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Fact check: What does the company bike have to do with the pension?

When it comes to the topic of pensions in connection with company bike leasing, there is usually also talk of so-called salary conversion, as this is the reason why bike leasing can have an impact on later pension entitlements: If you opt for company bike leasing via salary conversion, your gross salary is reduced and therefore also the basis for calculating taxes and social security contributions. This means, among other things, that you pay fewer contributions into the pension insurance scheme during the leasing period - and this in turn can have an impact on the amount of your future pension entitlements.  

How much less pension: a sample calculation

It is therefore true that deferred compensation can reduce pension contributions and thus also later claims from the pension fund. But how much money is actually involved? The exact values depend on individual factors such as the amount of the supplementary health insurance contribution, the place of residence or the tax class. However, using an example (source: haufe.de), you can get a rough idea of the extent to which your pension payments are affected by salary conversion for company bike leasing: In the example, a 3,500 euro bicycle is leased via the employer. During the three-year leasing period, 107 euros per month are converted from the gross salary (3,000 euros in the example) and the calculation basis for the contributions to the statutory pension insurance is reduced accordingly. The lower pension contributions paid in as a result then reduce the monthly pension amount by just over three euros. This difference in the pension is even smaller if your employer contributes to the leasing instalments and you therefore spend less of your salary on leasing .

Salary conversion, not only for company bike leasing

As described above, salary conversion is therefore not only the prerequisite for reducing taxes and social security contributions when leasing a company bike and thus saving a lot on the purchase of your new bike, but also the reason why your pension may be slightly lower as a result. However, critics of the company bike model who cite this as an argument against company bike leasing often forget to mention that these effects not only affect the company bike, but all areas in which the option of salary conversion is used. Examples of this are company pension schemes and the leasing of a company car. One difference here is that while company bike leasing has very little impact on the pension due to the relatively low conversion rate, salary conversion for company cars can have a significantly greater impact on the later pension due to the higher leasing instalments.  

Less pension? Calculate contribution now

The extent to which company bike leasing affects your pension entitlements depends, among other things, on the impact of salary conversion on your B pension insurance contributions . You can calculate this using our leasing calculator. Please note that the values are non-binding calculation examples and that the calculation only shows how much less pension contributions you pay in each month during leasing, but not the amount by which your monthly pension entitlement changes as a result.

Company bike leasing: This does not affect your pension entitlement

In addition to salary conversion, there is also a variant of the company bike model in which leasing does not affect the amount of your pension entitlement: This is the case if your employer covers the costs of the company bike lease in full and gives you the bike in addition to the salary paid. In this case, your gross salary does not change as a result of the company bike leasing, so your pension entitlements remain unchanged. You can find out more about the special features of this company bike option under Company bike as a salary extra.

Cycling for work: a benefit for health and the environment

Whether as a salary supplement or financed through deferred compensation: The option of leasing a bicycle as a company bike at a favourable rate via the employer is an effective way of making bicycles an attractive means of transport and encouraging as many people as possible to switch from cars to bicycles more often. This promotion of healthy, environmentally friendly mobility not only benefits the e ndividuals , who can take advantage of the financial incentives of company bike leasing and enjoy the pleasure of exercise, but also has a positive social impact, for example with regard to climate protection, the transport transition and the economic development of certain industries. You can find out more about the social aspects of company cycling here: Company bike leasing added value for society too?

Would you like to use company bike leasing to get more exercise and stay fit into retirement, but your employer doesn't yet offer our leasing service? On our website you will find powerful arguments that are sure to convince them.