Bike to Work Scheme Ireland 2026: Get Your E-Bike Before Year End

Every November the same question starts coming across the counter in Ballymount: "If I apply for the Bike to Work Scheme now, will I have the bike before Christmas?" The honest answer is yes, usually, but only if the paperwork moves this month. The Cycle to Work Scheme in Ireland has no deadline of its own. Your employer's payroll does, and in December it comes early.

This is a practical guide to getting a Bike to Work electric bike through payroll before the end of 2026: why December is worth the push, how long each step really takes, what Budget 2027 changed, the 2026 scheme limits, and which of our e-bikes are in stock and under the €1,500 limit right now. We've handled over 400 Bike to Work applications in the last two months alone, roughly double the same period last Christmas, so the steps below are the ones we see work.

Why apply for Bike to Work in December 2026, not January

1. The Bike to Work four-year rule counts the tax year you buy

Revenue lets you use the scheme once every four years, and it counts the tax year of the purchase as year one. Its own example: a bike bought in any month of 2022 means you can use the scheme again from 1 January 2026. So a bike bought in December 2026 puts you back in the scheme from January 2030. Wait until January 2027 for the same bike and you're waiting until 2031. One month's difference on the calendar is a full year on the clock.

2. Budget 2027 and the Bike to Work Scheme: the tax band moves

Budget 2027 raised the standard rate band from €44,000 to €46,500 from January. Good news for your payslip generally, but it has a quiet side effect on Bike to Work. Your saving on the scheme is your marginal rate of tax, USC and PRSI on the amount you repay. If you earn between €44,000 and €46,500, deductions taken in 2026 come off income taxed at 40%. From January, that same slice of your pay is taxed at 20%.

On our savings calculator, a €1,500 e-bike on a €45,000 salary saves about €609 on 2026 rates and about €411 on 2027 rates. Earn under €44,000 or over €46,500 and the two years come out within a few euro of each other, so for most people this one is neutral. If you're in that band, though, and your employer takes the deduction in one go or starts it in December, 2026 is the year to do it.

3. December payroll cut-offs come early

Most companies pay December salaries before Christmas, which means payroll locks the December run earlier than any other month, often in the first or second week. Your employer has to pay our invoice before we hand over the bike, and the salary deduction is set up around that payment. Get the invoice to the right person in November and December payroll is comfortable. Leave it until the second week of December and you're relying on an accounts department that's already half on holidays.

How to apply for the Bike to Work Scheme online: a quote in five minutes

We rebuilt our Bike to Work Scheme application page this month so you can see the whole quote before you send it. Pick your bike and colour or frame size, tick any safety gear, choose collection or delivery, and the panel on the right shows the allowance you're using, what's left of it, and your estimated saving for your salary band. Nothing is ordered until your employer pays, and nothing is hidden in the small print.

A few things worth knowing about it:

• Up to five bikes on one application. Handy if a few of you in the same company want to apply together. Each rider gets their own allowance.
• Safety equipment counts towards the limit. Helmets, locks, lights, hi-vis and gloves all go on the same invoice and come out of the same €1,500 or €3,000. The builder keeps a running total so you don't go over by accident.
• Over the limit? It shows the difference as "you pay before handover". You can pay that to us directly, or spread it with Humm or Klarna.
• Your employer's details go on the quote. Add the HR or accounts contact and we copy them on the invoice. Please don't put PPS numbers in the notes; we don't need them.
• Seasonal deal prices don't apply. Bike to Work invoices are at regular prices.

Once you submit, we email your invoice within 24 hours, ready to hand to your employer. You'll get a reference number and a copy in your inbox.

One of our team walks through the whole thing in under a minute:

Bike to Work savings calculator, updated for Budget 2027

Our Bike to Work savings calculator now lets you pick the tax year of purchase, 2026 or 2027, and uses the Budget 2027 bands and credits for next year. Put in the bike price, your salary and how often you're paid, and it shows your total saving, what the bike really costs you, and the gross and real cost per payslip.

Here's what a €1,500 e-bike really costs a single PAYE worker on 2026 rates, straight from the calculator:

A €2,999 cargo e-bike on a €55,000 salary works out at about €1,582, a saving of €1,417. These are estimates for a single person with standard credits, repaying within the year chosen. Married couples, one-income households and medical card holders have different bands, so run your own numbers and check with payroll before you order.

Bike to Work timeline: from application to bike before Christmas

1. This week: ask payroll two questions. Does the company run the scheme, and what's the cut-off for December payroll? Some employers run Bike to Work themselves, others use a scheme provider with its own form. Either way, this is the one date that decides everything else.
2. Today or tomorrow: build your quote. Use the application page, or call in and we'll do it with you. Choose a bike that's in stock. We email the invoice within 24 hours.
3. Within a few days: your employer approves it. Most companies need a manager's sign-off and a purchase order or reference. The quicker you hand over the invoice, the quicker this moves.
4. Before the payroll cut-off: your employer pays the invoice. Payment comes from the company, not from you. Revenue is clear that the employer must buy the bike; reimbursing you for a bike you paid for doesn't qualify. Let us know when it's been sent.
5. Once paid: collect or get it delivered. Store collection in Ballymount, van delivery in Dublin, or boxed by courier anywhere in Ireland. If you'd like it built, charged and safety-checked first, add our €50 assembly service. Then the salary deductions start, spread over up to 12 months.

From a quote on a Monday to a bike in your hands the following week is normal in November. In the last ten days before Christmas, it depends entirely on how fast the payment lands.

