Perhaps your startup needs a printer to provide physical copies of marketing materials. Maybe your business has been in operation for a year or longer, and printing demands have increased. If you cannot decide whether to lease or buy the equipment, use this guide to help you choose.  

Leasing 

Consider leasing if making monthly payments suits your current budget needs better than making one large, upfront investment. Leasing does not require a down payment, allows you to deduct the entire cost from your business taxes, and provides fixed terms for calculating expenses with ease. It’s ideal if you’re contending with other startup costs and would rather pay monthly fees until your business has become a community staple. 

Choosing to lease also means you’ll always have the latest printer when you renew your contract and upgrade the model, which helps you stay up to date on the latest printing technologies and features. Any maintenance the equipment needs is also covered by the lease agreement. 

Keep in mind that you will have to make monthly payments for the lease term, even if you stop using the equipment after a few months. You also might end up paying more for the printer over time if you choose a long-term lease. Terms typically range from 24 to 63 months. 

Buying 

Investing in printing equipment generally means making a larger down payment and dealing with outdated equipment after a few years. However, purchasing a printer is arguably simpler than leasing because there are no terms to agree to; buy the model you want and have it delivered to your business location. You can deduct the equipment’s depreciation from your taxes, which is generally 40% for the first year and 25% thereafter. 

Buying also means you are not beholden to a lease agreement’s maintenance schedule and can create your own. Selling the equipment whenever you wish provides another buying perk. 

Purchase or lease a printer from Cartridge World Lithonia, the office supply company serving Lithonia, Conyers, Covington, Stone Mountain, Stockbridge, Fulton County, Atlanta, Ellenwood, and McDonough, GA since 2007. The company carries and repairs products from HP®, Canon®, Epson®, and Dell®, offers ink and laser cartridge recycling services, and even holds seminars about green printing practices. Call (770) 484-4651 today for information about their no-cost printer program or learn more online.