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Equipment and asset finance

Let the asset carry itself.

Updated

A truck, an excavator, a dental chair or a production line earns its keep over years. Paying for it upfront drains the working capital the business needs to run; putting it on the overdraft or the property loan ties up security the business needs for growth. Asset finance matches the cost of the asset to the life of the asset, secured on the asset alone. We assess the structure with your accountant, then arrange it with a financier that knows the equipment.

Start an asset finance review How we assess

Short assessment to begin. No documents at this stage, no credit check. Finance is subject to lender assessment, and we do not quote interest rates on this site.

The asset, how it is held, and what happens at the end of term A single grey bar describing the asset and what it earns. Below it, how it can be held: owning it outright beside using it under a lease or hire purchase. Below that, what happens at the end of term: keep it, replace it, or hand it back where the structure allows. THE ASSET ITSELF What it is, what it does, and what it earns the asset carries the finance, so it is assessed first HOW IT CAN BE HELD Own it from the start Use it under a lease chattel mortgage, lease or hire purchase, each treated differently TermResidualCash flowOwnership AT THE END OF THE TERM Keep itpay out the residualReplace itrefinance or tradeHand it backwhere the structure allows the end of the term is decided at the start, not at the end The asset, how it is held, and what happens at the end of term THE ASSET ITSELF What it is and what it earns HOW IT IS HELD Own it Lease it TermResidualCash flowOwnership AT THE END OF THE TERM Keep itpay residualReplace itor tradeReturn itif allowed the end of the term is decided at the start
The asset, how it is held, and what happens at the end of term
2010Established
$1B+Lending settled
50+Lenders through our lender and aggregator network
PremiumBroker status with leading banks
5.0From 196 Google reviews

At a glance

Assets financed
Trucks, trailers and vans; earthmoving and yellow goods; manufacturing plant; medical, dental and veterinary equipment; IT, fit-out and solar
Structures
Chattel mortgage, hire purchase, finance lease, operating lease, rental, sale and leaseback
Documents
Full financials, or low doc on ABN, GST registration and bank statements for established businesses on standard assets
Terms
Typically one to seven years, set to the asset's working life, with or without a balloon or residual
Credit assistance
Dayan Kasturiratna, Australian Credit Representative 394747, under Australian Finance Group Ltd, ACL 389087
What we arrange

Five structures for the same asset, and how to choose.

Who owns the asset, who claims the GST and depreciation, and what sits on the balance sheet differ between them. The choice is made with your accountant on the business's position; our job is to arrange the one you choose with the right financier.

A new prime mover and trailer at a transport depot01

Chattel mortgage

The business owns the asset from delivery and the financier holds a security interest until the last payment. GST on the purchase can generally be claimed upfront on the cash basis, and interest and depreciation are deductible to the extent of business use. Terms and balloons follow the asset's life. The most common structure for vehicles and plant.

Begin An excavator on a civil works site with a crew02

Hire purchase and finance lease

Under a hire purchase the financier owns the asset until the final instalment, when title passes; under a finance lease the financier owns it throughout and the business pays for use, with a residual at the end. The GST timing and the accounting treatment differ from a chattel mortgage. Suits businesses that account on an accruals basis or prefer the lease payment as the deduction.

Begin A row of workstations with monitors in a modern office03

Operating lease and rental

The business uses the asset for a term and hands it back or upgrades, with the financier carrying the residual value risk. Suits technology, fleets and equipment that dates quickly, where ownership at the end is not the point. Payments are an operating expense, and the asset does not sit on the balance sheet in the same way.

Begin A landscaper unloading a new ride-on mower from a trailer04

Low doc asset finance

For established businesses buying standard assets, many financiers approve on the ABN, GST registration, time in business, a clean credit file and bank statements, without full financials. Limits apply to the amount and the asset type. Faster and simpler; it is still an assessment, and the rate reflects the lighter documentation.

Begin A dentist beside a new treatment chair and imaging unit05

Refinance, balloon and sale and leaseback

A balloon falling due can be refinanced over a further term; equipment already owned outright can be sold to a financier and leased back to release working capital; and a portfolio of facilities across several financiers can be consolidated. Each is assessed on the asset's current value and remaining life.

Begin

Whether a chattel mortgage, lease or hire purchase suits your business is a tax and accounting decision. We arrange the finance and work alongside your accountant on the structure; we do not provide tax advice.

How we assess

The asset, the business and the structure.

Three things decide an asset finance application: what the asset is and how it holds value, how the business trades and documents its income, and which structure suits the tax and accounting position.

