Job bike, bike leasing, company bike

What are “company bikes” or “bike leasing”?

A company bicycle is a bicycle that the employer provides to its employees on a permanent basis as a company bicycle or company bike. Other terms for a company bicycle are company bike or job bike. It doesn't matter whether the company bike is a regular bike, an e-bike, a pedelec, or a cargo bike. Anyone who receives a company bike from the company may use it for the commute to and from work and also ride it privately.

This is where a company bike differs from a traditional job bike. Job bikes are used when they are necessary for daily work. Examples include courier cyclists or mail carriers who actually only use their bikes for work.

New (cargo) bike through a salary increase or salary conversion?

Employers have two options for offering employees a company bike. The first option is for employees to fully purchase the company bike. In this case, the company covers all costs for the bike and offers it to employees in the form of a higher salary. In the second option, the employer also covers the costs when purchasing the bike. However, the employer deducts a portion of the costs from employees' monthly gross salary.

Leasing as an alternative to buying

In addition to purchasing a company bike, employers can also lease a company bike. Demand for bike leasing services has recently increased dramatically. Several providers in this segment now offer company bike leasing based on monthly lease payments. The concept works similarly to car leasing. Specialist bike leasing companies are listed below.

With company bike leasing, the employer acts as the leasing partner and pays the monthly lease payments. These costs can be deducted from business expenses. Employees often cover part of the monthly payments themselves through salary deferred compensation. Once the agreed lease term has expired, providers offer the option of purchasing the bike at a favorable residual value.

Overview of bike leasing providers

Below we list some common providers we work with for company bike leasing. Each provider has an online calculator that you can use to get a fairly accurate estimate of what you'd expect to pay for your leasing:

Serviceliste

Benefits "for everyone"

  • your body in motion --> fitness, well-being, health
  • less need for parking spaces (company premises, everyday life, private)
  • Purchase costs for company bikes can be deducted from taxes
  • motivated employee/employer
  • Purchasing a (high-quality) bicycle is made easier
  • promote environmentally conscious mobility
  • full commuter allowance for cyclists
  • Own contribution and deduction from gross salary is more tax-efficient
  • Bicycle insurance included

Incidentally, self-employed people also benefit from the tax advantages that come with a company bike. They don't have to pay tax on private withdrawals for private use, thus saving on sales and income tax.

Not only advantages

  • For the sake of transparency, it should be mentioned that salary conversion has a small catch: Due to the slightly lower net salary, the assessment basis for wage replacement benefits such as unemployment or parental allowance is reduced.
  • In addition, you pay slightly less into the pension insurance, which slightly reduces your pension entitlement.

Tax aspects for company two-wheelers

The one-percent rule applies to company cars, which states that the monetary benefit of the vehicle is taxed at a monthly flat rate of one percent. This rule also applied to company bicycles for a long time. Company bikes now have a much better tax position than company cars. A company bicycle financed through salary conversion is only taxable at 0.25 percent since January 1, 2020. If the company even provides the bike to employees in addition to their salary, it remains completely tax-free.

For e-bikes used as company bikes, the monetary benefit is different. The same rule applies here as for company cars, because an electric bike can travel faster than 25 kilometers per hour. Therefore, it is considered a motor vehicle by law and is subject to different tax consequences.

  • Whether with or without electric motor assistance, company bicycles are treated similarly to company cars for tax purposes.
  • In most cases, your employer leases the company bike for you and contributes to the costs. As an employee, you cover the majority of the monthly usage fee yourself through salary conversion.
  • The employer can deduct the leasing and insurance payments as his tax expenses.
  • For commuting to work by bike, employees can claim 30 cents per kilometer each working day as a travel allowance in their tax return.
  • If the employee is also allowed to use the bike privately, this should be regulated in a leasing agreement or an addendum to the employment contract.
  • Tax breaks have been in place since 2019. If you, as an employee, receive a company bike in addition to your salary and do not have to contribute financially to it, it remains tax-free and exempt from duties.
  • You can often purchase the company bike at a discount after the three-year lease expires. You can tax the resulting monetary benefit at a flat rate. However, you shouldn't contractually agree to the purchase in advance.

Podcast series on company bike leasing

Get on your bike with Lease a Bike.


"What exactly is company bike leasing and how does the concept behind it work? What advantages does the leasing model offer employees, companies, or the self-employed?"

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As an employee:

Does your employer already work with a leasing provider other than the one listed here? Would you still like to purchase a cargo bike or cargo trailer from us? Certainly no problem for us. We're happy to add new providers.


Do you have any questions about the leasing process?


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You are an employer

and would like to offer your employees the opportunity to lease cargo bikes?


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