I have reached the end of my initial hire period and received a mail asking me to make a choice. On the CWS website it says that if I choose the extended use period – “At the end of the Extended Use Agreement Cyclescheme will contact you and may offer ownership of the bicycle at the market value; the market value to be ascertained at the time in accordance with HMRC guidelines.”

I was surprised to see “may offer ownership of the bicycle at the market value” since their End of Hire Process video describes how “Bob is pleased to learn that he can take ownership at no extra cost” which echoes the text on their web page “The bike remains ‘hired’ for a further 36 months, but with no more monthly payments. Ownership can then officially be transferred to you at no extra cost.”

Can anyone tell me which version is the truth? Will I be charged an extra sum at the end of the extended use period, or will the bike be transferred to me free, as their website and video says?

By “hiring” it for a further 36 mths (at no cost) the bike will then be so old it will be deemed worthless and as such you wont get taxed on any value by keeping it.

So, just keep riding it till the tax man reckons its worthless, then you keep it.

Or find out the market value and then counter it with a claim that its worthless because you didn’t look after it, knackered the drive chain, brakes and never serviced the forks etc. They may give it to you 🙂

You read the T&C’s before you signed up, so you should know. Oh, you didn’t… 🙄

And tbh, why exactly did you think you’d get something (of value) tax-free?

You read the T&C’s before you signed up, so you should know. Oh, you didn’t…

I guess I believed the statements made on their web page, as quoted above.

And tbh, why exactly did you think you’d get something (of value) tax-free?

I had the naive idea that the purpose of the scheme was to give people a financial incentive to cycle to work, to improve traffic congestion, the environment, and my impact on the NHS. My bad.

I believe since HMRC got more interested the usual thing is to refer to “market value” while it belongs to the employer. But the employer can (and I’ve never heard of anyone doing otherwise) depreciate the value to nothing over 3 years much like a computer or similar, hence no value or charge at the end.

They can get a bit funny about making this explicitly clear though, I imagine to cover themselves in case HMRC change their minds.

HMRC got their sticky mitts involved a few years back.This lead to some confusion and properly kicked the arse out the the scheme until the providers thought up a workaround.
At the end of 12 months when you take ownership the bike is still worth x amount and HMRC see this as a benefit in kind.And so want you to pay tax on it.
By ‘hiring’ it (from cycle to work) for a further 3 years it depreciates to nothing and hence no tax to pay.Some providers charge a fee for this service.

And tbh, why exactly did you think you’d get something (of value) tax-free?

I had the naive idea that the purpose of the scheme was to give people a financial incentive to cycle to work, to improve traffic congestion, the environment, and my impact on the NHS. My bad.

s’wat i thought too. i got one back in the early days and im sure thats what happened. paid the instalments from my wage before tax then got it for nowt.
dont worry mate, theres often someone trying to be clever when you ask a question around here 🙂

Wait till your employer IS those interfering barstewards at HMRC! 🙄

You’re expecting sympathy for being a tax inspector, MCTD?

I believe since HMRC got more interested

Yep. You’d have thought that anyone coming up with a tax-free scheme would at least discuss it with HMRC. I believe that HMRC were one of the last central Govt Depts to adopt the policy.

And tbh, why exactly did you think you’d get something (of value) tax-free?

Well. Because that’s basically the whole (and only) point of the bike to work scheme 🙄

If it wasn’t tax free, people would just go to a shop and buy a bike.

But they don’t, because it is.

Well. Because that’s basically the whole (and only) point of the bike to work scheme

I was talking about the ‘retained’ value, at the end of the hire period – as the bike actually belongs to the employer.

It’s all basically HMRC trying to get some money out of you as you’ve had a tax-free bike

I notice with interest that they didn’t consult STW classifieds for ‘real-world’ valuations of bikes sold at full RRP with mediocre specs.

Basically it is dishonest, and a major pain in the balls. In hindsight I should have just looked around for a discount, or other deal, and bought a bike.

We just let our staff continue to “hire” it for nothing, after the first year, until we depreciate it to zero, then there is no value to be taxed on. Simple.

Just extend you’re agreement for the further 3 years and you’ve saved. Simple.
It really isn’t dishonest because it’s written in the t’s & c’s you didn’t read.
They have to make it sound like they might keep it because they are technically the owners of it. They can’t word it that they’ll gift it to you because that could be misconstrued.
I’ve never known an employer wanting the bike back. Ever. They’ve got they’re money back and as such couldn’t care less about it.
The ‘fair market value’ is set out by hmrc and has been for some time now. Depending on the original value of the bike it goes down in set yearly increments up to 4yrs from date of purchase at which point the market value is deemed to be £0.00.

I was talking about the ‘retained’ value, at the end of the hire period – as the bike actually belongs to the employer

Until it gets written off at zero value and given to the employee tax free.

So. A Tax Free bike. As was the whole idea in the first place.

And the reason it is what the employees expect.

I’m not a tax inspector, thank God, different agency.

And yes, we were about the last organisation to get their heads around the scheme.

But the terms are usually easily fairly easy to find and read. As a basic rate tax payer I got a brand new, newly released model for 20% less than rrp after the final payment. Anyone expecting anything more is probably naive.

Basically it is dishones

No more than pretending that you ride the bike to work regularly (if at all)

The irony of the scheme is that if you are a higher tax rate earner…..you save more money buying a bike on the scheme (the oft quoted up to 42% saving).

I got a brand new, newly released model for 20% less than rrp after the final payment. Anyone expecting anything more is probably naive.

I’m not expecting more, but I am getting less – paying an extra “fee” for the extended hire and then potentially a “market value” at the end.

