How to move old business assets under job-related expense to Self-employed?

[youngtaxinfo33]

My husband I always file MFJ.  He used to work for an employer (Michigan) but worked from home (California).  At that time, he had some business assets (unreimbursed, desk/chair/printer/second monitor etc).  I reported those under unreimbursed job-related expenses back then (2012-2014).  In 2015, he left the company and started his own consulting firm (self-employed).   I totally forgot about those old business assets and never moved those to SE business asset section even though he's been using those at the same % for his SE business.  Now, I realized that job-related expense deduction has been suspended.  I wonder if there's any way to move those to SE section without triggering any issue.    Any suggestion?   I also need to place them in the right place when I dispose those assets at some point in the future.  

[DianeC958]

To move the assets from Job Related Expenses to his business you show the asset as sold for the amount that has not been depreciated.  Then there is no gain or loss on the asset.  For example you have a computer you paid $2,000 and took depreciation of $750.  Now the value of the computer is $1,250 ($2,000-$750=$1,250).  The purchase price is $1,250 resulting in no gain or loss on the computer.

Now you add the computer to his business at the cost of $1,250.

Then you add the asset to his business at the same amount you showed it sold for as a job related expense.  Now you can depreciate the assets as part of his business.

[youngtax33]

Thank you for your reply.  Just for my clarification, how do I make sure what I depreciated those business assets under job-related expenses so far when I can’t find those list on my prior tax return and those expenses have been suspended for the past couple of years?  

[DianeC958]

If the assets no longer show in your tax return, then you can just add them in the business section as new assets.  It is best if you can access the depreciation schedule for the last year you took depreciation to record them on your business at the non-depreciated value.

@youngtax33