The 7.5 hours in the classroom are just the starting point. On average, teachers are at school an additional 90 minutes beyond the school day for mentoring, providing after-school help for students, attending staff meetings and collaborating with peers.
A capital lease is treated like a loan, and the asset is considered owned by the lessee. The tax advantages of operating leases are especially significant for fixed assets such as lighting that are generally depreciated over a very long term (39 years), since the entire lease payment is tax deductible.
Meanwhile, the critics are correct that low tax rates on capital gains and dividends accrue disproportionately to the wealthy. The Tax Policy Center estimates that in 2016, three-quarters of the tax benefit of the lower rates were received by taxpayers with incomes over $1 million (table 1). Low tax rates on capital gains also play a role in many tax shelters that undermine economic efficiency and growth.