The Formula to Calculate the Accounting Rate of Return is
by
Accounting Rate of Return Calculator
What is the Accounting Rate of Return (ARR)?
The Accounting Rate of Return (ARR) is a profitability metric used to evaluate the potential return of an investment. It measures the average accounting profit that an investment is expected to generate relative to its initial cost. Unlike cash flow-based metrics, ARR uses accounting profit, which includes non-cash expenses like depreciation but is net of taxes. It's a simple way to assess the efficiency of an asset or project.
Initial Investment Cost: The total upfront cost to acquire the asset or start the project.
Average Annual Profit: The expected profit generated by the investment each year, after accounting for all operating expenses, depreciation, and taxes.
A higher ARR generally indicates a more profitable investment. It's often used as a quick screening tool to compare different investment opportunities. However, it doesn't consider the time value of money, which is a significant limitation compared to methods like Net Present Value (NPV) or Internal Rate of Return (IRR).
Example:
Let's say a company is considering purchasing a new machine.
The initial cost of the machine is $50,000.
The machine is expected to generate an average annual profit of $10,000 (after depreciation and taxes).