Question

White Company acquires a new machine for $75,000 and uses it in White's manufacturing operations. A few months after White places the machine in service, it discovers that the machine is not suitable for White's business. White had fully expensed the machine in the year of acquisition using § 179. White sells the machine for $60,000 in the tax year after it was acquired but held the machine only for a total of 10 months. What was the tax status of the machine when it was disposed of and the amount of the gain or loss?

Answer 1

• Tax status = Ordinary Asset
• Gain = $60,000

Step-by-step explanation:

As the company expensed the asset fully in the year of purchase instead of capitalizing it, the asset is an ordinary asset not a capital one which is capitalized. That is the tax status.

The gain on an ordinary asset is the amount that it was sold for which in this case is $60,000.

Tax status = Ordinary Asset

Gain = $60,000