Hardware lease vs buy, where does SMB break-even sit

Leasing wins on cash flow and refresh cycle, buying wins on total cost over 3 years. Which wins depends on growth and finance.

Try this first

1. 1Convert purchase to monthly cost over the depreciation term (commercial term often 3 years; the NL tax minimum for inventory including laptops is typically 5 years at 20% per year, check with your accountant). A 1200-euro laptop on a 3-year straight-line is roughly 33 euros per month.
2. 2Get a lease quote for the exact same model. Operational lease bundles service, warranty, and trade-in, which explains the higher monthly price.
3. 3Decide your refresh interval. Refreshing every 3 years works well with lease. "Until it dies" is almost always cheaper bought, because lease ends force replacement.
4. 4Consider tax impact. Lease is fully an operating expense. Purchase is a capital expense you depreciate. For a growing business with variable profit this affects both cash flow and corporate tax.
5. 5Count failure risk. Buying makes you responsible after warranty. Leasing makes the lessor swap units. For SMB without spare hardware that is a real argument.

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