Bike to Work Scheme rules and limits in 2026

• €1,500 for an electric bike (a pedelec: 250W, assistance up to 25 km/h, and it counts as a bicycle on the road).
• €3,000 for a cargo or e-cargo bike.
• €1,250 for a regular bike.
• The limits include safety equipment bought at the same time: helmets to EN 1078, lights, locks, reflective and hi-vis clothing, pumps and mirrors.
• Once every four years, counting the tax year of purchase as year one.
• Repayments through salary over up to 12 months.
• The bike is meant mainly for getting to and from work, or between workplaces. You don't have to prove it, but that's the basis of the exemption.

Budget 2027 didn't change any of these limits. It did announce a review of the scheme during 2027 to look at increasing participation, so the rules above are the ones to plan around for now. Everything else is on our guide to how the Bike to Work Scheme works in Ireland, including the questions we get asked most.

Best electric bikes for the Bike to Work Scheme under €1,500 (in stock now)

Buying for a December payroll means buying from stock. These are the electric bikes for the Bike to Work Scheme that fit under the €1,500 limit and are on the floor in Ballymount as I write this. The Fiido D3 Pro Mini and Fiido C21 are the two we've invoiced most this autumn.

Each of those leaves room under the €1,500 for a helmet and a lock on the same invoice. The Fiido Air (€1,499) also fits, right at the limit, but it's down to the last one, and the Engwe O20 Boost and Fiido M1 Pro are low too, so ring before you set your heart on one.

Cargo e-bikes under the €3,000 Bike to Work limit

If you're carrying kids or shopping, the cargo limit is double. Our cargo e-bike collection has three in stock that fit:

Our school run guide goes into the T2 in detail, and our earlier Bike to Work post covers how to choose between the bikes once you know your budget.

The honest bits about Bike to Work in December

• It's your employer's scheme, not ours. Companies don't have to offer Bike to Work, and if yours doesn't, no retailer can get around that. Ask HR before you fall for a bike.
• Payroll cut-offs vary wildly. A small company might pay our invoice the same afternoon. A large one with a scheme provider might need two weeks and a purchase order. Find out which you're dealing with.
• Stock moves fast in December. Bike to Work invoices are at regular prices and the bike isn't reserved until the invoice is paid. If you need a particular colour, tell us and we'll do what we can, but we can't hold stock on an unpaid invoice in December.
• Bike to Work is for pedal e-bikes. The exemption covers bicycles and pedelecs. If you're after an electric scooter, talk to us about Humm or Klarna instead.
• Black Friday prices don't apply. Our Black Friday Week runs 23 to 29 November, and those deals are for direct purchases. The scheme saving on an e-bike is usually bigger than any discount anyway.
• The Budget 2027 band point is real but narrow. It only helps if you earn between €44,000 and €46,500 and your deductions fall in 2026. For everyone else, apply when it suits you.

Bike to Work Scheme Ireland: your questions answered

Is there a deadline for the Bike to Work Scheme in 2026?

Not from Revenue. The scheme runs all year. The practical deadline is your employer's December payroll cut-off, which is usually in the first or second week of December. If you want the bike before Christmas, your employer needs to have paid the invoice before that date.

Can I apply for Bike to Work now and collect the bike after Christmas?

Yes. Once the invoice is paid we'll hold the bike for you, and you can collect whenever suits.

How much can I save on an electric bike through Bike to Work?

Between 27% and 52% of the price, up to the €1,500 limit. On a €1,500 e-bike that's a saving of about €407 at €30,000 a year, €609 at €45,000 and €784 at €80,000 on 2026 rates. Use the Bike to Work savings calculator for your own salary.

Do I have to use the whole €1,500?

No. Any amount up to the limit. Unused allowance isn't carried over, though, which is why most people add a helmet and lock.

Can I buy an e-bike over €1,500 on the Bike to Work Scheme?

Yes. The scheme covers up to the limit and you pay the rest to us before handover, by card, or spread with Humm or Klarna.

Does my employer need to set anything up with Inner City Scooters?

No. We send one invoice, they pay it, and the salary deduction is handled in their payroll. We've worked with everyone from two-person companies to the big employers around Dublin.

Are electric scooters covered by the Bike to Work Scheme?

No. Revenue's exemption covers bicycles and pedelecs (250W, assistance up to 25 km/h). For an electric scooter, talk to us about Humm or Klarna instead.

What happens to Bike to Work repayments if I change jobs?

Any balance is usually taken from your final pay. That's between you and your employer, so ask before you sign.

Apply for Bike to Work in Dublin: call in and we'll do the paperwork with you

If you'd rather not do it online, come to Unit 19B, Fashion City, Ballymount Road Upper, Dublin 24 (D24 YT68). You can sit on the bikes, we'll build the quote together on the spot, and the invoice is in your inbox before you've left the car park.

• Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, closed Sunday
• Phone: 01 263 5707
• WhatsApp: message us here
• Email: info@innercityscooters.com

Start with the Bike to Work savings calculator, build your quote on the Bike to Work application page, and send payroll the invoice this week. Do that, and you'll be riding to work on it in January, with the January pay rise from the Budget landing at the same time. Not a bad start to the year.

Last updated 9 November 2026. This guide is general information based on Revenue guidance and the Budget 2027 announcements as of that date. It isn't tax or legal advice. Your own saving depends on your circumstances, so check with your employer or payroll before ordering.

Sources: Revenue: Cycle to Work Scheme · Citizens Information: Budget 2027