| 26 February |
Buying or leasing a van – which route do you take? |
When you decide it is time for a new van for your business, you have to be clear about the methods of finance available. These fall in to two distinct categories: owning or hiring the vehicle. The latter is known as Finance Leasing.
Who should consider taking out a finance lease? Finance lease deals are best suited to individuals of businesses that want the same benefits normally associated with owning a vehicle. This would include the maximizing of tax gains and minimizing of the initial outlay. Usually you are asked to pay a relatively small initial rental cost or deposit up front. This may equate to 3 months payments with the balance of the payments being spread over the lifetime of the agreement. There should be a choice of payment terms, up to 5 years.
It is worth noting that for income tax purposes, finance lease is classed as a ‘hire agreement’ – qualifying you for a 100% relief to offset against any profit generated by the business.
With finance lease, you are required to pay VAT on a monthly basis. This you can claim back, if registered, to do so only on a quarterly basis. All that you have to do is agree a monthly figure and length of contract period. These deals usually include a final payment sometimes referred to as a ‘balloon’ or ‘Terminal Rental’.
Payments are made on a monthly basis by Direct Debit or standing order, and extend throughout the contract term. You can terminate the agreement early if you wish, although you will be liable for an ‘early redemption’ charge, and would lose the potential tax breaks.
At the end of the term, you are legally obliged to sell the vehicle, as the taxman will not allow you the tax advantages of the lease as well as ownership of the vehicle at the end of the agreement.
To understand more how this can benefit your busines, visit our website with our van leasing offers. volkswagen van leasing and Citroen Van Leasing are just some of the options out there to choose from.