Property and equipment

Property and equipment is recorded at cost and capitalized from the initial date of service.  Expenditures for major additions and improvements are capitalized and minor replacements, maintenance, and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.  When property and equipment is retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is included in the results of operations for the respective period.  Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the related assets using the straight-line method for financial statement purposes.  The Company uses other depreciation methods (generally accelerated) for tax purposes where appropriate.  The estimated useful lives for significant property and equipment categories are as follows:

The Company reviews the carrying value of property and equipment for impairment whenever events and circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable from the estimated future cash flows expected to result from its use and eventual disposition.  In cases where undiscounted expected future cash flows are less than the carrying value, an impairment loss is recognized equal to an amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of assets.  The factors considered by management in performing this assessment include current operating results, trends and prospects, the manner in which the property is used, and the effects of obsolescence, demand, competition and other economic factors.  Based on this assessment there was no impairment as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.  Depreciation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 totaled $13,236 and $12,171, respectively.