Can you depreciate office supplies like staplers?

Answer by  JohnI (28)

Depreciation under the Tax Codes of western countries only occurs on Capital Items, such as items costing $200 (cut-off depends on law) or more. Items costing under $200 are regarded as consumables and are charged as a cost to the business immediately. This includes the stapler, staplers, paper, ink, or anything else of little value.

Answer by  Anita27 (656)

While technically speaking every item you purchase depreciates, inexpensive office supplies like staplers or tape dispensers are not worth depreciating from a tax standpoint. The tax breaks gained from depreciation do not really start to affect your bottom line unless you are depreciating expensive items such as equipment or vehicles.

Answer by  Olive (1195)

No, because they fall into the category of expenses. Supplies like staplers really aren't fixed assets. The general rule of thumb is anything that can be used in year's time isn't eligible for depreciation on your taxes. This unfortunately rules out anything in the category of office supplies.