# Lease vs Cash Analyzer > Use to compute lease structure (cap cost / money factor / residual / acquisition / disposition), compare lease total cost vs cash purchase, decide lease vs buy given buyer's ownership horizon, and check captive lender early-buyout policy. Triggers include "lease or buy", "lease 数学", "compute lease monthly", "money factor markup", "lease cash incentive", "lease vs cash break-even", and Spanish phr… - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-daizedong-buy-me-a-car-lease-vs-cash-analyzer` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [DaizeDong](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/daizedong) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [DaizeDong](https://github.com/DaizeDong) - **Source:** https://github.com/DaizeDong/buy-me-a-car/tree/main/skills/lease-vs-cash-analyzer ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-daizedong-buy-me-a-car-lease-vs-cash-analyzer ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Lease vs Cash Analyzer > **Caveat**: this skill is one author's playbook + 5-scenario stress test. Verify state fees / CPO terms / EV credits / dealer practices against current sources before quoting numbers to a dealer or making financial decisions. Not tax, legal, or financial advice. > **last_verified**: 2026-05-18 (Phase 3C sub-skill split from orchestrator) Narrow helper: lease structure math, lease-vs-cash break-even, captive lender policy lookup. Defers the full theory + worked tables to `../orchestrator/references/lease_playbook.md`. ## When To Use - Buyer asks "should I lease or buy?" with a concrete vehicle + horizon - Need to verify a dealer-quoted lease monthly is honest (MF buy-rate check) - Need lease-end disposition / early-buyout policy for one OEM captive > **NOTE — federal §45W lease pass-through is TERMINATED (acquired after 2025-09-30, OBBBA).** > The "EV buyer fails §30D AGI cap, so route to §45W lease pass-through" play is **dead** > for any 2026 lease. Lessor captives can no longer capture the federal $7,500 commercial > credit, so it is not available as cap cost reduction. Any "EV lease credit" a dealer > advertises in 2026 is ordinary OEM lease cash / marketing money, NOT a federal credit — > do not present it as §45W pass-through or count it as a federal incentive. See the > CRITICAL banner in `ev-buyer-helper`. §45W content below is HISTORICAL only. ## When NOT To Use - General OTD cash math - delegate to `otd-calculator` - EV federal credit status / state rebate stacking - delegate to `ev-buyer-helper` first (federal §30D/§25E/§45W all terminated 2025-09-30; state rebates are the only live layer) - Pure CPO eligibility - delegate to `cpo-eligibility` ## Core Lease Formula ``` Monthly = ((CapCost - Residual) / Term) + (CapCost + Residual) * MF + Tax ``` Variables: - `CapCost` = MSRP - CapCostReduction - LeaseCash - ManufacturerRebate + AcquisitionFee + DealerAddOns - `Residual` = MSRP * Residual% (typical 50-65% at 36 mo) - `MF` = APR / 2400 (money factor; dealer can mark up buy-rate) - `Term` = 24 / 36 / 39 mo most common ## Money Factor Markup Detection Always ask the dealer for the BUY-RATE money factor explicitly. If quoted MF exceeds prevailing captive buy-rate by more than 0.00040 (~ 1% APR), the dealer is marking up. Markup converts to dealer reserve, paid to dealer monthly over the lease term. Push back: "what is the buy-rate from {captive} on this vehicle and tier?" If they refuse to share, assume markup. ## State Tax-on-Lease Mechanics (4 buckets) | Bucket | States | Mechanics | |---|---|---| | Lease-friendly | NJ, FL, CA, NV, WA | Tax on monthly payment only, not on residual buyout | | Upfront-load (capitalizable) | NY, IL | Full-term tax due at signing; can be capitalized into cap cost | | Heavy upfront | TX, DC | Tax on FULL cap cost up front, regardless of residual | | Mixed | most others | Local rules vary; check `state_fees.md` | For TX/DC the cash-purchase math frequently wins because the lease tax penalty front-loads ~$3,500-5,000 on a $40k vehicle. ## Lease vs Buy Decision Rules | Ownership horizon | Mileage | Lean | |---|---|---| | 5 yr | any | Buy always wins (lease compounding monthly never stops) | | any | > 15k mi/yr | Buy wins (excess-mileage penalty $0.15-0.30/mi) | ## EV Lease §45W $7,500 Captured by Lessor — TERMINATED 2025-09-30 (HISTORICAL) > **No longer available.** OBBBA (Public Law 119-21) terminated the federal §45W > Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit for any vehicle **acquired after 2025-09-30**, on the > same date as §30D / §25E. A lessor can no longer capture a federal $7,500 credit on a > 2026 EV lease, so the lease pass-through below is **$0 of federal money** and must NOT > be added to cap cost math or presented to a buyer as a federal incentive. Any 2026 > "EV lease credit" line is ordinary OEM lease cash / marketing money — treat it as a > negotiable OEM incentive, not a federal credit. Retained below for pre-cutoff > (acquired on/before 2025-09-30) reference only. See the CRITICAL banner in > `ev-buyer-helper`. Historically, the lessor (captive finance company) captured the federal Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit, NOT the lessee. Pass-through varied by OEM (pre-cutoff only): | OEM | Typical pass-through (HISTORICAL) | Notes | |---|---|---| | Hyundai / Kia / GM | Full $7,500 via cap cost reduction | Standard, advertised | | Toyota / Honda / Ford | $4,500 - $7,500 | Varies by trim, region, promo | | BMW / MB / Audi | $3,500 - $5,000 | Lowest pass-through | This was historically useful for EV buyers who failed §30D AGI cap (single > $150k / MFJ > $300k) or for vehicles that failed §30D MSRP / final-assembly tests (no AGI / MSRP cap on §45W). All three credits are now terminated, so this routing no longer exists. See `../orchestrator/references/ev_buyer_playbook.md` § §45W. ## Captive Lender Rules | Captive | Early buyout | Mileage purchase | Lease assumption | |---|---|---|---| | Subaru Motors Finance (SMF) | After 1 payment | $0.15/mi at signing | Allowed; $500 fee | | Toyota Financial Services (TFS) | After 6 mo | $0.15/mi | Allowed; ~$50 fee | | Honda Financial Services (HFS) | After 6 mo | $0.15/mi | Allowed | | Hyundai Capital | Day 1 (most flexible) | $0.20/mi | Allowed | | Ford Credit | After 6 mo | $0.20/mi | Allowed | | GM Financial | After 6 mo | $0.25/mi | Allowed | | Chrysler Capital | After 90 days | $0.25/mi | Allowed | | BMW Financial | After 4 payments | $0.25/mi | $500 fee | Disposition fee at lease-end: $350-$495 typical. Often WAIVED if buyer leases or buys another vehicle from the same OEM within 30 days of return. Acquisition fee at signing: $595-$895. Sometimes capitalizable, sometimes paid out of pocket - depends on captive. Always shown on the lease worksheet. ## Lease Cash Conversion Trick When the manufacturer offers lease cash but no cash-buyer rebate of comparable size, the lease-then-buyout path captures the lease cash. Pattern: 1. Lease the vehicle for 24 mo with manufacturer lease cash applied as cap cost reduction. 2. Confirm captive allows early buyout from day 1 (Hyundai) or after the minimum waiting period. 3. Exercise buyout at lease-end residual (or earlier per captive policy). 4. Net cost = (24 mo of lease payments) + (residual buyout) + (taxes per state); compare against a hypothetical cash purchase day 0. Often saves $1,500-$3,500 on Hyundai/Kia/Subaru where lease cash > cash rebate. Watch for: acquisition fee, disposition fee (waived if you buy out), and any "lease loyalty" lockouts the captive may apply. ## Worked Example 2026 Ioniq 5 SEL, 36mo / 12k mi lease (2026 acquisition — federal §45W is $0, TERMINATED 2025-09-30): - MSRP: $51,150 - Residual (55%): $28,133 - Money factor: 0.00125 (~3.0% APR equivalent) - Federal §45W pass-through: **$0 (TERMINATED 2025-09-30 — not available in 2026)** - OEM lease cash (if advertised, ordinary marketing money, verify on worksheet): varies; treat as a negotiable OEM incentive, NOT a federal credit. Assume $0 for this example. - Acquisition fee: $650 - Adjusted CapCost: 51,150 + 650 = $51,800 Monthly base = (51,800 - 28,133) / 36 = $657.42 Rent charge = (51,800 + 28,133) * 0.00125 = $99.92 Pre-tax monthly = $757.34 Apply NJ tax (lease-friendly, monthly only) at 6.625%: $50.17 Final monthly: ~$808 > Historical contrast (pre-2025-10-01 acquisition only): with the §45W -$7,500 cap cost > reduction that used to exist, adjusted CapCost was $44,300, pre-tax monthly ~$540, > final ~$575. That ~$233/mo gap is the value the now-terminated federal credit used to > deliver. It is gone for any 2026 lease. Cash alternative for same buyer: - MSRP $51,150, negotiated to $48,000, plus TTL ~$3,000 = ~$51,000 OTD - No federal credit on either side (§30D / §25E / §45W all terminated 2025-09-30) - 36-mo TCO at lease (2026): 36 * $808 = $29,088 + $0 residual exposure (return car) - 36-mo TCO at cash: $51,000 - resale ~$30,000 = $21,000 net depreciation Without the federal credit the lease's monthly is much higher, so cash purchase now generally wins on 36-mo TCO and clearly wins at 6+ years. Check live state rebates (via `ev-buyer-helper`) as the only remaining incentive layer. ## Cross-References - `../orchestrator/references/lease_playbook.md` - full formulas, residual tables by OEM, region-specific MF charts, all 50-state tax mechanics - `../orchestrator/references/ev_buyer_playbook.md` § §45W commercial credit - full pass-through tables and lessor list (HISTORICAL: §45W terminated 2025-09-30; see `ev-buyer-helper` CRITICAL banner — no federal lease credit on 2026 acquisitions) - `../orchestrator/references/state_fees.md` - state TTL components for the cash-comparison side - `../orchestrator/SKILL.md` Critical Rule #4 - never quote a lease monthly to the buyer without showing the MF + residual + cap cost breakdown ## Output Contract After every lease analysis, return to the operator: ``` Lease vs Cash analysis - Vehicle: , MSRP $ Lease offer: Term: mo / k mi MF: 0. (buy-rate .0%, markup ) Residual: % = $ CapCost (adjusted): $ Monthly (pre-tax): $ Monthly (with state tax): $ Cash alt: $ OTD, 36mo NPV $ Verdict: LEASE / BUY / BREAK-EVEN Captive policy: early buyout , disposition $ ``` ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [DaizeDong](https://github.com/DaizeDong) - **Source:** [DaizeDong/buy-me-a-car](https://github.com/DaizeDong/buy-me-a-car) - **License:** MIT Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-daizedong-buy-me-a-car-lease-vs-cash-analyzer - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/daizedong - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.