Hire Purchase or Lease Purchase is popular with operators looking to acquire ownership of equipment. It can cover up to 100% of the equipments selling price and enables you to take delivery of the asset straight away, but with payments spread over the life of the equipment and the option of keeping the asset at the end of the term for a nominal fee. Payments can be tailored to suit the cash flow needs of your business, making budgeting easier as the payment structure is agreed with you at the outset.

Acquiring new equipment under a Hire Purchase agreement also has tax advantages, in that you claim the writing down allowances and the interest elements of the repayments are allowable against taxable profits.

Finance Leases enable you to lease equipment without making a capital outlay that impacts upon your cash flow and balance sheet, allowing you to dedicate your financial resources to your core business. It means that equipment is hired to you for a fixed period without the option of ownership, and at the end of the primary period you may choose to continue to rent the asset for a further period at a nominal rate or to act as an agent in its disposal. This means you have the option to sell the equipment on our behalf and keep the majority of the proceeds.

Furthermore, for Finance Leases of five years or less, as the finance company remains the owner of the asset, they claim the writing down allowance and the benefit is passed to you in your rental payments. Your cash flow is eased still further because you pay VAT on the monthly repayments, not on the principal purchase cost.

In addition, you claim tax relief on the rental based on the finance charge and depreciation charge through your profit and loss account.

An Operating Lease is a financial agreement where the asset is treated as an off balance sheet item and the lessor retains ownership of it. Customers selecting this option agree to specific usage parameters for the equipment at the outset – and assuming these do not vary significantly, the monthly payments and interest are fixed for the duration of your contract. The prime advantage of this arrangement is that rentals are significantly lower than under an Operating Lease, because the equipments residual value is included in the transaction. At the end of the agreement you can choose to extend the agreement or simply return the equipment to the lessor. For Operating Leases of five years or less, the lessor has the legal and tax title to the asset allowing use of writing down allowances, which are passed on to you within the rental. In addition, you claim tax relief on the whole rental amount through your profit and loss account. Your cash flow is eased still further because you pay VAT on the monthly repayments, not on the principal purchase cost.

Contract Hire is the complete fleet solution and provides you with off balance sheet funding without the burden of ownership or disposal. It offers all the benefits of Operating Lease financing, comprehensive repair and maintenance, and fleet management services – all of this for a fixed monthly payment, thus improving your budgeting and cash flow projections. With Contract Hire you will be able to benefit from reduced administrative burden, you will also enjoy peace of mind through the provision of one-stop-shop repair and maintenance solutions that can be flexibly combined with our total fleet management options. Last but not least, our expert team will make sure that your Contract Hire package is tailored to suit your business needs.