Section 179 is a tax deduction, which allows businesses to subtract the cost of certain types of assets from their balance sheet. Qualified purchased assets or leased assets can be written off as an expense during the purchase year. In order to meet the tax deduction, the qualified assets must be in use by December 31 of the tax year. Businesses can elect the tax deduction when filing their annual tax return.
The visual represents out of pocket costs for newly acquired leased or purchased equipment eligible for Section 179. While both leased and purchased equipment may qualify for the deduction, the difference is out of pocket expense. With leased equipment, you can pay less upfront, pay monthly lease payments, and still receive 100% deduction under Section 179.