Noun. 1. specific heat-the heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance one degree centigrade. heat, heat energy-a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature. 1  Facebook.
You begin to depreciate your property when you place it in service for use in your trade or business or for the production of income. You stop depreciating property either when you have fully recovered your cost or other basis or when you retire it from service, whichever happens first.
Even if a taxpayer meets the preceding requirements for a property, a taxpayer cannot depreciate the following property: 1  Property placed in service and disposed of in same year. 2  Equipment used to build capital improvements. 3  Certain term interests.