Terminal Depreciation is essentially the final depreciation deduction that a taxpayer can claim on a fixed asset in the year it is disposed of or written off. It helps ensure that the entire cost of the asset is eventually written off for tax purposes.

How It Works:

• Final Year Adjustment:
  When an asset is sold or otherwise disposed of before the end of its useful life, the usual depreciation calculation may leave a remaining balance (the written down value). Terminal depreciation is the pro-rata depreciation claimed in the year of disposal based on the number of days the asset was in use.

• Pro-Rata Calculation:
  In the disposal year, depreciation is calculated on a pro-rata basis. This means if the asset was used for part of the year, you claim a proportionate deduction for that period. This final adjustment is what we call terminal depreciation.

• Purpose:
  The idea is to fully account for the cost of the asset in your tax computations. Without terminal depreciation, there might be an unabsorbed cost remaining in the books when the asset is disposed of.

Key Point:

• Section 32 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 governs the depreciation of assets, including the pro-rata (or terminal) depreciation in the year of disposal. While “terminal depreciation” isn’t mentioned by name in the Act, the concept is inherent in the depreciation calculations applied when an asset is retired.