amortisation

Intermediate 💰 Finance / Accounting

Definition

The bookkeeper's favorite white lie—spreading a gigantic debt or capital expense across multiple years so nobody has to stare directly at the fiscal crater you just created. Whether you're slowly drowning in a mortgage or pretending that expensive software will somehow stay useful until you've paid it off, amortisation is the art of making financial pain installment-friendly.

Example Usage

The company used amortisation to spread the $500,000 equipment purchase over ten years, making the annual hit less apocalyptic to shareholders.

Source: Merriam-Webster, CPA terminology

Related Terms