How to Wrap Up 2025: Equipment Financing Checklist for Year-End CapEx

As 2025 winds down, the question echoing in the minds of many business owners – from construction to medical and logistics – is how they can get through the year-end strong.

At Truecore Capital, we guide business owners and equipment dealers through this final stretch with prevision. Here’s your comprehensive checklist to wrap up 2025 the smart way: maximizing incentives, locking in favorable terms, and setting your business up for a profitable new year

1. 1. Review and Lock Your Remaining CapEx Budget

Before the holidays hit, take a hard look at your company’s remaining capital expenditure (CapEx) budget. Many small and midsize businesses still have funds allocated for upgrades but run out of time to spend them strategically.

By acting early, you can utilize that remaining capital in meaningful ways: modernizing your fleet, upgrading production equipment, or expanding service capacity. Just remember: vendor lead times spike in Q4, and waiting until December can mean missing delivery or installation deadlines.

An industry analysis indicates that the best clients end up closing their deals before the end-of-year bottleneck begins, giving them the best terms and fastest turnaround. Pro Tip: prioritize purchases that can be delivered and put in service before December 31 to maximize potential tax benefits.

2. Leverage Tax Incentives and Depreciation Benefits

Year-end is the season for Section 179 and bonus-depreciation planning. Equipment that is purchased and “placed in service” before December 31st may qualify for immediate write-offs, helping you lower taxable income and reinvest in your business. If you finance through Truecore Capital, we can ensure the funding and vendor timelines line up perfectly with your tax strategy.

According to Caprivi Solutions‘s CapEx management guide, the most effective companies plan equipment purchases in locksetep with their fiscal-year close, rather than after. You can also stack this benefit with Section 179 – up to the current federal limit – to write off qualifying equipment such as trucks, machinery and office technology.

3. Evaluate Lease vs. Purchase Structures

With interest-rate fluctuations and inflationary pressure still lingering, choosing the right financing structure is vital. Leasing is a powerful way to preserve cash flow while gaining immediate access to critical equipment. It also allows you to upgrade or trade up as your business evolves.

On the other hand, purchasing can be advantageous for those businesses that are focused on long-term ownership and full depreciation benefits.

We help clients model both paths at Truecore Capital to show how the payments, ROI, and tax treatment vary under each option. Having this clarity makes sure your 2025 investments support your 2026 goals without overstretching your cash flow.

4. Secure Financing Terms Before Market Shifts

The equipment-finance market has been unpredictable over the last 18 months, but indicators point toward a cautiously optimistic 2026. According to Equipment Finance News, interest rates are expected to stabilize, and demand should rise due to reshoring and automation investments.

Still, timing is everything. Waiting until January to apply for financing means competing with all the other businesses that waited too long, which could make for slower approvals, fewer promotional programs, and longer delivery times.

Lock in your approval and reserve funds now before the January rush. Truecore Capital’s streamlined application process makes it easy to close before year’s end and positions you for Q1 growth.

5. Conduct a Year-End Equipment Audit

Don’t just look forward – take inventory of what you already own. An equipment audit can uncover hidden inefficiencies and future opportunities.

• Ask yourself:
• – which machines or vehicles are nearing end-of-life?
• – are there any recurring maintenance costs that could be eliminated with a newer model?
• – could automation or upgraded software increase productivity or reduce downtime?

By pairing your audit with a financing review, you can package multiple upgrades into one structured deal for stronger negotiating power and a clear roadmap going into 2026.

6. Prepare for Q1 2026 With Confidence

Businesses that plan now are the ones that start January ahead of the curve. Locking in approvals, rates, and scheduling equipment deliveries before the new year allows you to hit Q1 ready to grow, while competitors are still waiting on funding.

Truecore Capital offers pre-approval programs and vendor partnerships that make this transition seamless, so you can start 2026 with your new equipment already in motion.

With only a few weeks left in the year, this is your time to capitalize on every available advantage. From Section 179 deductions and depreciation savings to year-end financing programs, the steps you take today can pay off for years to come.

Ready to wrap up your 2025 equipment financing strategy?

Give us a call at (805) 422-7342 or submit a quick contact form below and one of our specialists will reach out to you shortly.

• Sources:
• – Caprivi Solutions, “Navigativ the End of Year CapEx Budgets: Strategic Planning for Success,” [https://www.caprivisolutions.com/2023/12/05/year-end-budgets/].
• – Equipment Finance News, “Equipment financiers say outlook brightened by reshoring, lower interest rates,” [https://equipmentfinancenews.com/news/lender-operations/equipment-financiers-say-outlook-brightened-by-reshoring-lower-interest-rates/].