Lease
is a contract wherein the owner of the assets allows the use of
the asset by another person over a specified period of time for
consideration in the form of lease rentals. Lease Finance can
be used as an effective alternative to other finance alternatives
because of the following features:
Flexibility in structuring – The lease rental payments
can be structured to suit the needs of the lessee. The rentals
could be consistent; back ended, or front ended depending upon
the lessee’s likely cash flows in future.
Cost Effective – It is particularly effective in case of
companies enjoying a tax holiday. The lessor remains the owner
of the asset, and can claim income-tax shield on depreciation.
A part of this benefit is passed on to the lessee in form of lower
rentals.
Leasing can substantially reduce the post tax cost of borrowing
for companies with differential tax rates over the lease tenure.
Companies with tax breaks will find this product attractive, particularly
for items eligible for higher rates of depreciation such as computers,
energy saving devices, pollution control equipments, etc.
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