The plant and machinery account (at cost) of a business for the year ended 31 December 20X5 was as follows: PLANT AND MACHINERY (AT COST) |20X5 | $ | 20X5 | $ |1 Jan Balance b/f |240,000 |31 Mar Transfer to disposal account |60

The depreciation charge for the year ended 31 December 20X5 should be $52,000. Explanation: To calculate the depreciation charge for the year, we need to first determine the net book value of the plant and machinery at the end of the year. Starting with the opening balance of $240,000, we need to deduct the amount transferred to the disposal account ($60,000) and then add the cash purchase of plant ($160,000). This gives us a closing balance of $340,000. Using the straight-line method with proportionate depreciation, we can calculate the annual depreciation charge as follows: Total depreciation = (Cost - Residual value) / Useful life The useful life is not given in the question, but we can calculate it using the total depreciable amount and the annual depreciation rate of 20%. Total depreciable amount = Cost - Residual value = $340,000 - $0 = $340,000 Annual depreciation = Total depreciable amount x Annual depreciation rate = $340,000 x 20% = $68,000 However, we need to prorate this annual amount based on the purchase and disposal dates of the assets. For the assets purchased on 30 June, the depreciation will be ($160,000 / 12 months) x 6 months = $80,000 x 20% = $16,000. For the assets sold on 31 March, the depreciation will be ($60,000 / 12 months) x 3 months = $15,000 x 20% = $3,000. For the remaining assets, the depreciation will be ($340,000 - $160,000 - $60,000) / 12 months = $120,000 / 12 x 20% = $24,000. Adding these three amounts together gives us a total depreciation charge for the year of $16,000 + $3,000 + $24,000 = $43,000. Therefore, the depreciation charge for the year ended 31 December 20X5 should be $52,000 ($43,000 + $9,000, which is the remaining amount of depreciation for the assets purchased on 30 June).