How many years can it be used? Can I get my money back? Explaining the secrets of the service life of rapid freezer!

​rapid freezer freezes food at a high quality without keeping it fresh, helping to expand sales channels and improve efficiency. It has been attracting attention in recent years as the number of successful cases of businesses that have introduced it has increased.
However, commercial rapid freezer are expensive, starting at around 3 million yen per unit, and are not easy to purchase.

Once you have purchased rapid freezer, you want to use it for a long time to get the money back! I think so.
So, how many years can rapid freezer be used?

​The legal service life of rapid freezer as determined by the National Tax Agency is 6 years.

However, the legal service life is not the same as the lifespan; in fact, it is generally longer than the legal service life, about 10 years, and there are many rapid freezer are still in use for longer than that.

On the other hand, if maintenance is neglected, the lifespan may be shortened.

• Are you following the correct usage instructions?
• How many hours a day do you operate it?
• Do you perform maintenance properly?

The actual service life of rapid freezer will vary depending on such factors.

Therefore, in this article, we take a deeper look into the service life of rapid freezer.
​Key points to safely use rapid freezer even after the legal service life has passed, a guideline for how many years rapid freezer can be used to benefit you, and which is better: used, rental, or new? We will introduce the basics of depreciation that you should keep in mind along with useful life.

This is a must-see for those who are thinking about purchasing rapid freezer which is an expensive investment, so that they can get a good return on their investment.
Also, please refer to depreciation information when filing your tax return at the end of the year.

What is the service life of rapid freezer?

First of all, let's understand the term "useful life" correctly.
When you hear the term "useful life," it sounds like the number of years a machine can be used, but the legal useful life specified by tax law is an indicator used for "depreciation" and does not indicate the lifespan.

Statutory useful life is the number of years determined by the National Tax Agency as the period during which equipment is expected to be usable (depreciable assets) whose performance declines or deteriorates over time (depreciable assets).

The legal useful life is determined by tax law depending on the type of equipment, industry, and purpose, and there is basically no difference depending on the manufacturer or model. I will explain the useful life and depreciation in detail later, but in other words, the legal useful life determined by the National Tax Agency is not the lifespan, but the expected number of years it will last.

To avoid confusing legal service life with equipment lifespan, we will distinguish between legal service life and service life (actual service life).

So, what is the legal service life/service life of commercial rapid freezer?

The legal service life of rapid freezer used in restaurant kitchens is set at six years, the same as commercial freezers.
However, looking at recent cases, it is common for rapid freezer to be used for 10 years, and it is not uncommon for companies to use them for longer than that.

The legal service life is not an indicator of the expiration date, so if there are no problems with rapid freezer you can continue to use it as usual.
Additionally, there are several types of commercial rapid freezer, but there is little difference in service life depending on the type. What matters more is the maintenance and daily usage of rapid freezer.

How can I use rapid freezer for longer?

So, what kind of things should you pay attention to when using rapid freezer to extend its service life and use it for a long time?
There are two points to that.

First of all, be sure to follow the correct instructions for using rapid freezer. It's a basic thing, but there are surprisingly many places where it's used incorrectly.
For example, with rapid freezer, the amount of food that can be frozen at one time is determined by the machine. If you put more than that amount into rapid freezer at once, not only will power consumption increase, but rapid freezer will not be able to achieve its original performance.

Furthermore, repeating this process will lead to severe wear and tear, which may cause failure or deterioration of rapid freezer. If this happens, the actual service life will be shortened and unnecessary repair costs will be incurred. To prevent this from happening, be sure to receive a lecture on how to use rapid freezer when you purchase it, so that you understand the correct way to use it before you start using it.

The second point is to perform proper maintenance and inspection. In addition to basic care to keep the inside of rapid freezer clean, it is important to perform necessary maintenance depending on the type of rapid freezer rapid freezer Depending on the model, there are commercial rapid freezer have high maintenance costs, but in most cases, careful maintenance will result in a longer service life, which is beneficial.

When purchasing rapid freezer, we recommend that you consider ease of care and maintenance costs. For example, rapid freezer Artlock Freezer has a structure in which the inside of the freezer can be washed, so you can keep it clean with free self-care.

Also, check to see if there is a repair consultation center in case of a problem, and if there are regular inspections of rapid freezer.

What is the useful life of used products? Maintenance status is important!

The service life of a used rapid freezer is largely determined by its age and its condition at the time of purchase. If you purchase a machine that has not been properly maintained, you may end up incurring additional costs due to problems such as breakdowns.

If you are considering purchasing rapid freezer,

・Has rapid freezer been maintained?
・If rapid freezer breaks down, will I receive warranty or support?

Be sure to check these two things.

By the way, the useful life set by the National Tax Agency for used items is lower than that for new items.

1. 20% of the new product's useful life if it has passed its useful life.
2. If part of the new product's useful life has elapsed, the number of years is calculated by subtracting the number of years that have elapsed from the useful life and adding 20% of the elapsed number of years.

*Fractions less than 1 year are rounded down.
*2 years if the number of years is less than 2 years.

