Leaping Deer Company purchased a tractor at a cost of $240,000. The tractor has an estimated residual value of $40,000 and an estimated life of 8 years, or 12,000 hours of operation. The tractor was purchased on January 1, 2015 and was used 2,400 hours in 2015 and 2,200 hours in 2016. What method of depreciation will produce the maximum depreciation expense in 2016

The three most common depreciation methods are: straight line, double-declining, and units of production. We will calculate the depreciation expense for each.

Straight line method:

Depreciable amount= cost - residual value

= 240,000 - 40,000

= 200,000

Depreciation by year = depreciable amount / years of useful life

= 200,000 / 8

= 25,000

Double declining method

Depreciation per year = depreciable amount x (2 / useful life in years)

= 200,000 x (2 / 8)

= 50,000

Units of production method

Depreciation per unit = depreciable amount / hours of operation

= 200,000 / 12,000

= 16.7

Total depreciation = depreciation per unit x actual units of operation

= 16.7 x 2,400 + 2,200

= 16.7 x 4,600

= 76.820

Therefore, the units of production method results in the highest depreciation expense among the three.