Whitney Company purchased equipment on January 1, 2020, for $162,000. This equipment has a useful life of 6 years and a residual value of $9,000. The company uses the double-declining depreciation method. On January 1, 2023, the company changes its depreciation method to the straight-line method. Compute depreciation expense for 2023.

Note: Carry all decimals in calculations; round the final answer to the nearest dollar. Depreciation expense for 2023: $Answer