A forklift moving pallets in a busy warehouse

The asset: what is assessed

  1. Asset type and whether it is standard (vehicles, common plant) or specialised (custom machinery, fit-out)
  2. New or used, age at the end of the term, and the dealer or private seller
  3. How the asset holds value, which sets the term, the balloon or residual, and the financier's appetite
  4. Delivery and installation: progress payments for equipment built to order
  5. Encumbrance and title checks on used and private sale assets
  6. Whether the asset is better financed alone or as part of a fleet or package
A business owner and an accountant reviewing figures in a small office

The business: what is assessed

  1. ABN and GST registration, time in business and industry
  2. Financial statements and tax returns, or bank statements and BAS for low doc
  3. Existing facilities, their conduct and the total exposure across financiers
  4. Director guarantees and whether property security is being asked for where the asset can carry itself
  5. The structure your accountant intends: chattel mortgage, hire purchase, finance or operating lease
  6. Cash flow seasonality, which can be matched with structured or seasonal repayments
What gets financed

Truck and transport finance, and the rest of the asset list.

The asset class decides more than most borrowers expect: the term a financier will write, the residual it will accept, how much of the purchase price it will fund, and whether a private sale is possible at all. These are the classes we write most often.

Trucks, trailers and transport

  1. Prime movers, rigids, trailers and tippers, new or used, dealer sale or private sale
  2. Term assessed against the working life of the unit, not the shortest term on offer
  3. Balloon assessed against what the unit is likely to be worth when it falls due, so the payout is not stranded above the value
  4. A first truck for a new transport business is a different assessment from a second: trading history, licences and contracts are all read
  5. Low documentation options where the ABN and GST registration are established, subject to purpose, product and financier requirements

Machinery, fit-out and professional equipment

  1. Earthmoving and construction plant, including attachments financed with the machine
  2. Manufacturing and workshop machinery, including imported units where a deposit falls due before delivery
  3. Medical, dental and veterinary equipment, and practice fit-out
  4. IT, point of sale and office fit-out, where the right term is usually shorter than the financier will offer
  5. Where an asset is part of a larger business purchase, whether it belongs in the asset facility or the business facility
Illustrative scenarios

Three asset purchases, structured the way a financier would read them.

Hypothetical positions with rounded figures, built to show how the asset and the business decide the structure. None is a client result, approval, quote or promise.

Illustrative scenario

A second truck for a growing transport business

Business
Transport, four years trading, GST registered
Asset
New rigid truck, ~$240,000 incl. GST
Existing finance
One truck, clean conduct
Documents
Low doc: ABN, GST, bank statements
Structure considered
Chattel mortgage
Term
Five years, balloon set to resale
Property security
Not required
Outcome considered
The truck carries itself

A standard asset from a dealer for a business with a clean record on its first facility is where low doc asset finance does its job. The balloon is set to what the truck will be worth, not to what makes the repayment look small.

Illustrative photograph of a rigid truck at a loading dock Illustrative image Illustrative scenario

A second truck for a growing transport business

Standard asset, established business, light documents.

Illustrative scenario

Fit-out and equipment for a new dental practice

Business
Dentist, new practice, existing income
Equipment
Chairs and imaging, ~$320,000
Fit-out
Cabinetry and plumbing, ~$180,000
IT and software
~$40,000
Equipment structure
Chattel mortgage, seven years
Fit-out structure
Practice loan on the entity
IT structure
Operating lease, three years
Outcome considered
Each asset on its own life

Equipment holds value and can carry itself; fit-out does not and is a practice cost; technology dates and suits a lease. Financing all three on one facility secured by the home would be simpler and worse.

Illustrative photograph of a newly fitted dental surgery reception Illustrative image Illustrative scenario

Fit-out and equipment for a new dental practice

Three assets, three structures, one review.

Illustrative scenario

An imported machine with a deposit due before delivery

Business
Precision manufacturer, twelve years trading
Asset
CNC machining centre, ~$480,000, imported
Supplier terms
30% on order, balance on delivery, sixteen weeks
Structure considered
Chattel mortgage, drawn on delivery
The deposit
Bridged from working capital or a short facility
Term
Seven years, no residual
Property security
Not required
Outcome considered
The machine funded on the day it arrives

Asset finance funds an asset that exists, so a supplier deposit paid months earlier is a working-capital question, not a chattel mortgage question. Settling both on the same plan is the work.

Illustrative photograph of a CNC machining centre on a clean factory floor Illustrative image Illustrative scenario

An imported machine with a deposit due before delivery

Imported asset, deposit and delivery on one plan.

Illustrative scenarios. Figures are hypothetical and rounded. These are not client results, approvals, quotes or promises. Tax and accounting treatment is a matter for your accountant. Finance remains subject to lender assessment, documentation and applicable law.

How it works

Four steps, and nothing lodged until you agree.

01

Tell us about the asset and the business

A short assessment: what you are buying, new or used, roughly what it costs, how the business trades and when you need it. No documents, no credit check.

02

We set the structure

With your agreement and your accountant's view, we work out which structure suits, what the term and any balloon or residual should be, and whether the business qualifies for low doc.

03

We take it to the right financier

Bank, specialist asset financier or captive lender, chosen for the asset type, the business and the documents available, across our lender and aggregator network.

04

You decide, then we lodge

Nothing is lodged until you have seen the terms. Settlement is arranged with the supplier, and the asset is delivered against the finance.

