Lease or buy? What makes sense for a desk under German tax rules
A well-made desk is an investment over many years. That leaves the question of how you account for it: buy once and depreciate it, or lease by the month and claim it straight away as a business expense? This guide shows when each route makes business sense under German tax rules, and why the answer almost always has to do with your cash position.
At a glance
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The short version
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Who this article is for
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The short answer
Lease if cash and the immediate tax effect come first: you claim the payments as a business expense as you go. Buy if the capital is there and you intend to keep the desk for many years anyway. In the end, the calculation for your own case is always one for your accountant. |
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What the decision is really about
When you furnish your office, it isn’t only about the price. It’s about three things:
- Cash: how much capital you tie up.
- Tax: when the expense takes effect.
- Equity: how you put it to use.
An EDELHOLZ desk in solid oak or walnut stays in use for more than a decade. The good news: both routes lead to a fully deductible business asset, and the only difference is the when and the how. Everything we say about tax here is general. For your own case, your accountant is the right person to ask.
How business leasing works for a desk
With business leasing (Germany only) you don’t pay the full purchase price at once. You pay a fixed monthly amount over an agreed term. You use the desk from day one and spread the cost predictably, much as you would with a leased company car.
Good to know:
- You receive a regular invoice showing VAT.
- The product is still the real thing: a piece built to order in 26 mm solid oak or walnut.
- Nothing changes about the quality or the guarantee.
You’ll find the term and the monthly payment on our business leasing page, where you can ask for a calculation straight away, with no obligation.
Claim straight away, or depreciate
This is the heart of the decision. The difference in two sentences:
- Buying: the desk is capitalised as a fixed asset and depreciated over the official useful life of around 13 years. The tax effect is spread over a long period.
- Leasing: as a rule you claim the payments directly, and in full, as a business expense. The relief takes effect at once, with no depreciation schedule running for years.
For many business owners that is the decisive lever, because the tax burden falls faster and more evenly. How the contract is treated on the balance sheet is worth a quick word with your accountant before you sign.
Either way you end up in the same place: with a fully deductible business asset. The only question is when the expense takes effect and how much capital you tie up to get there.
The cash advantage people often underestimate
Bought outright, a designer desk from 4.400 € ties up capital that works harder elsewhere: in marketing, in staff or in stock. Leasing solves that. Your money stays available in the business instead of being tied up in a piece of furniture.
There is another point that counts when you’re growing: your credit line with your bank stays untouched. A lease payment is a predictable fixed item, and it affects your credit rating differently from a loan. If you’re planning a complete fit-out, it adds up quickly:
- DeskPRO as your desk, with drawers
- StudioPURE sideboard for storage
- ForumPURE conference table for meetings
With leasing the investment stays manageable, without any compromise on quality.
“Of course you swallow hard at the price at first. But in the end it’s a desk I’ll be spending another thirty-eight years at, until I retire. So it was damn important to me that the quality is right as well.”
When buying is the better choice
Leasing isn’t better across the board. Buying outright is the cleaner solution if:
- there is enough cash and you wouldn’t put the capital to other use anyway. Then you save all the financing costs.
- you think long term and want to keep the piece for many years. Then you don’t need the flexibility of leasing.
A desk in solid oak or walnut holds its value and ages with dignity, the purist DeskPURE for example. The rule of thumb: lease when cash and the immediate effect count. Buy when the capital is there and you’re set on owning the desk for the long term.
A worked example to make the principle tangible
Take a DeskPRO with its two soft-close drawers as standard, starting at 5.400 €. In Germany, VAT at 19% is added to the net price. As a business entitled to deduct input VAT, you generally reclaim it, so what you actually bear is the net value of the goods. That applies to buying and leasing alike, because the leasing invoice shows VAT in the usual way too.
The difference is only in the timing:
- Buying: the amount goes out once, and the expense is spread through depreciation.
- Leasing: you pay in instalments and claim each one as a business expense as you go.
Which option does more for your tax bill is best worked out by your accountant. The principle stays the same: the desk is a fully deductible business asset.
Delivery to Switzerland: what to factor in
A special rule applies to Swiss companies. On deliveries to Switzerland, German VAT doesn’t apply. Instead, Swiss import charges fall due on import, and the customer pays them. How that affects your calculation in the end depends on your situation, so allow for it from the start.
We deliver throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland. To Austria and Switzerland a white-glove carrier delivers at extra cost, and we’re happy to give you the terms on request. The exact amount of the import charges depends on your situation; your Swiss accountant (Treuhänder) or tax adviser will give you the binding answer.
Made to order: what you get either way
Whether you lease or buy, the product stays identical. Every desk is built to order in our workshop in Germany. The key facts:
- 26 mm solid oak or American walnut, no veneer.
- Cable management: CableHIDE as standard, a solid oak or walnut flap with a 6-way power strip, 2 x USB-A, 2 x USB-C and a 5 m fabric cable.
- Standard height from the workshop is 76 cm. When you order you can choose anywhere between 72 and 82 cm, a height set to suit how tall you are. Deliberately not electrically height-adjustable, because the fixed construction is more stable and looks calmer.
- With you in 12-14 Wochen, delivered free within Germany by a removals company that drives only for us, final assembly included.
- 5-year guarantee; 30-day returns on standard configurations (bespoke pieces excluded).
If you need a size of your own, plan it as a bespoke piece, or put your set-up together in the configurator first.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim a leased desk against tax?
Which is cheaper: leasing a desk or buying it?
Do I get a regular VAT invoice when I lease?
What should Swiss companies look out for when ordering?
Does leasing change anything about the product or the guarantee?
How long does delivery take, whether I buy or lease?
Can I lease a custom size as well?
In short: lease or buy, both lead to the same place
Lease or buy: either way, you end up with a fully deductible business asset standing in your office. The only question is which route suits your situation better right now. Leasing comes into its own when you want to protect your cash and get tax relief straight away. Buying is worth it when the capital is there and you’re set on long-term ownership.
If you’re unsure, or need a custom size, talk to us. In a personal consultation we’ll work out which configuration suits your room and which way of financing makes sense. The fine-tuning on tax is for your accountant. And if you’d like to feel the wood first, our wood samples bring the finishes to your desk before you commit.
Lease or buy: let’s work through your numbers together.
We’ll talk your project through with you personally, or you go straight to the model that fits.
Philipp Strobel is a qualified automotive engineer. He brings an engineer’s way of thinking to running a business, and develops desks in which function and design come out of one system. He has been developing products in wood since 2017, and since 2024, with EDELHOLZ, desks for business owners.
