The residual value is calculated automatically in accordance with German tax regulations governing the depreciation of assets. The monthly calculation determines the current book value of each inventory item.
Legal basis:
§ 6(2) EStG (Low-value assets)
§ 7(1) EStG (Straight-line depreciation for wear and tear)
The calculation is performed fully automatically at the end of the month and takes into account the acquisition cost, the acquisition date, and the specified useful life of the respective item.
The residual value calculation in eTASK serves the operational management and valuation of inventory items and fixed assets. It supports operational decisions such as planning replacement purchases, weighing the options between repair and new purchase, budget planning for investments, and the management of fixed assets. For tax and accounting purposes, only financial accounting is authoritative.
Depreciation Rules
Low-value assets (LVA)
Up to €800 net:
Immediate write-off in the year of acquisition
Residual value is set to €0
€801 to €1,000 net:
Pool depreciation over 5 years
20% annual depreciation
After 5 years, the residual value is €0
Regular depreciation
Over €1,000 net:
Straight-line depreciation over the specified useful life
Monthly pro-rata calculation
After full depreciation, a nominal value of €1 remains
Calculation example:
Acquisition cost: €12,000
Useful life: 10 years
Monthly depreciation: €100 (€12,000 ÷ 10 years ÷ 12 months)
After 71 months: Residual value €4,900
Prerequisite
The acquisition date is maintained
The acquisition cost is maintained and is greater than €0
The asset has not been retired
For assets over €1,000: The useful life is maintained
Procedure in the FM Portal
If the prerequisites are met, you only need to activate the timer job in the System Control. If this needs to be added later or if you are creating new objects, follow one of these three options.
1. Add/enter data
Option 1: Manual data maintenance
Path to the starting point: Objects/Assets – Object List
Open the entry where data needs to be added.
Now enter the acquisition date, the acquisition cost [Euro], and the total useful life [a] in years (important for amounts over €1,000)
If necessary, clear the Disposal Date field.
Click Save in the toolbar.
Option 2: Transfer via interface from the financial accounting asset list
With this option, the master data for inventory items is not entered manually but is automatically imported via a data interface from the fixed asset register in Financial Accounting.
This procedure avoids data transfer errors and can save time when creating or updating large amounts of data.
Export the asset data from Financial Accounting (e.g., as a CSV, Excel, or XML file, or via direct system integration).
Verify that the export format meets the requirements for import into eTASK (fields such as inventory number, acquisition cost, acquisition date, useful life, etc., must be included).
Start the import process in eTASK:
a) Open the import function for asset data in the eTASK portal.
b) Select the export file or configure the interface.
c) Check the import parameters (e.g., field mapping, duplicate check).Perform the import:
a) The data is imported automatically.
b) New inventory items are created, and existing ones are updated.Check the result:
a) Check the import log for errors or warnings.
b) Perform a random check of the imported data in the system.
Note: The exact procedure may vary slightly depending on the system and interface used. If you have questions regarding technical implementation or the import format, we recommend consulting with IT or eTASK Support.
Examples of useful lives:
Office furniture: 13 years
Computers and IT equipment: 1–3 years
Motor vehicles: 6 years
Production machinery: 8–14 years
2. Activate the timer job for calculating the residual value of objects:
Activate the timer job for calculating the residual value of objects 📄 Timer-Jobs aktivieren IC1544
Once the master data is complete, it will be automatically included in the next calculation. The calculation takes place automatically at the end of the month.
Note: Items with straight-line depreciation (over €1,000) retain an accounting residual value of €1 (reminder value) after full depreciation. This serves as proof that the item is still in inventory.
Note: Depreciation is calculated on a monthly pro-rata basis rather than annually. This allows for a more accurate valuation at any point within the fiscal year.
Note: Items with a disposal date are no longer included in the calculation. The residual value at the time of disposal remains documented in the system.
See also:
📄 Datenimport und -export über Excel IC1112