United Rentals Q3 2026 Earnings: Record $4.9B Revenue at a 47.6% EBITDA Margin
United Rentals Q3 2026 revenue rose 15.7% to a record $4.9B at a 47.6% adjusted EBITDA margin; specialty rentals grew 34.7% as fleet capex hit $4.3B YTD.
#fixed-assets
Fixed Assets
Accounting for long-term tangible assets including equipment, vehicles, furniture, and property
Profitability Index, Explained: How to Rank Capital Projects by Present Value per Dollar Invested
Profitability index is the present value of inflows over the initial investment — fund projects above 1.0, highest PI first when the budget is capped.
Depreciation Methods Compared: Straight-Line, Declining-Balance, Units-of-Production, and Sum-of-the-Years'-Digits
All four depreciation methods expense the same total — they differ only in timing. Compare formulas, salvage-value handling, and when each fits.
Equipment Lease vs. Buy: Monthly Payments, Section 179 Tax Breaks, Obsolescence Risk, and End-of-Term Options
Own equipment you will keep past five years and write it off with Section 179; lease fast-aging gear at fair market value and deduct each payment instead.
Units-of-Production Depreciation, Explained: How to Turn Lifetime Output Into a Per-Unit Write-Off
Divide cost minus salvage by lifetime output for a per-unit rate, then multiply by actual production — ideal for equipment with uneven usage.
Amortization vs. Depreciation: What Each Method Expenses, and the Loan Schedule That Confuses Everyone
Depreciation expenses tangibles minus salvage value; amortization writes off intangibles with none — and the IRS stretches acquired intangibles over 15 years.
Capitalization Policy, Explained: The $2,500 and $5,000 De Minimis Safe Harbors, the Annual Election Statement, and the Companion Rules
IRS de minimis safe harbor — expense business items up to $2,500 ($5,000 with audited financials) with a written policy plus an annual election.
Form 4562, Explained: How Small Businesses Report Section 179, Bonus and MACRS Depreciation, Listed Property, and Amortization
Form 4562 reports Section 179, bonus and MACRS depreciation across six parts — expense first, bonus second, MACRS on the rest.
Historical Cost vs. Fair Value: Why Your Balance Sheet Records What You Paid, Not What It's Worth
GAAP books assets at what you paid, not what they are worth — except securities, write-downs, and crypto, which follow fair value.
Lease vs. Buy for Business Equipment: How to Run the Analysis Like Your Banker Would
Leasing vs. buying comes down to after-tax present value — Section 179 favors buying, obsolescence risk favors leasing. Run the NAL to decide.
CapEx vs. OpEx: How Capital and Operating Expenses Differ on Your Books, Your Tax Return, and Your Cash Flow Statement
CapEx buys assets you depreciate over years; OpEx covers costs you deduct now — and Section 179 plus the $2,500 safe harbor blur the tax line.
Equipment Financing Agreements (EFAs): Ownership From Day One, Fixed Payments, and Section 179 Deductions
An EFA is an installment sale — you own the equipment from day one, repay fixed payments with no stated interest rate, and deduct it under IRS Section 179.