1253 of this title] shall apply to transfers after
Binding contract.—
The amendments made by this section shall not apply to any transfer pursuant to a written binding contract in effect on
Effective Date of 1988 Amendment
Effective Date of 1986 Amendment
Effective Date of 1983 Amendment
Effective Date of 1981 Amendment
Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
Effective and Termination Dates of 1978 Amendment
Effective Date of 1976 Amendment
Effective Date of 1975 Amendment
Effective Date of 1971 Amendment
Effective Date of 1969 Amendment
Effective Date of 1967 Amendment
Effective Date of 1966 Amendment
Effective Date of 1962 Amendment
Effective Date of 1958 Amendment
Savings Provision
Plan Amendments Not Required Until January 1, 1989
Discontinuation of Retirement-Replacement-Betterment Method of Depreciation; Transitional Rule
Change in method of accounting.—
Sections 446 and 481 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [formerly I.R.C. 1954] shall not apply to the change in the method of depreciation to comply with the provisions of this subsection [which struck out subsec. (r) of this section relating to the retirement-replacement-betterment method of accounting].
Transitional rule.—
The adjusted basis of RRB property (as defined in section 168(g)(6) of such Code) as of
Internal Revenue Code Provisions Relating to Depreciation as Not Applicable to Calculations of Secretary of Health and Human Services in Determining Costs of Programs
Class Life System; Application to Real Property; General Rule
under Revenue Procedure 62–21 (as amended and supplemented) as in effect on
on the facts and circumstances.”
Transitional Rules for Reasonable Allowance for Depreciation
[Repealed. Pub. L. 93–625, § 5(b), Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 2112.]
Subsidiary assets.—
If a significant portion of a class of property first prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury or his delegate under section 167(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [formerly I.R.C. 1954] consists of subsidiary assets, all such subsidiary assets in such class placed in service by the taxpayer during the period beginning on