What is a Municipal Lease/Purchase Agreement?
A Tax-Exempt Municipal Lease/Purchase Agreement is essentially an installment sale contract that fully amortizes during the term of the Agreement. There is no balloon payment or purchase option at the end. The Lessee owns it from day one. The issuer (lessee) is able to acquire and utilize equipment or facilities and pay for them over a specified time period. If structured properly, the interest portion of the lease payment is exempt from federal and state income tax resulting in low tax-exempt interest rates to the borrower. However, care must be taken if the property has a private use or involves federal funds.
