Forfait Mobilités Durables: your employer can pay up to €600 a year for cycling to work
The Forfait Mobilités Durables (FMD) is a French scheme that lets a company give money to employees who commute by bike instead of by car — tax-free for you, charge-free for them. If you are buying a minica, this is the single easiest way to bring the real cost down, year after year.
In one minute
Your employer can pay you up to €600 per year for commuting by bike — no income tax, no social contributions on that amount.
It covers e-bikes and cargo bikes, and it is paid on a simple sworn statement, not on a stack of receipts.
In the private sector it is optional: the employer decides (or a company/branch agreement makes it due). Ask — many companies have it and never advertise it.
It is a commuting allowance, not a purchase discount: you receive it every year you cycle to work, so it pays the bike back over time.
How much, exactly
These are the ceilings that stay exempt from income tax and social contributions. An employer can pay less; the exemption is what caps the useful amount.
Situation
Ceiling per year
Good to know
Private sector — FMD alone
Up to €600
Exempt from income tax and social contributions.
Private sector — FMD + public transport pass
Up to €900
Combined ceiling when your employer also covers a tram/train pass.
State civil service
Fixed yearly lump sums
Paid in tiers according to the number of days you cycle in the year.
What counts as a sustainable commute
Your own bike, electric or not — including a cargo bike like the minica
Shared or rented bikes and scooters
Carpooling, as driver or passenger
Public transport tickets beyond a season pass, and other shared mobility services
What it is not
Not a discount at the till: the money comes from your employer, not from the shop.
Not automatic in the private sector: no company agreement, no payment.
Not linked to a receipt for the bike itself: it reimburses the commute, not the purchase.
How to claim it, in three steps
01
Ask HR the right question
"Do we have the Forfait Mobilités Durables?" If the answer is no, ask whether they would set it up — it costs the company nothing in social contributions up to €600 per employee.
02
Send the sworn statement
Most employers ask for a short signed declaration that you cycle to work, sometimes with proof that you own a bike. Your minica invoice is exactly that proof.
03
Get paid with your salary
The allowance lands on your payslip — monthly or once a year, depending on the company — and appears as an exempt line, not as taxable pay.
What that does to a €3,999 minica
An illustration, assuming an employer paying the full €600 exempt ceiling and a rider commuting all year.
minica pre-order price
€3,999
FMD received in year 1
− €600
FMD received over 3 years
− €1,800
Net cost after 3 years of commuting
≈ €2,199
Illustration only, not a quote. Your actual amount depends on what your employer grants and on your situation — check the official page below or with your HR department.
Estimate your net cost
Move the sliders to match your situation. The calculator only applies the exempt ceilings — it does not promise what your employer will grant.
€3,999
minica pre-order: €3,999
3 years
FMD received over the period
− €1,800
Net cost of the bike
€2,199
Net cost per commuting day
€3.33
Based on about 220 working days a year.
Estimate only, not a quote. Amounts above the exempt ceiling would be taxed as normal pay, so the calculator caps the yearly figure at €900.
Questions we get in the shop
Is my employer obliged to pay the Forfait Mobilités Durables?
In the private sector, no — it is optional unless a company or branch agreement provides for it. That is why it is worth asking directly: the scheme is exempt from social contributions up to €600 per employee per year, so it is one of the cheapest benefits a company can offer.
Does a cargo bike qualify?
Yes. The FMD covers commuting by personal bike, electric or not, and a cargo bike like the minica is a bike. What matters is that you use it for home-to-work trips.
Can I get the FMD and a public transport pass?
Yes. When your employer contributes to a public transport season pass as well, the combined exemption ceiling rises to €900 per year.
Do I have to prove every trip?
No. In practice employers ask for a sworn statement — a signed declaration that you commute by bike — and sometimes proof that you own the bike. Keep your purchase invoice for that.
Is the money taxed?
Not up to the ceiling. Within €600 per year (or €900 combined with a transport pass) it is exempt from income tax and from social contributions.
I work in the public sector. Same rules?
The principle is the same but the amounts are set as fixed yearly lump sums, awarded in tiers according to how many days you cycle. Your administration's HR can confirm your tier.
Bring the invoice, we handle the rest
Pre-order the minica at €3,999 and we give you a clean invoice, the technical sheet and a short note you can forward to HR when you ask for the forfait.
VéloRouge is a bike shop, not a tax adviser. This page summarises the official rules in plain language; the ceilings and conditions can change, so confirm with the government page above or with your employer before you count on an amount.