No more than pretending that you ride the bike to work regularly (if at all)

Are you stalking me ? 🙂

The market value at the end is 0. So if they’re charging you the admin fee then that’s it. 7% is the usual admin fee.

By “hiring” it for a further 36 mths (at no cost) the bike will then be so old it will be deemed worthless and as such you wont get taxed on any value by keeping it.

This, plus it’s worth remembering that nobody else involved is unlikely to want the bother or cost of anything other than an extension of the hire period…

If you turn down 36 month continuation or refuse to buy it at “market value” they have to take back the asset, and do something with it, incurring cost and effort.

The three year hire extension works for everyone, assuming it’s at zero further cost to you, and a FOC transfer of ownership at the end is guaranteed?… Is it?

There should be no extra fee, or if there is it will be bugger all, and you have saved a shed load of money thanks to the tax man.

You hire it for zero for the extended period till its worth zero.

So stop being upset by it.

For once the tax man does something good by allowing people to get fit, save congestion and ride bikes and boost the trade LBS get – so stop moaning.

(It was sunny today, did you not get out for a ride then ?)

I had one of the early bike to work schemes which meant that you got it for a final payment at the end of 12months. HMRC then changed it to 12 months, plus one payment on month 13. The employer still technically owns the bike as everyone above says until the end of a further 35/6 months when it is worthless and they gift it to you.

Of note is again hidden in the small print that you must take care of it and this includes the bike must NOT be used for racing…. oops.

I had a good deal on a genesis latitude 853 3 yrs ago. I work for the govt and paid up for 12 months then haven’t heard anything else since, no end of hire costs after 3 yrs. worked out as a good deal. Basically a good reduction on the price (-tax and national insurance means approx 30%) and interest free credit for 12 months. What’s not to like?

This was direct with Cyclescheme…

In hindsight I should have just looked around for a discount, or other deal, and bought a bike.

In hindsight you should have researched properly before going ahead.

I know it’s a technicality, but what I don’t like about the scheme is that you only get to officially own the discounted bike after 4 years! I know you can basically get away with treating it as if it is your own, but I don’t want to pay money out of my wages for a year, and then not own that item for a further 3 years: a kind of pay now own later scheme! The initial discount, along with the potential extra hassle/cost if you change jobs, means it has never made it worth it for me though I know many people have been happy with it. This is compounded by the fact that I would want to upgrade and modify the bike whenever I want (including painting), and i wouldn’t feel able to do that unless it was mine (though know people who have).

Blimey, some people are way too hard to please.

What I always say to customers is that at worst it works out as a 12month interest free loan. At best you’ll make a saving. So if you have cash in the bank then by all means use that. But if you do t or would use an interest baring (?) credit card then use the scheme if it’s available to you.

My office used to do it, and several people took it up. I didn’t because apparently I cycle already, and it wouldn’t be fair or something.
As far as I can see the main outcomes for B2W are:
Allowing IT consultants to buy a bike every year for the last 5 years, and not ever use them to cycle to work
Double the size of cycle clubs
Make cyclocross mainstream
Double the value of Evans Cycles

I don’t see the problem, I’ve had my email through offering me the 3yr hire for £67 where at the end I can either keep the bike or return it and get the £67 back, buy now for £240 or simply return it.
I plan on ignoring the email in the hope they will forget me and not ask for anything! 😉

what happens if after you’ve paid off the yearly cost it gets nicker=d, or broken….?

I know it’s been said before but for a standard rate tax payer you’ll probably get a better deal buying it up front or on Interest Free. You get a better selection (including discounted stock), no potential administration fees, the bike is yours and the shop will likely give you a discount rather than paying scheme administrators 10-15% of the cost (and therefore a huge part of their margin).

It’s a flawed policy when taken at face value.

The idea was to encourage cycling to work. It does no such thing for the vast majority; all it does is encourage existing cyclists to purchase a bike close to £1000 which they might not have bothered with if the scheme hadn’t been in place.

The whole thing needs reorganising as either “every tax payer can buy a bike from their pre-tax earnings because its good for the overall health of the nation” (i.e. no bureaucratic rules about ownership etc) or “we’ll let you buy a bike tax free if you actually use it to travel to work on for a decent proportion of your working week” (which will never happen because of the bureaucracy involved and the workplace disputes).

As it stands its just a mess; yes, of course, it can work very well for some people and organisations, but it has grown into something unnecessarily complex.

at worst it works out as a 12month interest free loan. At best you’ll make a saving.

This is my take on it at the moment, except that you will likely have a more limited choice than if you were just looking at 0% deals or sales yourself.
I did get a bike on it a few years ago but I don’t think I’d bother now.

As it stands its just a mess; yes, of course, it can work very well for some people and organisations, but it has grown into something unnecessarily complex.

Pretty much like most ‘policy’ things proposed by Politicians with little outside experience.

#soundbitepolicies

It’s not a con just because you don’t understand it or read what you’re signing for. At the end of the extended hire period the value of the bike is 0 so you pay nothing for it, but could technically choose to give it back at the end of that hire period.

It used to be better value as you got it VAT free. HMRC and Astra Zeneca went to Court over them giving retail vouchers tax free as part of a deferred salary scheme, and the cycle scheme was caught in the collateral damage.

The “extended hire” process is basically a loop hole sanctioned by HMRC to get around the final value untaxed benefit issue. No scheme manager actually wants bikes handed back, its an admin exercise.

If you’re a basic rate taxpayer you can probably get a bigger discount in the sales but as others have said its an interest free loan.