{"id":"acct-straight-line-first-year","audience":"accounting","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"verification","level":"intermediate","title":"Compute first-year straight-line depreciation with a salvage value","free":false,"task":"You're setting up depreciation for a newly purchased machine. Write a prompt for plain text with lines starting \"Depreciable base:\", \"Monthly:\", \"Accumulated at Dec 31:\" and \"Net book value:\", each with the math. Policy: straight-line, depreciation starts the month after the in-service date. For accumulated depreciation, use months/total months x depreciable base to avoid rounding drift. Under 70 words. No bullets or numbering.","materialLabel":"Asset details and policy (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"FIXED ASSET SETUP - Packaging machine PM-3, Maple Row Hardware\n\nCost: $24,000\nSalvage value (estimated resale at end of life): $4,000\nUseful life: 4 years (48 months)\nPlaced in service: Sep 5, 2026\nMethod: straight-line\n\nPolicy: depreciation starts the month after the asset is placed in service. Report monthly depreciation to the cent. For accumulated depreciation use months elapsed / total months x depreciable base.\n\nNote: the vendor's invoice also shows $1,200 of freight that has already been included in the $24,000 cost. The tax depreciation schedule is separate and not part of this question.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":70},{"type":"maxBullets","max":0}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the four lines","patterns":["depreciable base","monthly:","accumulated","net book value"]},{"label":"Subtracts salvage","patterns":["salvage"]},{"label":"Gives the start rule","patterns":["month after","oct"]},{"label":"Gives the accumulated formula","patterns":["months / 48","x base"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","plain"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Starting in September","why":"The AI counts four months and shows $1,666.67.","fix":"Say: \"Depreciation starts the month after the in-service date: Oct, Nov, Dec.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Ignoring salvage","why":"The AI depreciates the full $24,000 over 48 months.","fix":"Add: \"Depreciable base = cost minus salvage.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Net book value from the base","why":"The AI subtracts accumulated depreciation from $20,000.","fix":"Add: \"Net book value = cost minus accumulated depreciation.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Markdown extras","why":"The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for.\"","checks":["plainText","maxBullets","r1"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"Depreciation depends on salvage, the start month and months elapsed. Name all three and the four lines.","rubricLabels":["Depreciable base line shows $24,000 - $4,000 = $20,000 and Monthly line shows $20,000 / 48 = $416.67","Accumulated at Dec 31 line counts 3 months (Oct, Nov, Dec) and shows 3 / 48 x $20,000 = $1,250.00","Net book value line shows $24,000 - $1,250.00 = $22,750.00"]}