The six advantages of bicycle leasing for employees
Bicycle leasing is among the top-chosen fringe benefits in Belgium. Unsurprisingly, as a lease bicycle is cool, trendy, ecologically responsible and has numerous benefits, including for tax purposes. What are the advantages of bicycle leasing for you as an employee, then? We'll bring together the six most major advantages in this blog. Once you know all the advantages, you're guaranteed to want to lease a bicycle!
1. Enjoy the tax relief
Did you know that leasing a bicycle is up to 40% cheaper than buying one yourself? This is mainly because you pay for your lease bicycle with your gross salary, and not with your net salary. Because if you buy your bicycle with your net salary, you pay the full price for the accessories, the maintenance, the services and breakdown assistance from the salary deposited into your account.
More details on why bicycle leasing has tax benefits for you as an employee can be read in our blog: ‘Why does leasing a bicycle through your employer offer so many tax benefits?’
If you make your gross salary more flexible to lease a bicycle, you pay the same amount, but that's with your gross salary. This is far cheaper, as tax and social security haven't been deducted from your salary yet. The contribution your employer doesn't need to pay to the state owing to your lower gross salary is also reduced by the monthly lease amount for your bicycle. That means you only need a fraction of your net salary for the same bicycle, accessories and services.
Want to know more about the cost of a lease bicycle? Then be sure to read our blog: ‘How much does a lease bicycle cost?’
2. Access to more expensive bicycles
As you can read above, bicycle leasing has tax benefits. And that's interesting, because it means you can often lease a more expensive bicycle than if you made a private purchase. Speed pedelecs, cargo bicycles, long-tails, mountain bikes, racing bikes… and plenty more besides. Thanks to bicycle leasing, they're often within reach.
Through o2o Bicycle Leasing, you can lease bicycles from more than 500 brands! Still not sure what bicycle you're looking for? Take a look at all the bicycle types here and find out what type of bicycle suits you.
3. Bicycle allowance as a net benefit
Do you get to work by bicycle? Then you can count on a nice net extra on your payslip: the bicycle allowance! As that kilometre compensation is untaxed up to 0.35 cents per kilometre. Doesn't seem much, but when you start working it out, you'll soon notice it can produce a decent benefit for you!
For example, if you live 10 kilometres from work and you get there by bicycle every day, the following calculation applies: 5 x 20 km x 0.35 cents = 35 euros per week.
How much your bicycle allowance ultimately comes to will depend on the sector you're employed in. Do you want to know more about the bicycle allowance? Then make sure to check out the blog: ‘All you need to know about the bicycle allowance’.
4. Reduce your ecological footprint
Those choosing a bicycle will save a great many CO₂ emissions by leaving the car behind. Research has been conducted into the CO₂ emissions of various means of transport, and how did it turn out?
Whereas you emit 131 g of CO₂ per kilometre with a diesel car and 149 g with a petrol car, this is only 3 g per kilometre for an electric bicycle. That makes the (electric) bicycle even more sustainable than an electric car (54 g/km) and public transport (96 g/km). In short, the bicycle is the most sustainable option!
Already convinced about bicycle leasing?
High time to launch your bicycle leasing story! With our step-by-step plan, your lease bicycle will be at your home in a flash:
- Scour our bicycle types page and discover your ideal bicycle.
- Go to your local bike dealer, test your bike, choose your accessories and request your quote.
- Create a myo2o biker account and simulate your lease price.
5. Improve your mental and physical health
Both your physical and mental health can benefit from cycling. This is shown in the TNO report, which says that regular cycling improves your fitness by no less than 13%. Moreover, it helps you burn more calories too.
The chance of cardiovascular disease reduces too and, on average, you'll be one day less ill than your colleagues who get to work by bicycle less often. Do you want a long life? Then cycling to work is a smart choice, as regular cycling reduces the chance of an early death by 40%.
Not only will your physical condition improve, you'll be ahead in mental terms too, as cycling has a positive impact on your mental disposition. When you're cycling, your body produces endorphins and serotonin. This reduces stress and has positive effects on your mood.
6. Worry-free cycling thanks to the all-in package
You don't only lease a bicycle through bicycle leasing – you also get many services included in your lease package. Our coverage in case of damage and theft means you won't have to worry about bicycle thieves. Did you choose to include breakdown assistance in your lease package? Then you can always call upon our assistance partner if you break down on the road.
With the maintenance budget, you can even pay for your bicycle maintenance with a tax benefit! Are you also taking out warranty insurance? Then your bicycles warranty will be extended until the end of your lease contract! That way, you really can get on the road worry-free.
