Why is depreciation considered a "non-cash" expense?

Depreciation is considered a "non-cash" expense because it represents the allocation of the cost of tangible assets over their useful lives rather than an actual cash outflow. In simpler terms, when a business records depreciation, it acknowledges the wear and tear or reduction in value of an asset over time, but no cash is physically spent during the accounting period when depreciation is recorded.

This accounting treatment helps to match the expense of using the asset to the revenue it generates, providing a clearer financial picture of the business's operational performance. Since no money is going out of the business at the time of recording depreciation, it is classified as a non-cash expense, contrasting with expenses that require an actual cash transaction.