Thursday, May 6, 2010

tax credits for bicycle commuter

Now that you're biking to work, persuade your employer to offer the Bicycle Commuter Act tax credit!  A university in Pittsburgh, PA just made news when it began offering the credit.  From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
The benefit is a $20-a-month credit for people who make a "substantial portion" of their commute by bicycle, to pay for purchases, repairs, storage, upgrades or helmets (padded shorts and tight shirt are excluded from the reimbursement). The employer can reimburse employees based on their expenses, offer regular monthly payments or devise some sort of voucher system.
Similar benefits are allowed for transit and parking, but they allow up to $230 a month. The bicycle benefit can be applied only in those months during which an employee does not file for transit or parking benefits.
Some members of the United States Congress have started to call for equity in tax credits offered to bike commuters:

To that end, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who had pushed for the benefit to be a much higher amount, has introduced legislation called the Green Routes to Work Bill, or H.R. 3271.
The bill calls for equity in the benefits, so that biking, transit and parking would have the same cap, which would make it easier for bike commuters to afford a new helmet or pay for fenders. It also would allow for workers to use the credit for multimodal transportation. For example, taking the bus part way and the bike the rest of the ride might qualify both up to the total cap.
Anybody know of employers in C-U that offer these credits?  If so, props to them!

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