Tax disc phased out in october

[galoshers]

Drivers 'not adequately warned' over end of tax discs

Government faces criticism for leaving motorists confused and at risk of fines
TelegraphBy Dan Hyde | Telegraph – Wed, Aug 27, 2014 02:12 BST


    The government faces criticism for leaving motorists confused and at risk of fines
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    Yahoo Finance UK/Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire - The government faces criticism for leaving motorists confused and at risk of fines

Thousands of drivers are at risk of fines because they have had insufficient warning about the abolition of tax discs by the Government, motoring experts said last night.

Paper discs on car windscreens are due to vanish from October 1, and will be replaced by electronic records that will use police cameras to check number plates to catch owners who have not paid.

A survey published yesterday found fewer than half of drivers are aware of the changes, which prevent the discs being passed to new owners when cars are sold.

Nearly three million used cars change hands each year and drivers who inadvertently flout the new rules face fines of up to £1,000.

Motoring organisations said the Government had failed to provide enough information on the reforms, causing confusion among motorists and car dealers.

Tim Marriott, a spokesman for the Auto Trader website, said: “There has been a lack of guidance and advice.

“Anyone buying a new car will no longer be able to benefit if there are months left on a car’s tax disc as their tax will no longer be transferred with the car, so buyers will need to renew their disc straightaway or risk facing a fine.”

Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, said: “Vast numbers of people could be hit, as many car sales involve someone saying ‘I’ve put tax on the car for you’.

“That this will no longer be possible has not been well-communicated at all.” Under the new rules, car sellers must tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) immediately of the change of ownership, and the new owner must register to pay tax before driving the car away.

Motorists who drive a car away with the intention of asking the DVLA to transfer a disc to their name will be breaking the law, Mr Watters said. He also said that people who rented or borrowed vehicles would have “no way of knowing” whether the car tax was up-to-date without checking an online register first. Drivers of borrowed or rented vehicles which are untaxed face £50 fines.

A poll by money.co.uk found 50 per cent of drivers could not name the date the reform took effect.

The price comparison website found six per cent of motorists believed the changes were not coming into force until next year.

Car dealerships have also been “left in the dark” over the changes, industry sources said, and could accidentally break the law. James Batchelor, editor of Car Dealer Magazine, said: “Car dealerships are extremely confused and angry.

"The government hasn't gone nearly far enough to educate the buyers or sellers on how the new tax disc system will work.” He said second-hand car sales could take “far longer” due to the complexities of ensuring a vehicle is properly taxed.

The DVLA only began sending notifications to a small number of drivers this month.

A spokesman said there was information online and “good coverage on social media”. “We’ve been working with stakeholders and commercial customers to make sure businesses and the public are aware of what the changes will mean for them," the spokesman said.

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What is happening?

The car tax disc, which was introduced in 1921, will cease to exist in paper form from October 1. A new electronic system will take its place.

No more tax?

Not quite. You can tear up the disc police will no longer check them but tax will still be due.

Why the change, then?

The move should 'save taxpayers £10 million' in the hunt for tax dodgers, government estimates suggest. The digital system should streamline services, saving businesses millions of pounds a year in administrative costs, the DVLA said.

What do I have to do?

Nothing until your disc is due for renewal. At that point, you will receive renewal notice to pay online, by phone or in the Post Office. You will be able to reduce the hassle by setting up a direct debit under the new system.

How will those who don’t pay be spotted?

Number plates are all the police need to identify those breaching rules. An online database includes every car’s tax status next to the registration number. Drivers will be watched by cameras on the roads and inspectors armed with access the database. Non-payers will receive warnings when tax is overdue.

Can I sell my tax disc with the car?

No. This is the biggest departure from the paper-based system. Sellers will not be able to transfer tax with ownership of the vehicle. So anyone who buys a used car will no longer benefit if there are months left on the tax disc. This means buyers will have to renew their tax disc straight away, or risk being caught out on the road in an untaxed car.

The seller of the vehicle is responsible for informing the DVLA of a change of ownership, otherwise they could face a £1,000 fine.

Can I claim the tax if I sell?

Yes. When the DVLA is notified, vehicle sellers will get an automatic refund for any full calendar months left on the vehicle tax. This is the case today, but just seven in 10 sellers claim a refund.

[galoshers]

Car tax discs end in six weeks, but motorists could be losing a good investment if they scrap their old discs with the rarest editions worth up to £1,000 to collectors

Paper tax discs will be worthless from October 2015 but for a few British drivers they could be an unexpected money spinner.

The rarest paper discs can be traded for hundreds of pounds each by enthusiastic collectors, sometimes known as “velologists”.

The priciest disc recorded is from December 1921 (picture, left, from britishtaxdiscs.co.uk) and sold for £810.30. According one collector, a pristine example of the disc could sell for up to £1,000.

But after 93 years of adorning windscreens, on October 1 2014 discs will start to be replaced by electronic records that will use police cameras to check number plates and catch owners who have not paid.

