Buy the Forklift This Year. Let the IRS Pay Part of It.

HEADS UP!!!! If you're going to buy a forklift in the next year anyway, read this before you wait — because buying it before December 31 can put thousands of dollars back in your pocket.

THE PLAY — SECTION 179, IN PLAIN ENGLISH

Normally, when you buy equipment, the IRS makes you deduct the cost a little at a time over 5–7 years. Section 179 is the exception: buy a forklift, put it in service by December 31, 2026, and you can deduct the ENTIRE purchase price on your 2026 taxes, all in year one.

• New and used forklifts qualify.

• You can deduct up to $2,560,000 in equipment for 2026.

• Financed counts. Buy a $40,000 forklift with $8,000 down and payments on the rest — you still deduct the full $40,000 this year. Your deduction can be bigger than your down payment.

THE MATH — WHAT YOU ACTUALLY SAVE

Your savings = the price of the forklift × your tax rate. That's it.

• $25,000 forklift at a 22% tax rate → $25,000 deduction → $5,500 off your tax bill. The truck really costs you $19,500.

• $40,000 forklift at a 25% tax rate → $40,000 deduction → $10,000 off your tax bill. Real cost: $30,000.

• $100,000 forklift at a 30% tax rate → $100,000 deduction → $30,000 off your tax bill. Real cost: $70,000.

Same forklift. Same work out of it. The only difference is whether you buy it in 2026 or 2027 — and that difference is worth five figures.

THE CATCH — THERE'S A CLOCK

The forklift has to be delivered and in service by December 31, 2026 — an invoice alone doesn't count. Freight and delivery take time, which means a forklift you pick out in December may not make the deadline. The buyers who get the deduction are the ones who move in November.

WHAT TO DO NOW

1. Browse what's on the ground right now: https://www.northtexasforklift.com/listings

2. Call or text me at 214-469-7588 and tell me the job — capacity, lift height, where it's going. I'll line up the right machine and get it delivered in time to count for 2026.

3. Run the exact numbers past your CPA (your savings depend on your tax bracket and your business's taxable income — I'm a forklift man, not a tax man).

If a forklift is in your 2027 plans at all, buying it eight weeks early is the cheapest money you'll make all year.

— Beaux Dyson

North Texas Equipment Services

214-469-7588 · northtexasforklift.com

Section 179 limits for 2026: $2,560,000 maximum deduction; the deduction phases out once total equipment purchases pass $4,090,000 and is capped at your business's taxable income. 100% bonus depreciation is also available for 2026. This post is general information, not tax advice — confirm your situation with your CPA.