Prepaid Expense Amortization Calculator
Paid for a year of insurance (or software, or rent) up front? Spread it over the months you actually use it, see the balance on any date, split current from long-term, and get the entries.
Ben / Reviewed Sep 27, 2026 / v2.0.0
Results
Showing the numbers you calculated- Prepaid balance
- $9,000.00
- As of 09/30/2026
- Expense per month
- $1,000.00
- 12 months, starting Jul 2026
- Expensed to date
- $3,000.00
- Through 09/30/2026
- Expense this month
- $1,000.00
- Sep 2026, through the as-of date
- Expense this year
- $3,000.00
- 2026 through the as-of date
- Current portion
- $9,000.00
- Gets expensed in the next 12 months (current asset)
- Fully expensed by
- 06/30/2027
Amortization schedule
Swipe the table sideways to see all 5 columns.
| Period | Months | Expense | Expensed to date | Prepaid balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 | $11,000.00 |
| Aug 2026 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $10,000.00 |
| Sep 2026 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $3,000.00 | $9,000.00 |
| Oct 2026 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $4,000.00 | $8,000.00 |
| Nov 2026 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $5,000.00 | $7,000.00 |
| Dec 2026 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $6,000.00 |
| Jan 2027 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $7,000.00 | $5,000.00 |
| Feb 2027 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $8,000.00 | $4,000.00 |
| Mar 2027 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $9,000.00 | $3,000.00 |
| Apr 2027 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $10,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| May 2027 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $11,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Jun 2027 | 1 | $1,000.00 | $12,000.00 | $0.00 |
By calendar year
| Year | Expense | Balance at Dec 31 |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $6,000.00 | $6,000.00 |
| 2027 | $6,000.00 | $0.00 |
Suggested journal entries
Suggested entries for your records — adjust account names to your chart of accounts.
| Account | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 06/25/2026 — Pay for the coverage up front — it's an asset until you use it | ||
| Prepaid insurance | $12,000.00 | |
| Cash | $12,000.00 | |
| Totals | $12,000.00 | $12,000.00 |
| 07/31/2026 — Expense Jul 2026's share (repeat every period with that period's amount) | ||
| Insurance expense | $1,000.00 | |
| Prepaid insurance | $1,000.00 | |
| Totals | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
What this does
When you pay for something before you use it — a year of insurance, an annual software plan, six months of rent — you haven't really spent that money yet. You've bought an asset: coverage you'll use up over time. This spreads the cost over the months (or days) you actually use it.
You get the schedule, the prepaid balance on any date you pick, how much of it is current versus long-term, and the two journal entries you need. The spreadsheet does the same with live formulas.
How the math works
Even months (what most small businesses book):
monthly expense = amount paid ÷ months of coverage months of coverage = coverage days ÷ 30.4375, rounded
The first month is the month coverage starts — or the next month, if it starts after the 15th. Each month's share gets expensed at month-end.
Exact days, if you need it to the penny:
expense for a period = amount paid × days of coverage in the period ÷ total days of coverage
Either way, the calculator works out the total expensed through each date and rounds that to the cent, so each period is the difference and the last one lands exactly on zero. No leftover pennies.
prepaid balance = amount paid − expensed through the as-of date current portion = what gets expensed in the next 12 months
The coverage dates drive everything — not the payment date. Paying in June for coverage that starts in July means nothing gets expensed in June.
Check my math: a worked example
Business insurance, 12-month policy: $12,000 paid on 06/25/2026 for coverage from 07/01/2026 to 06/30/2027, spread by even months.
- On 06/25/2026 it all goes to Prepaid insurance, an asset. Nothing hits expense yet.
- 365 days of coverage is 12 months, so each month gets $12,000.00 ÷ 12 = $1,000.00, starting with Jul 2026.
- Jul 2026: expense $1,000.00, leaving $11,000.00 prepaid.
- As of 09/30/2026: $3,000.00 expensed, $9,000.00 still prepaid — $9,000.00 current.
- By calendar year: 2026 $6,000.00, 2027 $6,000.00 — fully expensed by 06/30/2027.
These numbers come straight from the calculator using its example inputs — if the math ever changes, this example changes with it.
Mistakes I see a lot
- Expensing the whole thing the month you pay it. Your P&L gets a big fake loss that month and looks too good for the next eleven.
- Starting the schedule on the payment date instead of the coverage start date.
- Leaving a multi-year prepaid entirely in current assets. The part that won't be used within 12 months is long-term.
- Never checking the balance. At every close, the prepaid account should match the schedule — if it doesn't, something got missed.
- Forgetting about the prepaid when a policy is cancelled. The unused balance becomes a refund receivable, or an expense if you won't get it back.
Questions people ask
- What counts as a prepaid expense?
- Anything you pay for before you use it: insurance premiums, annual software subscriptions, rent paid in advance, maintenance contracts, trade show deposits. It sits on the balance sheet as an asset, then moves to expense as you use it.
- Even months or exact days?
- Even months is simpler and what most small businesses (and most accounting software) do — every month gets the same amount. Exact days is more precise when coverage starts or ends mid-month, and it's what you'd use if your auditor wants it to the day.
- Do I have to amortize small prepaids?
- Most businesses set a threshold — say, $1,000 or $2,500 — and just expense anything smaller right away. It's fine as long as it's a written policy, you apply it consistently, and the amounts wouldn't change anyone's decisions.
- What's the journal entry each month?
- Debit the expense account, credit the prepaid account, for that period's amount. When you first pay, it's debit prepaid, credit cash — no expense at all.
- Is a prepaid a current asset?
- The part you'll use in the next 12 months is. For a two- or three-year prepaid, the rest is noncurrent. The calculator splits it for you as of your as-of date.
- What if I paid after coverage started?
- Then some of it was already used by the time you paid. Book that part to expense when you record the payment, and follow the schedule from there. The calculator tells you how much.
Assumptions and limits
- Straight-line: the cost is used up evenly over the coverage period, and expensed as it's used (the matching principle). The payment date doesn't change the schedule — coverage dates do.
- Even months (the default): the cost ÷ the months of coverage, where months = coverage days ÷ 30.4375, rounded. The first month is the month coverage starts, or the next month if it starts after the 15th. Each month is expensed at month-end.
- Exact days: the cost ÷ the days of coverage (start and end dates both count), so a 31-day month costs more than a 28-day one.
- Expense to date is always rounded to the cent from the total (cost × units used ÷ total units), so each period is the difference and the last one lands exactly on zero.
- Periods are calendar months, quarters, or years. The annual summary is by calendar year.
- The current portion is what gets expensed in the 12 months after the as-of date; anything beyond that is a noncurrent (long-term) asset.
- No cancellations, refunds, or changes to the coverage period.
Disclaimer: Educational and planning use only. Results depend on what you enter and may not match your lender, your tax return, or professional accounting treatment. Informational content + opinions only — not tax/legal advice.