How strict is Cycle to Work?

[philipbh]

ask what you actually need before you insist on getting everything you possibly can.

However, if you are eligible and can take up the scheme then you should (whether you have multiple bikes or not).

Its maybe a naive thought but surely (?) the more people using the scheme, the more successful it is seen to be and therefore likely to be continued.

More bikes being sold keeps the bike retailers / mechanics / accessory makers in business too, in addition to all the health and environmental benefits previously mentioned.

 

[Downward]

Anyone who moans about the scheme is just jealous.
It's not something for nothing anyway. I am just giving my employer £1k to reduce my salary which reduces my tax and ni and they lease me a bike. The bike isn't owned by us its the employers. They can turn round after 12 months and say thanks but we are having your bike now..

 

[BSA]

Wow, start a thread and go away for the weekend and look what happens!

I not sure what to do, I dont want to deceive anyone I guess I am frustrated with my works lack of enthusiam for the scheme.

People are sort of correct I will buy a new bike (for comutting) regardless of using the scheme. I just thought my wife will never use the scheme so I would take advantage.

Now I feel like a criminal!

 

[philipbh]

Is it possible that Mrs BSA would buy the bicycle under the scheme in order to get to the level of fitness required for the daily commute by practising in the privacy of "BSA Acres"

And then lend the bike to BSA

 

[skwerl]

The problem with the scheme is it's greenwash. Govt introduced it to be seen to be doing something about reducing commuter traffic in cities. An easy system that scroes a few points. Same deal with the tax-free PC scheme, aimed at getting everyone access to a computer so the UK would look good on the international PC-literacy scale. Problem there was that people who already owned a PC decided to get themselves a laptop/second PC, etc. and those the scheme was aimed at either didn't know of it's existence or didn't see the benefit/couldn't afford to take part.

It strikes me that a much easier approach to looking green on a national level would be to make bikes and accessories VAT-free. It's very easy to implement and needs no involvement from employers and employees. It would pu the bicycle into the necessity items list of VAT-qualifying goods - surely a positive step to changing the view of cycling. I guess the financial impact would be too high though.

 

[FootSore]

BSA I think you can use scheme legitimately.

Mrs BSA must use the bike predominently for work. So as long as she does more rides to work on it than to the shops then she complies with the scheme. As an example if she rode to work once and then never rode it again she has used it more for work and therefore complies. In fact she has to complete only part of the journey - maybe from the car park to the front door.

The scheme makes no mention on the allowance for other people (e.g. Mr BSA) to use the bike. They neither forbid it nor allow it. As they don't forbid it then it is acceptable.

FootSore

 

[DieselDemon]

Wow, start a thread and go away for the weekend and look what happens!

I not sure what to do, I dont want to deceive anyone I guess I am frustrated with my works lack of enthusiam for the scheme.

People are sort of correct I will buy a new bike (for comutting) regardless of using the scheme. I just thought my wife will never use the scheme so I would take advantage.

Now I feel like a criminal!

No need to feel like a crminal. Nothing to say your Wife can't lend you the bike now and again, and again and again. Go for it you deserve it.

 

[trsleigh]

I bought a bike three years ago on a 18 month lease scheme, final payment to own bike outright was approx 3% or less in some cases.

The company is now running the scheme again and so I've applied for another bike ( n+1 etc ), a Brompton P6R+
However, it seems that HMRC are getting restless. I've heard from our HR dept that that HMRC are insisting that the final value that the bike is bought from the company at is related to a true 'fair market value' Apparently it has been suggested by HMRC that sources such as eBay are used by the company to determine this. If this is true I cannot see any point to the scheme. Especially with bikes such as Brompton that hold their value well.
What would be the point of leasing a bike for a year for approx £600 then paying another £400 ( probably a fmv for a Brommie with SON ). It will totally negate the point of the exercise.
I just hope that someone, somewhere, has got the wrong end of the stick on this one.

 

[addictfreak]

I bought a bike three years ago on a 18 month lease scheme, final payment to own bike outright was approx 3% or less in some cases.

The company is now running the scheme again and so I've applied for another bike ( n+1 etc ), a Brompton P6R+
However, it seems that HMRC are getting restless. I've heard from our HR dept that that HMRC are insisting that the final value that the bike is bought from the company at is related to a true 'fair market value' Apparently it has been suggested by HMRC that sources such as eBay are used by the company to determine this. If this is true I cannot see any point to the scheme. Especially with bikes such as Brompton that hold their value well.
What would be the point of leasing a bike for a year for approx £600 then paying another £400 ( probably a fmv for a Brommie with SON ). It will totally negate the point of the exercise.
I just hope that someone, somewhere, has got the wrong end of the stick on this one.

Absolutely, it would not be worth it. An awful lot of suppliers offer 0% interest these days sometimes up to 3 years depending on what you spend.
I reckon that if I paid a true market value for my MTB at the end of the scheme then it would cost me more than the original value.

Perhaps the scheme is becoming a victim of its own success.

 

[Downward]

Absolutely, it would not be worth it. An awful lot of suppliers offer 0% interest these days sometimes up to 3 years depending on what you spend.
I reckon that if I paid a true market value for my MTB at the end of the scheme then it would cost me more than the original value.

Perhaps the scheme is becoming a victim of its own success.

All the more reason to get in while you can.

 

[HJ]

- to continue my earlier ramblings - Perhaps a BOR scheme ('bike on retirement', tax free) might be the answer for those like myself excluded from, and envious of C2W - maybe one should be able to opt for either a free bus pass or a BOR voucher? B)

Great idea, and it would work out cheaper for the country in the long run...

sorry but i cant agree with those sentiments. Like you i have worked all my adult life. I dont believe that i 'deserve' something extra. If thats the case why not just fraudulently claim benefit? Perhaps steal something?

I'm not scared of my own or anyone elses shadow, i just like to try and do the right thing. Yes it can be hard and pisses me off at times but sometimes lifes like that. And no i dont mean to condemn those who would do this, in the scheme of things its pretty small beer, but that dont make it right.

Well said, good to see that there are still people in this country with a moral backbone. There is far to much of a something for nothing attitude which has developed in this country since the 1980's, whether it guaranteed bonuses, MP's expense, or just plain fraud, it has somehow become acceptable. Well it shouldn't be, we all loose by it in some way...

 

[HJ]

Its an interesting debate though and I'm left wondering why the scheme isn't open to everyone on a personal level - which I suppose still wouldn't stop the rules being bent and "buying for someone else"

B) The government could zero rate bicycles and allow the tax relief to be claimed through a Tax Return submission and / or Tax code change

Why not, the government is already subsidising the buying of new cars through the scrappage scheme. Given their supposed targets on health and the environment, tax relief on bikes would be a much better idea...