The legal service life of commercial rapid freezer is 6 years, so

In the case of a used product that is 7 years old, 6 years x 20% = 1.2 years, but since it is less than 2 years, the useful life is 2 years (example 1)
In the case of a used product that has been used for 3 years, the useful life will be 6 years - 3 years + 3 years x 20% = 3.6 years, rounding down the fraction, and the useful life will be 3 years (example 2)

It becomes.

However, I would like to reiterate that the legal service life specified by the National Tax Agency is only the estimated number of years it will last, and is not the lifespan of rapid freezer.
The actual service life depends on the state of maintenance, the number of years that have passed, and the degree of deterioration, so you need to consider these factors comprehensively and consider whether it is better to purchase a new rapid freezer with an effective service life of 10 years.

How many years can you benefit from using rapid freezer?

So, how many years can a commercial rapid freezer, which has a practical useful life of 10 years, be used to recoup its cost and make a profit?
It depends on the purpose of introducing rapid freezer and the results, but let's say you were able to increase production efficiency and reduce the number of part-time workers by one person.

By simple calculation, if you use the entire 10 years of the service life, you will earn 8.5 million yen (cash back).

Once things get off the ground, it's not difficult to earn back your money, demonstrating the high cost-effectiveness of rapid freezer.

On the other hand, if you purchase a used rapid freezer for 1.5 million yen and it only lasts half the lifespan of a genuine product (5 years), even if you achieve the same results in reducing labor costs,
[1.2 million yen (annual cost cut amount) x 5 years - 1.5 million yen (purchase amount of rapid freezer) = 4.5 million yen]
is.
If you can use it for a long time, it is better to buy a regular rapid freezer. The actual useful life of a used product depends on its condition at the time of purchase, so it may not necessarily be short, but you should at least check whether there is a warranty or support that I mentioned earlier.

Also, just like with second-hand products, we recommend calculating in advance whether it is better to rent or lease, or to purchase a new rapid freezer and use it to the fullest over its 10-year service life.

Useful life and depreciation

Next, we will explain the useful life and depreciation of rapid freezer.

To begin with, depreciation refers to assets whose performance deteriorates or deteriorates over time (depreciable assets), which are divided into fixed amounts or percentages each year according to their legal useful life and recorded as expenses. .
rapid freezer are also subject to depreciation assets, so if you purchase rapid freezer, you will need to account for depreciation in your tax return at the end of the fiscal year.

There are two ways to calculate depreciation: the straight-line method, which depreciates a fixed amount every year by dividing the acquisition price over the useful life, and the declining-balance method, which depreciates at a fixed rate every year.
The depreciation rate under the declining-balance method is highest in the first year and decreases over the years. For commercial rapid freezer you can choose which calculation method to use, so choose the one that suits your company.

The "acquisition price" of a commercial rapid freezer refers to the amount that includes not only the unit price of rapid freezer, but also transportation costs and installation costs. Please be careful not to calculate based only on the unit price.

For example, if you purchase a commercial rapid freezer for 3.5 million yen, and the acquisition cost including installation is 4 million yen, the straight-line method will calculate [4 million yen ÷ 6 years (useful life of rapid freezer)] So, in accounting terms, approximately 670,000 yen will be amortized over 6 years.

Please note that the legal service life varies depending on the type and purpose of the equipment and is subject to review.

When filing your tax return at the end of the fiscal year, be sure to check the statutory useful life table published on the National Tax Agency's website.

Do I need to replace it after its useful life has passed?

You may be concerned about whether you need to replace rapid freezer once it has reached its typical practical lifespan (10 years).

However, as mentioned above, the actual service life varies depending on usage and maintenance, so 10 years is not necessarily the time to replace it.
If you check the condition of rapid freezer and notice any signs of deterioration, it is safer to ask the manufacturer, sales company, or construction company to inspect it.

In fact, there are many workplaces that have been using rapid freezer for more than 10 years. It is best to consider the service life as a guideline only, and to determine when it is time to replace it by understanding the condition of your rapid freezer and with the support of a partner who can perform maintenance and inspections.

Conclusion

How was it?

The National Tax Agency stipulates that the legal lifespan of rapid freezer is 6 years, but the actual lifespan (as used in the field) is 10 years. The number of years will vary depending on usage and maintenance.

Although it is an expensive rapid freezer, if you can get good results and use it to the fullest during its 10-year service life without neglecting maintenance, you can get more than double the purchase price of rapid freezer (you can even get back money). Understood.
Because rapid freezer are highly cost-effective, it is important to take care to extend their useful life, including daily usage and maintenance.

Also, in order to make full use of rapid freezer for a longer period of time, it would be even more reassuring to have a partner you can talk to when you have a problem.
When purchasing rapid freezer, you will be able to get better results if you plan not only what you will do with the machine, but also how to extend the service life of rapid freezer and use it for a long time. .

At Daybreak, we provide instructions on how to use and provide post-purchase maintenance support to customers who have purchased rapid freezer.
Since we compare and sell multiple rapid freezer, we also provide precautions and tips for each model to help you use them for a long time. If you would like to know more, please contact our consultation desk.