As business owners for over thirty years, we understand that business equipment needs change, sometimes unexpectedly. With Stillwater Leasing’s new Stillwater Advantage™ program, we review your business’ long-range equipment and system needs and design a “master” lease. Based on pre-approved credit, your business can maintain ongoing approval for those purchases that your business needs now and in the future.
With Stillwater Advantage™, we’ll help you to analyze your business’ cash flow history in relation to a long-range equipment replacement plan, and we can even assist you in obtaining up-front capital utilizing your future accounts receivables.
Each Stillwater Advantage™ program is custom-designed to fit the needs of your individual business.
Capital Lease / Finance Lease / $1 Buyout
May also be referred to as a nominal or ($1) dollar-buyout lease. These leases share the advantage of fixed monthly payments but with the guaranteed option to purchase the equipment for a nominal price at the conclusion of the lease. With this type of lease there is no uncertainty about the value of the equipment at the conclusion of the lease as the buyout terms are generally a part of the initial agreement.
- Finance type lease may not qualify under I.R.S. regulations for deductibility.
- The lessee can depreciate the equipment.
- The lessee is considered the owner of the equipment (unlike an FMV lease) and maintains full control of the residual value.
- Lessee records the equipment as an asset and the lease payments as liabilities on their balance sheets.
True Lease or Operating Lease
Also known as fair market value leases. The most notable feature of this type of lease is that its structure does not contemplate a full payout of the cost of the equipment as is the case in a “Finance” type lease.
Two of the common tests are:
- The term of the lease is generally not greater than 75% of the equipment’s anticipated useful life.
- Payments should not exceed 90% of the fair market value of the equipment using the lessee’s incremental cost of borrowing.
A significant benefit is that the monthly payments are also less than on a finance type lease (above) or even a bank loan. Typically the lessee either returns the equipment at the conclusion of the lease or may be granted the opportunity to purchase the equipment from the lessor for “the fair market value.” Payments under this kind of lease structure are treated (by the I.R.S.) as rental payments and therefore are 100% tax deductible operating expenses. Also, as rental payments, neither the asset nor its corresponding liability need to appear on the company’s balance sheet. The lessor retains the right to depreciate the equipment.
End of lease features:
- The lessee may have the option to continue renting the equipment.
- Lessee may have the option to “re-lease” the equipment.
TRAC Lease
A TRAC lease is a special type of true lease that is generally used for “over-the-road” vehicles like trucks, tractors and trailers. Special provisions of the I.R.S. code allow for pre-determined residual values (as opposed to “future, fair market values) to be negotiated in advance while maintaining the “full deductibility” of a true lease.
- This type of lease is generally less expensive than other leases or conventional bank financing.
- The lessor would retain the rights to any depreciation
