Targeting Spreadsheet Data

Have you ever needed to analyze a specific group or range of data in a complex spreadsheet with many rows and columns? For example, you may want to review a depreciation schedule to determine whether your current-year asset additions were assigned the appropriate tax life. If you have numerous prior-year assets commingled with your current-year additions, it may take you hours scrolling through the depreciation schedule and searching for current-year asset additions—a tedious chore that may lead to inaccurate results. Excel provides a useful tool that will enable you—with minimal effort—to narrow your search and then gather all the targeted material together.

For demonstration purposes, set up a simple depreciation schedule as shown in exhibit 1.

EXHIBIT 1: ABC Co. and Subsidiaries

2000 Tax Depreciation Schedule Company Account Description Placed in Service Life Cost Beginning Accum. Deprec. Current Year Deprec. Ending Accum. Deprec. Net Basis Able Co. 1200 Waco Software 1/1/99 3 45,000.00 14,998.50 20,002.50 35,001.00 9,999.00 Bradley Co. 1200 Pineville Software 3/1/99 3 25,000.00 8,332.50 11,112.50 19,445.00 5,555.00 Bradley Co. 1200 Houston Software 7/1/99 3 10,000.00 3,333.00 4,445.00 7,778.00 2,222.00 Bradley Co. 1200 Lufkin Software 5/1/00 3 80,000.00 — 26,664.00 26,664.00 53,336.00 Bradley Co. 1200 Dallas Software 8/1/00 3 5,000.00 — 1,666.50 1,666.50 3,333.50 Laura Inc. 1200 Ruston Software 2/1/98 3 23,000.00 17,889.40 3,406.30 21,295.70 1,704.30 Laura Inc. 1200 Monroe Software 3/1/99 3 18,000.00 5,999.40 8,001.00 14,000.40 3,999.60 Education 2003-04-19 Article Manager Tagged with: Education <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US&adInstanceId=60db7a78-aa21-4ead-afb5-ddc30a48f344"></script> Related items Empirically Analyzing the "Five Percent Rule of Materiality" in Financial Reporting Decisions May 4, 2015 Interpreting and Applying IAS 11 – Construction Contracts April 20, 2015 Fixing the Pakistani Tax System June 28, 2013 Copyright 2002-2023 Accountancy. All rights reserved. Copyrights of all content on this web site are owned by Accountancy except where indicated in source or copyright statements. Accountancy must be contacted for permission to copy or redistribute any material published on this website.