{"id":20168,"date":"2025-12-26T12:15:42","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T11:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/help-center\/what-to-do-when-a-business-asset-is-stolen-or-broken-beyond-repair-a-complete-guide\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T14:17:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T12:17:05","slug":"what-to-do-when-a-business-asset-is-stolen-or-broken-beyond-repair-a-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"help_center","link":"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/help-center\/what-to-do-when-a-business-asset-is-stolen-or-broken-beyond-repair-a-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do when a business asset is stolen or broken beyond repair: A complete guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Business assets such as cars, laptops, machinery, or other equipment often represent a significant investment in your company. But what happens when such an asset is stolen or damaged beyond repair? How do you record this correctly in Accountable? And how do you handle an insurance payout?
\u200b<\/p>\n

In this article, we walk you through the entire process step by step: how to register the loss, how depreciation is affected, how to record the insurance payout, and what the fiscal impact may be. Clear examples are included throughout.<\/p>\n

\n

1. What to do when an asset is stolen or irreparably damaged<\/b><\/h2>\n

The first step is to mark the asset as lost<\/i> or broken<\/i> in Accountable. You do this by following these steps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    Click on Amortization:
    \u200b<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    \u200b<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    Click on the asset and mark it as “lost or broken”:
    \u200b<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    \u200b<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Select the date the asset was lost or broken:
    \u200b<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    \n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What documents should you keep?<\/b><\/h3>\n

    You cannot directly link the documents to the asset entry, but you must store them in your document archive:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \n

      The official police report (in case of theft)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Photos or repair declarations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Any additional supporting evidence<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      These documents are crucial, especially if the tax authorities request clarification during an audit. They prove that the asset is no longer available for business use.<\/p>\n

      \n

      Example<\/b><\/h3>\n

      Your company car is stolen on 12 November 2025<\/b>.
      You mark the car as \u201clost\u201d with this date and store the police report in your documentation.<\/p>\n

      \n

      2. Can you continue depreciating the asset?<\/b><\/h2>\n

      No,<\/b> depreciation stops on the date the asset is stolen or becomes unusable.
      A business asset must be available for economic use in order to depreciate it. Once it is lost, this requirement is no longer met.<\/p>\n

      \n

      Example<\/b><\/h3>\n

      Your company car is being depreciated over 5 years.
      The theft occurs on 12 November 2025.<\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        Depreciation up to 12\/11\/2025: allowed<\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Depreciation after that date: no longer allowed<\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        This rule applies regardless of how long the insurance company takes to handle the claim.<\/p>\n

        \n

        3. Does it matter whether the insurance pays out in 2025 or 2026?<\/b><\/h2>\n

        Yes, it matters. The payout date<\/b> determines the financial year<\/b> in which the income has to be recorded.<\/p>\n

          \n
        • \n

          Insurance pays in 2025<\/b> \u2192 income in 2025<\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Insurance pays in 2026<\/b> \u2192 income in 2026<\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          This affects your profit for the relevant year.<\/p>\n

          \n

          Example<\/b><\/h3>\n

          The insured residual value of the stolen vehicle is \u20ac28,000<\/b>.<\/p>\n

            \n
          • \n

            Payment on 29 December 2025 \u2192 recorded in 2025<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Payment on 15 January 2026 \u2192 recorded in 2026<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            The theft date does not<\/b> determine the year of recognition; the payment date does<\/b>.<\/p>\n

            \n

            4. How to record the insurance payment<\/b><\/h2>\n

            An insurance payout for a stolen or lost asset is not sales revenue<\/b>. It is a non-invoice revenue<\/b> item.<\/p>\n

            \n

            In the app, you add:<\/p>\n

            \n

            \u27a1\ufe0f Non-invoice revenue<\/b><\/p>\n

            <\/div>\n

            \u27a1\ufe0f Category: Insurance payouts \u2192 Insurance payout for lost asset<\/b>
            \u200b<\/p>\n

            <\/div>\n

            \u200b<\/p>\n

            The insurance document confirming the reimbursed amount (e.g., \u20ac28000<\/b>) serves as your proof.<\/p>\n

            \n

            Example<\/b><\/h3>\n

            You receive the insurance payment of \u20ac28,000 on 15 January 2026.<\/p>\n

              \n
            • \n

              Upload the insurance statement<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Create a non-invoice revenue entry<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Select: Insurance > Insurance payout for lost investment<\/i><\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Enter \u20ac28,000<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              The payout is then properly reflected in your accounts.<\/p>\n

              \n

              5. Full example from start to finish<\/b><\/h2>\n

              Let\u2019s bring all steps together in one complete scenario.<\/p>\n

              \n

              You purchase a business vehicle in 2023 for \u20ac40,000.
              In 2025, the vehicle is stolen.
              The insurer reimburses \u20ac28,000<\/b>.<\/p>\n

              \n

              Step-by-step accounting treatment<\/b><\/h3>\n

              1. Mark the asset as lost<\/b><\/h4>\n
                \n
              • \n

                Loss date: 12\/11\/2025<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Store the police report in your documents<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                2. Stop depreciation<\/b><\/h4>\n

                Depreciation stops as of the loss date.<\/p>\n

                \n

                3. Receive insurance money in 2026<\/b><\/h4>\n
                  \n
                • \n

                  Payment date: 15\/01\/2026<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                • \n

                  Amount: \u20ac28,000<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  \u27a1\ufe0f Recorded in 2026<\/b>.<\/p>\n

                  <\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                  A Complete Guide on stolen or broken assets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-20168","help_center","type-help_center","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat to do when a business asset is stolen or broken beyond repair: A complete guide - Accountable<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/help-center\/what-to-do-when-a-business-asset-is-stolen-or-broken-beyond-repair-a-complete-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What to do when a business asset is stolen or broken beyond repair: A complete guide - Accountable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Complete Guide on stolen or broken assets\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/help-center\/what-to-do-when-a-business-asset-is-stolen-or-broken-beyond-repair-a-complete-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Accountable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-30T12:17:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/downloads.intercomcdn.com\/i\/o\/c9wnmh12\/1841798752\/24a5be1959513e5f17c217a6829d\/Screenshot+2025-11-21+at+02_54_08.png?expires=1774874700&signature=46c94969c3c8d5b77b603f71d14b3118b34d23e84c83fb09941ec21825dbe09c&req=dSgjF853lYZaW%2FMW1HO4zSReZeWFoMZonBoxKRhUwwPdy2v3wz6cUZA55M2U4NuW\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/help-center\/what-to-do-when-a-business-asset-is-stolen-or-broken-beyond-repair-a-complete-guide\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.accountable.eu\/en-be\/help-center\/what-to-do-when-a-business-asset-is-stolen-or-broken-beyond-repair-a-complete-guide\/\",\"name\":\"What to do when a business asset is stolen or broken beyond repair: A complete guide - 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