The 7.5 hours in the classroom are just the starting point. On average, teachers are at school an additional 90 minutes beyond the school day for mentoring, providing after-school help for students, attending staff meetings and collaborating with peers.
A capital lease is treated like a loan, and the asset is considered owned by the lessee. The tax advantages of operating leases are especially significant for fixed assets such as lighting that are generally depreciated over a very long term (39 years), since the entire lease payment is tax deductible.
IRC section 132(d) allows employers to offer a tax-free working condition fringe benefit for any business-related expense that employees could deduct on their individual tax returns under IRC section 162 if they themselves paid it. CPAs must look to section 162 for guidance on using this alternative.