In this lesson, Nick Palazzolo, CPA, breaks down the concept of cost recovery, explaining that it refers to methods such as depreciation, amortization, and depletion used to gain tax benefits for significant business assets. He sets the groundwork for understanding how to calculate tax depreciation for tangible property, the differences between depreciating tangible assets and amortizing intangible assets, and the future changes with the removal of depletion from the exam. Nick clarifies what is essential to focus on for the exam and provides context for understanding the relevance of certain accounting concepts, like stock warrants. The lesson concludes with a comparison of different expensing options for tax depreciation, including makers and section 179 bonus depreciation.