In most cases we are paid commission by the lender on settlement, and our Credit Guide sets out how that works and what you are entitled to know. Where a fee would apply to any part of the work, we tell you in writing first.

What we will ask for at step two

  • ABN, GST registration and identification for directors
  • Recent financial statements and tax returns, or business bank statements and BAS for low doc
  • The quote or invoice for the asset, and details of any trade-in
  • Existing finance statements and any balloon payout figures
  • Your accountant's view on the structure
  • For a private sale: the seller's details and the asset's identifiers for the encumbrance check

What we will not do

  • Advise on the tax or accounting treatment; that is your accountant's call, and we work with them
  • Quote a capacity figure as if it were an approval
  • Put property security behind an asset that can carry itself
  • Set a balloon or residual above the asset's likely value to make a repayment look smaller
Who you will deal with

One person, from the first conversation.

Asset finance files sit with Dayan Kasturiratna, a chartered tax adviser as well as a finance specialist, who provides the credit assistance on every file.

Dayan Kasturiratna, Founder and Director of Opulent Finance, seated in a Melbourne boardroom

Dayan Kasturiratna

FIPA FFA CTA

Founder and Director. Chartered tax adviser and finance specialist. Australian Credit Representative 394747, under Australian Finance Group Ltd, ACL 389087.

Established Opulent Finance in 2010. Asset finance is where lending and tax meet most directly, and where a business pays for years for a structure chosen in an afternoon. The work is getting the structure right with the accountant, then finding the financier that knows the asset.

Mobile0423 272 600 Office1300 001 551
dayan@opulentfinance.com.au
WINNER · 2026Best Solo OperatorAFG Broker AwardsWINNER · 2025 · VIC/TASBest Finance Brokerage (Office)The Adviser Better Business AwardsOpulent Finance
Premium Broker statusWith leading banks
Established 2010Melbourne finance brokers
Burwood, Victoria22 Harker Street

Credit assistance is provided by Dayan Kasturiratna, Australian Credit Representative 394747, authorised under Australian Finance Group Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 389087.

Google reviews

What clients say about working with us.

5.0196 Google reviews
Dayan and the team were approachable and knowledgeable, and always willing to help.Bich Thuy Nguyen on Google
Both were warm and friendly and always available.Melanie Georgiou on Google
I highly recommend Dayan and Lihini for their honest, professional, and reliable service.Varuni Wickramasinghe on Google

Where these reviews come from, and the rest of what clients say

Questions

Before you start.

What is the difference between a chattel mortgage and a lease?

Ownership and tax timing. Under a chattel mortgage the business owns the asset from day one, can generally claim the GST upfront on the cash basis, and deducts interest and depreciation. Under a lease the financier owns the asset and the business deducts the lease payments, with GST on each payment. Which suits you depends on your GST method, balance sheet and how you replace assets, and it is your accountant's decision.

Can a new business get equipment finance?

Yes, with more documents and sometimes a larger deposit or a director's guarantee. Financiers look for industry experience, a business plan or contracts in hand, and a standard asset that holds value. Low doc approvals are generally for businesses with two or more years of trading; a start-up is assessed on the people and the asset.

What does low doc asset finance mean?

Approval on the ABN, GST registration, time in business, a clean credit file and bank statements, without full financial statements, for established businesses buying standard assets under a limit set by the financier. It is quicker and simpler and it is still an assessment: the financier verifies the business and the asset, and the rate reflects the lighter documentation.

Should I use a balloon or residual?

A balloon lowers the repayment and leaves a lump sum at the end; a residual on a lease is the value the financier assumes the asset will have. Set to the asset's likely resale value they match the repayment to the asset's life; set too high they leave a gap when the term ends. We set them against expected value and plan the end of term before it arrives.

Does an enquiry affect my credit score or the business's?

No. The assessment and our review involve no credit enquiry on you or the business. A credit check occurs only if you decide to proceed with an application, and we tell you before it happens. Applying to several financiers yourself leaves several enquiries; we choose the financier first and lodge once.

Can I finance equipment I already own to release cash?

Yes, through a sale and leaseback or a refinance secured on the asset. The financier values the equipment, pays the business and leases it back or lends against it, releasing working capital while the business keeps using the asset. It suits businesses with unencumbered plant and a short-term need; the cost of the money is set against what the capital earns.

Further reading

Articles on equipment and asset finance.

Longer reads from our archive, written for business owners rather than lenders.

ArticleEquipment finance: buy, lease or finance?Read ArticleEquipment and asset finance: tools for growthRead ArticleEquipment finance hacks that improve business cash flowRead ArticleHow to free up cash flow and invest in business growth with equipment financeRead ArticleEquipment finance: buy smart, grow fasterRead
Ready when you are

Tell us about the asset. We will tell you how it should be financed.

Short assessment. No documents at this stage, no credit check. Contact at the time and by the method you choose.

Start an asset finance review How we assess

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