In conditions of insufficient own funds, the absence of external sources of investment financing, and a significant proportion of unprofitable enterprises, the role and importance of depreciation charges as the most sustainable source of financial resources of the organization increases. The importance of profit increases not only for enterprises, but also for regional budgets, since income tax is one of the important sources of their income. The article examines depreciation policy as an integral part of business financial planning and management. The study showed that in the regions a small number of enterprises use the opportunities provided by Chapter 25 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation to optimize income taxes through an active depreciation policy, the relevance of which increases due to the obsolescence of the equipment fleet at enterprises and the low level of its renewal. The purpose of the article is to study depreciation policy and the extent to which optimization methods are used in the regions. The study used methods generally accepted in economics: analysis and synthesis, grouping, generalization, dynamics, tabular, etc. The study is based on official data from Rosstat, the Ministry of Finance, etc. The results of the study can be used in developing depreciation policy at the enterprise as part of the accounting policy for the purposes taxation. The study established: depreciation policy has not yet become an effective tool for stimulating investment activity in the activities of business entities.