Hardware owned by company or employee, tax and legal?
Company ownership is the simplest route. Employee ownership (e.g. via allowance) has tax edges and privacy implications.
Try this first
- 1Company ownership (default): laptop on the balance sheet, depreciated over 3-5 years. Returns to company on exit, easy process.
- 2Employee ownership with allowance: possible via targeted exemption (NL) when 90%+ business use. Read current tax rules; they shift.
- 3Privacy: with employee ownership, BYOD policy is critical. Full MDM cannot live on a personal device, only container apps (Intune App Protection).
- 4Hybrid: company buys, employee may buy out at residual value on exit. Combines simplicity with retention effect.
When to bring us in
Question crosses into payroll or tax advice? We work with an accountant and align the IT side.
See also
- Should we buy or lease laptops as a 5-person company?Both work. Lease is predictable but pricier over the term; buying needs cash and your own depreciation. The difference is mostly admin.
- Is buying refurbished smart or asking for trouble?For office work fine, if from a serious vendor with warranty and a clean OS install. The trap is shady marketplace listings.
- How much RAM and SSD for office work in 2026?Rule of thumb for knowledge work: 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD as a comfortable minimum. 8 GB already feels tight; 32 GB is for heavy tools.
None of the above fits?
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