There are a few important
factors to consider when planning a laboratory equipment
lease/financing arrangement. There are numerous payment
structures available as well as different end of term options.
Lab Equipment Finance (LEF) also offers custom payment plans
which we have deemed our "flexible finance" options.
Payment Plans:
- Seasonal payments
This plan is especially beneficial for those customers
who experience fluctuating time periods of higher and
lower revenue production on an annual basis. To utilize
this plan, the customer designates which 3 consecutive
months they require off. The remaining 9 payments during
each year will be calculated based upon the appropriate
rate factor.
- Step down payments
Step down leases begin with higher monthly lease rentals
and then decline over the course of the term. This structure
is beneficial for equipment that is subject to rapid depreciation
or technological obsolescence. This also allows the lessee
to accelerate their write off's for tax purposes.
- Step up payments
Step up leases begin with lower monthly lease rentals
that increase or "step up" over the lease term.
The steps may be created at any point during the term
but are most commonly done semi-annually or annually.
This structure is beneficial for equipment that takes
time to reach its full production capacity.
- Annual / semi-annual / quarterly
For those customers that request annual, semi-annual or
quarterly payments, WMI Capital can accommodate those
needs. These structures are beneficial for easy cost forecasting
and managing expenditures.
- Master lease
LEF offers a master lease line to make securing subsequent
leases quick and easy for the customer. By utilizing LEF's
plain English lease agreement on the initial funding,
all the customer needs to sign for future transactions
is our one page lease supplement.
End of term options:
- Fair market value
This structure is typically considered an operating lease
by the IRS. Each monthly lease rental is treated as a
"line item deduction" for tax purposes. At the
end of the lease term the customer can return the equipment,
continue the lease or purchase the equipment outright
for the fair market value.
- $1.00 buyout
This option is essentially a finance agreement, similar
to a bank loan. The customer depreciates the asset over
a fixed period of time for tax purposes. There is no trade
in option at the end of the lease and the customer owns
the equipment for $1.00 (or $101 depending upon state
laws).
- 10% PUT (Purchase Upon Termination)
This structure provides lower monthly payments by affixing
a 10% balloon payment to the end of the lease term. At
the end of the lease the customer owns the equipment for
10% of the original cost.
- P.R.O. (Purchase, Renewal Option)
PRO leases are treated as "true leases" for
federal income tax purposes. WMI Capital takes the depreciation
and passes on the benefit to the lessee in the form of
a lower rate. This structure is typically classified as
an operating lease (as defined by FASB-13). At the end
of the term the lessee has the option to either purchase
the equipment or renew the lease based upon a percentage
of the original equipment cost.
Flexible financing:
- 60-day deferral
LEF offers a 60-day deferral program in which the lessee
pays the standard security deposit (1st & last monthly
payments) with documentation and then is not invoiced
until 60-days after funding. Since LEF bills in arrears,
this is actually a 90-day deferred payment plan.
- 90-day deferral
The 90-day deferral plan is extremely helpful for those
customers acquiring equipment that does not generate income
during the first 90-days of implementation. With this
program, LEF has minimal contact payments of $25.00 for
each of the first three months followed by the normal
term at the determined rate factor.
- 7 x $100
With this program, the customer pays a $100.00 security
deposit and has their first six monthly payments at $100.00
each. The remaining 30, 42, or 54 payments are at the
determined rate factor.
- 6 x $99
With this program, the customer makes two payments as
a security deposit totaling $198.00. The first six monthly
payments are fixed at $99.00 each followed by 30, 42,
or 54 payments at the determined rate factor.
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