Worked Solution
✓ VerifiedPlant & Machinery — WDV Method (Year ending 31.3.2014)
Key Figures Identified:
- Opening WDV on 1.4.2013: ₹5,32,000 (includes disposed machine WDV ₹1,89,000)
- Remaining existing machinery WDV: ₹5,32,000 − ₹1,89,000 = ₹3,43,000
- New purchase on 1.6.2013: ₹1,20,000 (held for 10 months)
- Machine disposed on 30.6.2013: WDV ₹1,89,000 as on 1.4.2013 (held for 3 months)
- New machine acquired via part exchange on 30.6.2013: ₹2,56,000 (held for 9 months)
(i) Depreciation charged to Profit & Loss A/c:
| Asset | WDV / Cost | Rate | Period | Depreciation (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Existing machinery (excl. disposed) | ₹3,43,000 | 20% | 12 months | 68,600 |
| New purchase (1.6.2013) | ₹1,20,000 | 20% | 10 months | 20,000 |
| New machine from part exchange (30.6.2013) | ₹2,56,000 | 20% | 9 months | 38,400 |
| Disposed machine (1.4.2013 to 30.6.2013) | ₹1,89,000 | 20% | 3 months | 9,450 |
| Total Depreciation | 1,36,450 |
Depreciation charged to P&L = ₹1,36,450
(ii) Book Value of Plant & Machinery as on 31.3.2014:
The closing WDV is built up from individual asset WDVs:
- Existing machinery: ₹3,43,000 − ₹68,600 = ₹2,74,400
- New purchase (1.6.2013): ₹1,20,000 − ₹20,000 = ₹1,00,000
- New machine (part exchange): ₹2,56,000 − ₹38,400 = ₹2,17,600
Closing Book Value = ₹2,74,400 + ₹1,00,000 + ₹2,17,600 = ₹5,92,000
(iii) Loss on Exchange of Machinery:
WDV of disposed machine as on 1.4.2013: ₹1,89,000
Less: Depreciation for 3 months (Apr–Jun 2013): ₹9,450
WDV at date of disposal (30.6.2013): ₹1,79,550
Less: Part exchange value realised: ₹1,75,000
Loss on Exchange = ₹4,550
Note: The new machine is recorded at its full cost of ₹2,56,000. Cash actually paid = ₹2,56,000 − ₹1,75,000 = ₹81,000.
Write it like this
1The skeleton
- Start by separating the opening WDV — split ₹5,32,000 into 'remaining' (₹3,43,000) and 'disposed' (₹1,89,000) in the very first line; examiners award a step mark here before you even touch depreciation.
- Build a single depreciation table with four rows — existing machinery, new purchase, part-exchange machine, and disposed machine each get their own row with WDV/cost, rate, period (months/12), and figure; this format is what gets you part marks even if one number is wrong.
- Explicitly state the holding period in months for each asset — write '10 months' or '9 months' next to each row; the examiner cannot award the time-apportionment mark if it's only implied in your arithmetic.
- For part (iii), show WDV at date of disposal as a separate step — compute WDV on 30.6.2013 (after 3-month depreciation) before comparing with exchange value; skipping this step collapses two marks into one line and you lose the process mark.
- End each part with a boxed/underlined single-line answer — write 'Depreciation charged to P&L = ₹1,36,450' on its own line; examiners marking 200 scripts pick up the answer line first, then verify working.
2Examiner-rewarded phrases
3Common trap
The killer mistake here is charging full-year depreciation on the disposed machine instead of stopping at 30.6.2013 (3 months) — and then separately forgetting to depreciate it at all for that short period, so the WDV at disposal date is wrong and your loss figure is off by ₹9,450. Both errors exist in the wild; the second one is sneakier.