Understand every charge
in your buyout quote.

Read the total before the line items.

Start with the written purchase quote from the leasing company. Find the amount it is asking you to pay, the date it applies, and any notes about taxes or government charges. Then compare the itemized lines with that total. A line marked “included” describes part of the price; a line marked “pay separately” may be another amount you must budget for.

This distinction has a basis in the disclosure rules. The CFPB’s official interpretation of Regulation M allows a purchase-option fee to be itemized separately or included in the purchase-option price. Its guidance also allows different ways of disclosing official fees and taxes. The format of a document alone does not tell you whether to add a line again.

One quote. One purchase fee.

HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE · All amounts are made up

The calculation is $24,000 + $1,560 + $240 = $25,800. Adding the $300 purchase fee again would incorrectly show $26,100. That error is double-counting; it does not mean the fee itself has been waived.

In the calculator, choose “Already included” for the purchase fee and “Add separately” for tax and title. If a note is unclear, choose “Not sure yet” and ask the issuer.

Put each charge in the right category.

The table is a way to organize questions. It does not say a named fee is always allowed, always required, or always prohibited. Labels alone are not enough to settle that question.

Ask specific questions about an unfamiliar fee.

A useful request identifies the line item and asks for its basis. “Why is the quote so high?” is harder to answer than “Does the $24,000 total already include the purchase-option fee?”

1. Who receives this amount?
2. Is it included in the total, or paid separately?
3. What contract provision, government requirement or lessor instruction makes it applicable?
4. Is it an optional product or service?
5. Can you send an itemized explanation in writing?

For a GM Financial transaction, its specific published guidance about payoff-facilitation fees is a relevant starting point. Do not apply that lender’s statement to every leasing company.

Why we ask for tax dollars, not a national rate.

The state and transaction matter. For example, Texas treats a lessee’s purchase at the end of an operating lease as a new taxable sale. Its guidance separately addresses possible tax credits and conditional-sale agreements. That is a Texas example, not a formula for other states or every Texas situation.

A percentage applied to the wrong base can produce a precise-looking but wrong answer. Our initial calculator therefore asks for the tax amount you obtain for your transaction. If you do not have it, leave it unresolved rather than substituting a national assumption.

Keep loan costs separate.

The cash purchase price and the total cost of financing answer different questions. A loan can add interest and its own fees. A fee paid upfront affects cash needed at purchase; a financed fee affects loan principal and may also increase interest.

The note interest rate is not interchangeable with APR. APR can include loan charges. Our payment estimate uses a note rate plus separately entered fees; it is not a lender APR disclosure. Check the lender’s actual payment schedule and total of payments before agreeing to finance.