Double-dip lease

Double-dip lease

A cross-border lease in which the different rules of the lessor's and lessee's countries let both parties be treated as the owner of the leased equipment for tax purposes.

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Double-dip lease

A cross-border lease that, due to tax regulations in two different countries, allow both parties to be considered the owner for tax purposes. In most European countries, the holder of a legal title is considered the owner of an asset for tax purposes, while in the United States, legal title is only one of several factors considered. One example of a double-dip lease is the sale of an asset to a foreign agent, who then leases it back to the original owner for mutual tax advantage. This was a common tax avoidance scheme until the JOBS ACT in the United States made most double-dip leases unprofitable in 2004. See also: Lease buyback, sukuk al-ijara.