Policy No. 610

Area: Finance

Adopted: 7/22/2008 

Revisions Approved: 9/22/2020

The purpose of this policy is to establish a uniform capitalization policy that complies with federal and state financial reporting requirements.

Capitalization Defined

"Capital Expenditures" are defined as expenditures for the acquisition cost of capital assets (land, buildings, equipment), or expenditures to make improvements to existing capital assets that materially increase the asset's value or useful life. The acquisition cost of a capital asset includes all of the costs necessary to place the asset in service for its intended use. In general, this should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the net invoice price of the asset including the cost of any attachments, accessories, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it was acquired. Also included in the acquisition cost are freight, transit insurance and installation charges. Management should exercise good judgment and consistent treatment with regard to what costs should be included.

For donated assets, the fair market value at the date of the gift will be used as the acquisition cost.

All capitalized assets must be College owned (acquired through procurement, construction or donation). Purchases of assets meeting the criteria outlined below should be coded in the general ledger with the respective capital object code.

Repairs and maintenance which do not materially add to the useful life of the asset or increase the asset's value should be expensed, not capitalized.

Capital Asset Classifications

1. Land- All purchases or donations of land will be capitalized regardless of value. The acquisition costs of Land should include the purchase price, closing costs, all costs incurred in preparing the land for its intended use and improvements to the land that have indefinite lives and are permanent in nature. Land is not depreciated.
2. Land Improvements- Improvements to land with limited lives such as fencing and gates, driveways, parking lots, athletic fields, outdoor lighting and landscaping should be recorded as land improvements. Land improvements in excess of $15,000 should be capitalized. Land Improvements should be recorded as a separate asset from Land.
3. Buildings- All structures used for operating purposes including all permanently attached fixtures, machinery, and other components that cannot be removed without damage, such as boilers, air conditioners, wiring, and lighting fixtures.

If a building is acquired by purchase, the capitalized cost should include the purchase price plus other expenses incurred at the time of acquisition. A purchase of both land and buildings requires that the cost be allocated between the assets.

If a building is constructed, the capitalized cost should include, but not limited to material, labor, building permit fees, title costs, architectural, engineering and legal fees.

Structures with an estimated useful life less than 40 years are classified as small buildings.   

4. Building Improvements- All alterations, renovations and repairs to existing structures in excess of $15,000 that increase the value of the property, make it more useful, or increase its useful life. This includes additions, roof replacements, replacement of central air conditioning or heating systems or other major renovations. Work to maintain the facility in its existing condition, such as painting or repairs, should be expensed.
5. Infrastructure- long-lived capital assets that normally are stationary in nature and normally can be preserved for a significantly greater number of years than most capital assets. Examples of infrastructure assets include roads, bridges, tunnels, drainage systems, utility delivery systems, water and sewer systems, dams and lighting systems.
6. Furniture and equipment - Any moveable, nonexpendable personal property, not permanently affixed to a building, with a life expectancy of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $2,500 or more per single unit. A single unit is defined as a piece of equipment/ furniture that when assembled functions as a stand-alone unit. This includes capital equipment, capital furniture & fixtures, computers, and vehicles.

All furniture and equipment meeting the criteria for capitalization must be identified, tagged and entered into the College's Fixed Asset Inventory System.

7. Library Books -. Effective beginning Fiscal Year 2021, Atlantic Cape will no longer capitalize library books. The remaining value of library books previously capitalized will be depreciated over their remaining original useful life.
8. Computer Software- having a useful life of one year or more and a cost of $15,000 per license. Amortization is applied over the term of the applicable software license, or expected life of the respective software.
9. Capital Leases- capitalized if they meet the criteria of Statement No. 87 of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board Leases.
10. Leasehold Improvement- All alterations, renovations and repairs to leased facilities in excess of $15,000 that increase the value of the property, make it more useful, or increase its useful life. Amortization is applied over the term of the applicable lease.
11. Aggregate Purchases- When a group of fixed assets are acquired for one area/room and collectively the purchase total exceeds $15,000, then the total of the assets purchased should be capitalized. An example is furniture and equipment purchased to furnish a new building.

If a group of like assets are acquired together and will be utilized in one capacity, then even though the individual acquisition costs are less than the threshold for capitalization, then the assets should be capitalized if the aggregate acquisition cost exceeds $15,000. An example would be new computer equipment to furnish a computer lab.

12. Construction in progress - Construction in progress should be capitalized at the end of each fiscal year. Construction in progress is not depreciated. It should be reported with Land and other non-depreciating assets. When the construction is complete and the asset placed into service, the construction in progress total is transferred to the respective asset account such as Building Improvement, and depreciation then begins in accordance with the guidelines below.

Depreciation Guidelines

In accounting terms, depreciation is the process of allocating the cost of tangible property over a period of time, rather than deducting the cost as an expense in the year of acquisition.  Generally, at the end of an asset’s life, the sum of the amounts charged for depreciation in each accounting period (accumulated depreciation) will equal the original cost less salvage value (if any).

All depreciable assets will be depreciated using the straight-line method, with half-year convention. The straight-line method allocates an equal amount of the net cost of the asset to each accounting period in the asset's useful life. All depreciable property will have a 0% salvage value.

The estimated useful life means the estimated number of years that an asset is used for the purpose for which it was acquired. An asset must have a useful life greater than one year to be considered for capitalization and depreciation. Assets that are consumed or worn-out in one year or less should not be capitalized.

The following useful lives will be used for depreciation purposes:

Equipment Management

Atlantic Cape is responsible for the security and protection of all equipment in its possession. The responsibility for equipment management rests collectively with the following:

Departmental Managers: Inventory custodian

Business Services Department: Inventory tracking system

Finance: General ledger records and financial statement presentation

Information Technology Services: Computer equipment tracking

Campus Safety and Security: Inventory security

Physical Inventory

A physical inventory of capital assets will be conducted periodically and the results reconciled with the College's financial records

At the close of the inventory process, adjusting journal entries will be done where applicable for assets which have been taken out of service, or otherwise disposed.

Disposition

Capital assets which are obsolete, worn out, or no longer meet the requirements of a department may be sold as surplus, transferred to another department, traded-in or discarded. Property disposal must be done in accordance with Policy 707 and Policy 707 procedures.

External Funding Agencies

The terms and rates of agencies or organizations funding the purchase of capital assets may take precedence over these guidelines. The College will follow applicable federal and state grant regulations governing equipment and other capital assets purchased with grant funds.