SYD Function in Google Sheets: Formula, Examples & Troubleshooting
Build a sum-of-years-digits depreciation schedule with SYD in Google Sheets. Check each annual charge, cumulative depreciation, and remaining book value.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =SYD(cost,salvage,life,period) calculates one period’s depreciation using the sum-of-years-digits method. For an asset costing 12,000 with a 2,000 residual value over five years, the first year’s expected depreciation is 3,333.333333.
Verification: NOT_TESTED_IN_GOOGLE_SHEETS. Google’s reference was reviewed October 17, 2026. All amounts below were independently calculated from the stated sum-of-years-digits model; they are expected results, not captured Google Sheets output.
Syntax and arguments
=SYD(cost, salvage, life, period)
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
cost |
Original asset cost |
salvage |
Expected asset value after depreciation |
life |
Number of depreciation periods |
period |
Individual period whose charge you want |
All four arguments are required. There are no optional defaults. Google specifically requires life and period to use matching units. A five-year life with period 2 means the second year; it does not mean the second month. Google SYD reference.
SYD returns an expense amount for one period, not the asset’s remaining value and not accumulated depreciation. This distinction matters when building a schedule: add the charges separately, then subtract their cumulative total from cost.
Example: a five-year equipment schedule
Put these assumptions in A1:B4:
| Cell | Label | Value |
|---|---|---|
| B2 | Cost | 12000 |
| B3 | Residual value | 2000 |
| B4 | Useful life in years | 5 |
Use D1:G1 for the headings Year, Depreciation, Accumulated, and Closing value. Enter years 1 through 5 in D2:D6.
- In E2, enter
=SYD($B$2,$B$3,$B$4,D2)and fill down through E6. - In F2, enter
=SUM($E$2:E2)and fill down through F6. - In G2, enter
=$B$2-F2and fill down through G6. - Format the monetary columns to two decimal places for display while retaining the underlying formula values.
| Year | Depreciation, displayed | Accumulated, displayed | Closing value, displayed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3333.33 | 3333.33 | 8666.67 |
| 2 | 2666.67 | 6000.00 | 6000.00 |
| 3 | 2000.00 | 8000.00 | 4000.00 |
| 4 | 1333.33 | 9333.33 | 2666.67 |
| 5 | 666.67 | 10000.00 | 2000.00 |
The independent check starts with the depreciable amount: 12,000 minus 2,000 equals 10,000. The year digits sum to 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15. Apply the descending weights 5/15, 4/15, 3/15, 2/15, and 1/15 to 10,000. These are mathematical checks of the documented method, not a claim about Google’s internal implementation.
For example, the second-year charge is 10000*4/15, or 2,666.666667. The first two charges add to exactly 6,000 before display rounding.
Advanced use: compare depreciation timing
A straight-line comparison can be calculated independently in H2 with =($B$2-$B$3)/$B$4. Fill it down through H6: each annual amount is 2,000. In I2 use =E2-H2 and fill down.
The expected annual differences are approximately 1,333.333333, 666.666667, 0, -666.666667, and -1,333.333333. Their total is zero. Both modeled schedules allocate the same 10,000 depreciable amount, but SYD allocates more to the earlier years.
This comparison explains timing; it does not establish which depreciation method accounting rules or a tax authority require for your asset. The example is a spreadsheet calculation, not accounting advice.
For a revised salvage assumption of 3,000, the depreciable amount becomes 9,000. Using the same five weights gives expected charges of 3,000, 2,400, 1,800, 1,200, and 600. Keep the assumption in B3 so the whole schedule can be reviewed from one change rather than editing five formulas.
Errors, boundaries, and troubleshooting
- Every row shows the first year’s amount: the period reference was probably fixed as
$D$2. Keep the assumptions fixed but allow D2 to advance as you fill down. - The final book value is wrong: verify the schedule includes exactly the five modeled periods, uses the same cost and salvage inputs throughout, and subtracts accumulated rather than only current-period depreciation.
- Monthly and annual inputs are mixed: choose a single period unit before calculating. Changing five years to 60 months changes the weighting schedule; it is not simply relabeling an existing annual result.
- A rounding discrepancy appears: displaying two decimals is different from rounding each charge in the formula. If your reporting policy requires rounded booked charges, handle its final reconciliation explicitly.
- Inputs fall outside the modeled domain: use a positive life, period numbers within that life, and economically sensible cost and salvage assumptions. Exact Sheets errors and fractional-period handling were not established from the reviewed reference, so no particular error code or truncation rule is promised here.
Support and compatibility
Google currently documents SYD for Sheets. The source does not establish its introduction date, a retirement date, or a last working version. Those are unknown. The examples use English function names and comma separators; imported workbooks and different formula locales should be checked in their destination environment. Matching function names alone do not prove identical boundary behavior across spreadsheet products.
References and related guides
Reviewed October 17, 2026: Google SYD documentation.
Related published guides: SUM for cumulative totals, ROUND for deliberate rounding, and IF for schedule flags.