Oregon Congressman Blumenauer seeks to re-instate bike commuter tax break, repealed in 2017 - BikePortland.org

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Hoping to incentivize cycling in America, Oregon Congressman (and former Portland City Commissioner) Earl Blumenauer has introduced the Bicycle Commuter Act of 2019.

The bill would re-instate a tax benefit for biking to work that was repealed in 2017 as part of the Republican-led Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Rep. Blumenauer, who has pushed for a version of this bill since at least 2006 and got it passed in 2008 as part of former President Barack Obama’s financial bailout bill, said in a statement released by his office today that, “The bicycle is the most efficient form of urban transportation ever devised,” and that despite the proliferation of bike share and cycling in general throughout the country, there remains no tax benefit for riding to work.

The IRS currently offers a “qualified transportation fringe benefit” of up to $265 per month for driving a car, parking a car, and taking transit. Shockingly, the most efficient and healthiest form of transportation — cycling — is ineligible.

Link: 

Oregon Congressman Blumenauer seeks to re-instate bike commuter tax break, repealed in 2017 - BikePortland.org

MoBikeFed comment: This is one of our main asks at the 2019 National Bike Summit. More info here:

http://mobikefed.org/2019/03/2019-national-bike-summit-visiting-congress...