Tax Breaks Set to Boost Netherlands E-Bike Use

E-bikes, which are already the top-selling bike type in the Netherlands are set to get a further boost as new tax laws, effective for January 1st, 2020 take effect. From that date, Netherland residents will be able to get interest-free loans to purchase e-bikes, lease bikes from their employer and also get reimbursed for kilometers ridden on their e-bikes.

According to an article in NL Times, the new tax-friendly lease scheme will allow employers to provide workers with a company e-bike for a small monthly fee. It sets the lease for bicycles at 7 percent, allowing an employee who leases an e-bike worth 3 thousand euros to pay just 7 euros per month and only add 210 euros to their taxable income.
Additionally, employees can also claim reimbursement for business mileage traveled by bike, with workers able to claim 19 cents for every kilometer ridden.

When combined with interest-free loans to purchase e-bikes, industry association Bovag and RAI expect that the scheme could boost sales of e-bikes in the Netherlands by a further 150 thousand units next year.