Fiscally advantageous by cycling to work.
Cycling is good for your health and has little impact on the environment. And it is also increasingly the best option financially. It is therefore not surprising that more and more people choose the bicycle over the car for their daily commute to work and home. Many employers offer their staff attractive options for purchasing or leasing a bicycle. We have listed the most interesting options for you.
What options are available to the employee?
1. Lease a company bicycle.
A growing number of employers are including the bicycle as a mobility option in the employment conditions for their staff. Since January 2020, the tax rules for a lease construction have been greatly simplified. As an employee with a lease bicycle, you can now also use the bicycle for private kilometers, without registration. ​
Addition.
The government charges an addition of 7% on the new value. The employee pays the addition costs via the payslip. This usually amounts to only a few euros per month [example: for a bicycle with a new price of € 2,000, the monthly addition costs amount to approximately € 4.50]. ​
Own contribution.
It is up to the employer to determine whether the employee must also contribute to the monthly lease costs. And not entirely unimportant: are you an employee and do you currently still have a travel allowance? The allowance for bicycle kilometers expires if you use the lease bicycle. It is therefore important to carefully weigh up the costs and benefits of the scheme in relation to the current situation.
2. Buy a bicycle with tax benefits.
A company bike, as explained above, is and remains a company bike. When an employment contract is terminated, the employee must return the bike. For those who prefer to become the owner of the bike themselves, there is another route possible. ​
Work costs scheme.
Employers may spend a limited amount tax-free on work costs within the work costs scheme (WKR). This specifically concerns services or goods that you can also use privately. A bike, for example. The employer pays for the bike and makes the entire amount or part of it available within the WKR. ​
Pay 40% less on average.
The amount is deducted from the gross salary, spread over a number of terms. The result? A tax advantage for the employer and the employee. As an employee, you temporarily receive a lower salary, but the amount of tax you have to pay on your income is also lower. On balance, you pay an average of 40% less than if you were to purchase the bike without the employer's intervention.
3. Buy a bike with an interest-free loan.
An employer has limited fiscal space for work costs. The purchase of a bicycle is also considered to be work costs. Are there other plans with the free space within the work costs scheme? Then the interest-free loan is an interesting alternative. As an employee, you do not have to pay the purchase price of the new bicycle in one go, but spread over several periods. There is no fiscal advantage, but there is the possibility to pay back with salary, leave hours or travel allowance. In some situations this can be quite interesting, for example with a surplus of holiday hours.
4. Higher travel allowance.
There is another option, which should not really be described as a scheme. It is an incentive to take the bike more often, in the form of a financial incentive. ​
23 cents per kilometer tax-free.
Employers are allowed to pay their employees up to 23 cents per kilometer tax-free for travel kilometers. Of course, you can spend this money on fuel or maintenance of your car. However, you can also buy a bicycle or e-bike with it and save money. ​
Avoid administrative hassle.
Do you, as an employee, find it difficult to get your employer to agree to one of the schemes? Many organizations work together with parties that take care of administrative matters concerning the company bike or work costs. Great for your employer. But it also offers you as an employee a lot of convenience, because you know immediately what you are allowed to purchase. Placing an order is usually just as easy as with the average webshop. Ask your employer if they work with a party such as Fiscfree, HelloRider, Lease a Bike, and you will usually quickly know what options you have.
Tax benefit?
Your employer offers the bicycle plan. But how do you get a tax benefit? You choose a new bicycle yourself, but your employer pays for it. In fact, you have a debt to your employer, which you can repay by temporarily reducing your gross salary. Because your gross salary is temporarily reduced, you also pay less income tax. And that's the trick!
Calculation example.
Suppose you buy a bicycle for €1,000. That means that you also have to pay €1,000 x 40% = €400 less tax at the end of the year. So you keep that in your pocket! Although you have received €1,000 less salary, you have exchanged it for a bicycle of the same value. As a result, you have saved €400 in tax, which you would have had to pay if you had received €1,000 more salary. Because you can now keep the €400, the bicycle did not cost you €1,000, but €1,000 - €400 = €600. The 40% tax on your salary has changed into a 40% benefit on your bicycle.
Is a lease bike a good option for me?
I already have a lease car.
Even if you already have a lease car, a lease bike is interesting for you! With a business lease bike, you are considerably cheaper off than if you were to buy a bike yourself or lease a bike privately. In addition, with a lease bike, you will of course no longer have to deal with traffic jams or full parking lots! Do you only want to use the bike privately? That is also permitted. ​
I already receive compensation for my public transport card.
Even if you receive compensation for travelling by public transport, a lease bike is interesting for you! Because you can offset the (possible) costs with your gross salary, you are considerably cheaper off with a business lease bike than if you were to buy a bike yourself or lease a bike privately. Incidentally, it is not mandatory to use the bike for commuting, so you may only use the bike privately if you wish.​
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I receive travel expenses.
Whether a business lease bike is interesting for you depends on a number of things. For example, this depends on the distance between your home address and your work, the amount of travel allowance you currently receive and the number of days you plan to use the bike for commuting. Click here to calculate what a lease bike would cost you.
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I do not receive any reimbursement for expenses.
Because the costs of the business lease bike can be offset against your gross salary or possibly even against extra-statutory vacation days, this is also interesting for you! This gives you a considerable saving compared to buying a bike yourself or leasing a bike privately. Incidentally, it is not mandatory to use the bike for commuting, so you may only use the bike privately if you wish.
How does the ordering process work?
Step 1
Select/choose your Lindtbergh model.
Step 2
Request a lease agreement.
Step 3
Complete your lease application.
Step 4
Wait for approval.
Step 5
Lindtbergh will indicate the delivery time and the model will be delivered to you.