Data Analytics for Undergraduate Tax Students: An Alteryx Case Study for MACRS Depreciation

Abstract

The increasing use of data analytics in the accounting profession necessitates development of instructional cases that teach students how to use data analytics tools to solve common accounting problems. While there has been an emphasis on data analytics cases for graduate education, we recognized a need for such cases at the undergraduate level to prepare students for internships, careers, and graduate education. This case meets this important need by introducing Alteryx in a typical tax setting—the calculation of Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) depreciation. The learning objectives are to: (1) extend knowledge of data analytics; (2) develop skills using Alteryx to extract, transform, and load data; (3) demonstrate understanding of tax rules for computing depreciation; and (4) develop effective written communication skills.