Häufig gestellte Fragen
Which depreciation method is standard in fixed asset accounting?
In Germany, straight-line depreciation is the norm: acquisition costs are spread evenly over the asset's normal useful life as specified in the official AfA tables. Declining-balance depreciation had been temporarily suspended for tax purposes, but has been reinstated by the so-called Investitionssofortprogramm (Wachstumsbooster) for movable assets acquired after 30 June 2025 and before 1 January 2028, at up to 30 percent per year or at most three times the straight-line rate. In addition, units-of-production depreciation based on actual usage is possible for certain assets. Which method is configured in a specific ERP setup depends on the industry, asset class and the desired parallel commercial and tax valuation.
Do I need IFRS-capable fixed asset accounting?
IFRS valuation is mandatory for capital-market-oriented parent companies that prepare consolidated financial statements, while purely nationally reporting mid-sized companies are generally well served with HGB accounting. Subsidiaries of international groups frequently need parallel valuation approaches, because IFRS reporting for the group and the HGB separate financial statements must be fulfilled at the same time. IFRS also requires component-based depreciation for significant assets and permits the revaluation model for individual asset classes, which HGB does not provide for in this form. Whether an ERP must cover IFRS should therefore be clarified before system selection based on the reporting obligations and the group structure.
How does fixed asset accounting handle low-value assets (GWG)?
Low-value assets (geringwertige Wirtschaftsgüter, GWG) are not depreciated over their useful life but treated under simplified rules whose value thresholds have remained unchanged since 2018. Acquisition costs of up to 250 euros net can be expensed immediately; between 250.01 and 800 euros there is a choice between immediate write-off under Section 6 (2) EStG and inclusion in a collective item. The collective item (pool depreciation) under Section 6 (2a) EStG is available for assets from 250.01 to 1,000 euros and is written off uniformly over five years. In an ERP's fixed asset accounting, GWG are usually managed via dedicated asset classes or a GWG automation feature so that the chosen method is posted and documented consistently.
What useful life applies to computers and software in fixed asset accounting?
For computer hardware including peripherals as well as operating and application software, the German Federal Ministry of Finance permitted a normal useful life of one year in its circular dated 26 February 2021, applicable to fiscal years ending after 31 December 2020. This effectively reduces the previous three-year useful life to an immediate write-off in the year of acquisition, without the assets becoming GWG. It is a tax option, not a mandatory requirement, so a longer useful life can still be applied under commercial law. In fixed asset accounting, this case can be represented via parallel valuation areas if the commercial and tax balance sheets diverge.
What is a fixed asset schedule and who has to prepare one?
The fixed asset schedule (Anlagenspiegel), also called the asset grid (Anlagengitter), shows the development of each fixed asset item over the financial year, i.e. acquisition costs, additions, disposals, transfers, write-ups and accumulated depreciation. Under Section 284 (3) HGB, medium-sized and large corporations as well as commercial partnerships treated as equivalent are required to present it in the notes to the financial statements, with the direct gross method based on carried-forward historical acquisition and production costs being mandatory. Small corporations are exempt from this obligation under Section 288 (1) HGB. Well-maintained fixed asset accounting in an ERP generates the fixed asset schedule automatically from the master records and the logged movements, which simplifies preparing the annual financial statements.