Expiring tax perks and strict new emission rules could soon make equipment purchases pricier, spurring more rental activity and dampening new machine sales. Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 179 gives deductions for equipment purchases, including trucks and trailers, dozers and loaders, among other things.
The federal rule received a sizable boost from the Economic Stimulus Act (2008) and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) as well as subsequent legislation that renewed, extended or raised tax incentives as the economy wobbled into recovery.