Fixed Assets
The Fixed Assets module lets you plan capital expenditure (CapEx) and model the resulting depreciation, net book value (NBV), and cash flow impact. You define asset categories with depreciation rules, add individual assets, and the module calculates the full depreciation schedule through your forecast period.
This is a scenario-level standalone module — each scenario can have its own asset plan.
When to use Fixed Assets
Use this module when:
- You have existing fixed assets and want depreciation to appear in your P&L forecast
- You're planning new CapEx (equipment, vehicles, leasehold improvements, IT)
- You want the Balance Sheet and Cash Flow to reflect asset acquisitions and depreciation correctly
Creating the module
- In your Scenario, click Add a budget
- Choose Fixed Assets
- Follow the setup wizard (4 steps)
Step 1 — Introduction
Set the forecast period and choose whether to import existing asset data from a connected integration (if available — Exact Online, Twinfield, and others export fixed asset registers).
Step 2 — Categories
Asset categories group assets with the same depreciation method. Create categories before adding individual assets.
For each category:
| Field | What it defines |
|---|---|
| Category name | E.g. "Vehicles", "IT Equipment", "Leasehold Improvements" |
| Depreciation method | Linear (straight-line) or Degressive (declining balance) |
| Depreciation interval | Monthly, quarterly, or annually |
| Depreciation rate / life | For linear: useful life in months. For degressive: annual % rate |
| Residual value % | The percentage of cost retained at end of life (often 0) |
Depreciation methods
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Linear (straight-line) | Equal depreciation each period. E.g. a €12,000 asset over 36 months = €333/month |
| Degressive (declining balance) | Higher depreciation in early periods, declining over time. Rate applied to NBV each period |
Step 3 — Assets
Add individual assets within their categories:
| Field | What it defines |
|---|---|
| Asset name | E.g. "Company car – BMW 320" |
| Acquisition amount | Purchase price (gross) |
| Residual value | Expected value at end of useful life |
| Acquisition date | When the asset was or will be acquired |
| Depreciation start | When depreciation begins (sometimes different from acquisition) |
| Override depreciation method | Per-asset override of the category default |
| Loan link | Optional — connect a loan from the Loans module to model financed assets |
Linking loans to assets
If an asset is financed via a loan, you can link it to a loan entry in the Loans module. This ties the loan drawdown cash outflow to the asset acquisition date, and splits the depreciation from the financing cash flows cleanly.
Account mappings
At the end of the wizard, assign budget accounts for:
| Entry type | What it maps |
|---|---|
| Capitalisation | Cash outflow when the asset is acquired (investing activities in Cash Flow) |
| Depreciation (Balance Sheet) | Accumulated depreciation contra-account |
| Depreciation (P&L) | Depreciation expense on the income statement |
Output in reports
- P&L → monthly depreciation expense on the designated cost line
- Balance Sheet → gross asset value and accumulated depreciation; NBV = gross – accumulated
- Cash Flow → acquisition price as a cash outflow in investing activities at acquisition date; disposals as inflows
Integration import
If your accounting software exports a fixed asset register (common with Exact Online and Twinfield), the module's introduction step lets you import existing assets directly. This populates the asset list from actuals without manual entry — you then layer planned future acquisitions on top.
For existing assets already in your books, import them via the integration import. For planned future acquisitions, add them manually with a future acquisition date. Both will be included in the depreciation forecast.