D104 picks up immediately where Intermediate Accounting I leaves off, moving from current assets into the accounting treatment of everything a company owns and owes over the longer term.
What D104 covers
The course covers acquisition and disposition of noncurrent (long-term) assets, along with the three ways their value gets reduced over time: depreciation for tangible assets, impairment for assets that have lost value unexpectedly, and depletion for natural resources.
It then turns to intangible assets (patents, trademarks, goodwill), current liabilities and contingencies (obligations that may or may not become real losses), long-term obligations like bonds payable, stockholders' equity, dilutive securities such as convertible bonds and stock options, and the time value of money calculations that underpin much of this analysis.
The D104 performance assessment
A typical D104 performance assessment presents a company's noncurrent asset and liability data and asks you to calculate depreciation under a specified method, evaluate whether an asset is impaired, account for a contingent liability correctly under GAAP recognition criteria, and apply time-value-of-money calculations to a bond or long-term obligation.
Key topics in D104
- Noncurrent asset acquisition and disposition
- Depreciation, impairment, and depletion
- Intangible assets
- Current liabilities and contingencies
- Long-term obligations and stockholders' equity
- Dilutive securities and time value of money
Writing tips for D104
Follow the task instructions and rubric line by line
WGU performance assessments for D104 are graded against a fixed rubric, not classroom "vibes" — every rubric line has to be visibly addressed, usually with a labeled heading that mirrors the rubric language. Skipping a rubric point because it seems minor is the single most common reason a competent task submission comes back "Not Yet Competent" for revision.
Use real, specific numbers and named scenarios, not generalities
WGU evaluators are trained to distinguish genuine analysis from a paraphrased textbook summary. Ground your submission in the specific company, dataset, or scenario the task provides (or that you're asked to select), and show your work — calculations, journal entries, or supporting schedules — rather than only stating a conclusion.
Because WGU is self-paced, don't let "no deadline pressure" become no submission
There's no weekly due date forcing progress, which means procrastination costs more at WGU than at a traditional term-based school — a stalled task can quietly eat weeks of a term. Treat your own target date for each D104 assessment as a real deadline.
Stuck on your D104 task?
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Why students seek help with D104
Depreciation, impairment, and depletion are conceptually similar (all reduce an asset's book value) but governed by different recognition triggers and calculation methods, and conflating them is a frequent error. Contingent liabilities also trip students up because GAAP's recognition threshold (probable and estimable) is a specific legal-accounting standard, not a judgment call.
How GradeEssays helps with D104
Share your asset and liability data plus your rubric, and your writer will apply the correct treatment to each item — the right depreciation method, an accurately reasoned impairment or contingency call, and properly worked time-value-of-money calculations.
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Place Your Order View All ServicesPrerequisites and program context
D104 requires Intermediate Accounting I (D103) as a prerequisite and leads directly into Intermediate Accounting III (D105).
Related courses
Frequently asked questions
Depreciation systematically allocates a tangible asset's cost over its useful life; impairment is a one-time write-down when an asset's value has unexpectedly dropped below its book value; depletion is depreciation's equivalent for natural resources like timber or minerals. D104 expects you to correctly identify which applies to a given asset and scenario.
GAAP requires a contingent liability to be recorded on the balance sheet only when the loss is both probable and reasonably estimable; if it's only reasonably possible (not probable) it's disclosed in the notes instead, and if it's remote it typically isn't disclosed at all — D104 assessments often hinge on correctly applying this threshold.