Good evening
[Does it cost the company anything at any time?]
Yes, it's an admin hell!
The legal position is that the company buys and owns the bike and leases it to you.
You will often find references to a £1,000 limit, this is a good example of the problem, there is no such limit!
There is no limit to the value of the bike, but to lease it to an employee the employer needs a Consumer Credit License (a formality for a mega corp, but a bit of a time consuming issue for a smaller company). The Act that created Cycle To Work granted a block exemption/licence for £1,000 and under, or is it under £1,000, fine if you know this.
Then your payments under the scheme come under salary sacrifice....If you leave within the lease period....., if you stop using the bike..... you thought that you were buying the bike but you are not.....
Can you see where this is leading for the poor payroll admin bod?
Bye
Ian