Discs issued before then will remain valid until they expire, and motorists do not need to act until their disc is due for renewal. For more details see telegraph.co.uk/money.

However, motorists shouldn’t rip up their old disc when the new system is introduced. Modern discs are set to increase in value, collectors predicted, with new emergency-issue non‑perforated disks likely to fetch the most.

'Keep those discs about to expire'

Tony Hill, who has a disc for every year since they were first issued in 1921, said that in 10 years’ time the discs would have increased in value but that thanks to the scale of production most discs would not be worth more than a few pounds.

Mr Hill, author of Trade and Collect Tax Discs, advised motorists to hold on to their old disks and keep them pristine. “As a dealer I am really looking for the perfect disc,” he said.

“Keep those discs that are about to expire in good condition they could be worth a few quid.”

Some will be worth more than that, however. As the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is running low on perforated tax disc paper, it has begun to print a stopgap supply of tax discs on normal paper.

VIDEO: Backlash over DVLA's public information film

Tax discs issued between now and when the discs are abolished in October will be printed without perforations, so motorists will have to cut them out themselves. This limited stock of emergency discs is tipped by collectors to accrue the most value.

Motorists already sell old discs through auction websites. Two vintage discs from a black cab in 1955 were listed on eBay for £55. The disc cost the original motorist £3 and eight shillings.

'Unusual' discs the highest value

Stephen Challis of britishtaxdiscs.co.uk predicted that the new electronic system would increase the desirability of these older discs.

“All the talk about tax discs ending has generated even more interest, which is great,” he said. “People are saying that all of a sudden they’ve got a vacancy in their windscreen and want to fill the spare space with a rare disc.”

Mr Challis said the biggest money spinners were discs with a typographical error or those issued for a rare vehicle. “What gets people most excited is a speciality disc,” he said.

There are several unusual discs that demand the highest prices, Mr Challis said. One example is the emergency disc issued during the 1971 postal strike. These rare finds were issued by local taxation authorities as temporary licences.

In 1954 the Government reprinted tax discs using new artwork but printed “1953” on them by mistake. Instead of recalling them, it printed a black rectangle over the “3”.

More recently, the DVLA automatically sent out discs dated “30 March” as opposed to the end of the month on the 31st. “Even (Taiwan OTC: 6436.TWO - news) modern day ones like this become very interesting for people,” Mr Challis said.

Don't miss: Death of the tax disc: learn new rules or risk £1,000 fine

Don't miss: Drivers 'not adequately warned' over end of tax discs

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[galoshers]

its gonna be a pain if your MOT expires at the same time as they wont issue a tax disc if your MOT has just a few weeks left ,you need a good time on your MOT usually to get a  tax disc issued .so everything needs to be done well in advance .guys with of road cars will have to use trailor services to get their cars to an MOT center .

[Drjohn]

Your MOT only has to be valid on the day the tax starts - I work in the Post Office and issue them, so I'm sure of that! Seems silly, but that is the way it is! The real reason for this is to make money - look how many cars will be taxed twice for the same month in future!

[galoshers]

strange as i had trouble renewing last year as my MOT had about a few days  to run and the woman wouldnt issue it ,i argued it was ridiculous and she called over a manager who backed her up...

someone else given wrong info by a garage here

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18118791

[kencomet]

I can confirm that your MOT has to be valid on the day your tax starts, my MOT ran out today, as did my road tax, and I could not tax my vehicle, online or at a Post Office, unless my vehicle had a valid Mot,  tomorrow, panic, panic, passed Mot yesterday,

[Val Beechey]

You panicked Ken.  How about me a few weeks ago.  I taxed my car in March while the MOT was well in and then never gave it another thought.
Talking about Johns MOT in October he asked when mine was due.  Not being too sure I got the last one out to check the date and discovered it expired in MAY  I had no transport for 2 weeks while I waited for it to be done and, of course, it failed so had to wait another week till the Guy who does the welding got back off his hols.
I have found out that you 'could' pay £1.50 for a reminder. That's being stopped so what chance have I got next year.
Of course I could insist on having a new car.

Val

[Radnor Bandit (Ian)]

Number plate recognition isnt all its cracked up to be either. A couple of years ago my insurance agent did a typo on my certificate making my bike No non existant, I road around for 9 months in city , country and Mway and didnt get stopped once. I only found out when I tryed to tax bike online. 

[Radnor Bandit (Ian)]

I can confirm that your MOT has to be valid on the day your tax starts, my MOT ran out today, as did my road tax, and I could not tax my vehicle, online or at a Post Office, unless my vehicle had a valid Mot,  tomorrow, panic, panic, passed Mot yesterday,

Correct, I try and make sure the missus motor has MOT before middle of March ready for April tax. That was I can tax it early to avoid any hike in car tax annouced in the spring budget

[Doug]

Mrs Turner went down to the local post office today to tax the car before we go away. (Tax due 1st October)

No tax disc issued.

No proof of MOT or insurance is required, all held on the PO computer.

All the PO did was staple the receipt for the money to the Tax disc reminder.

[welsh john]

There are 10 camera cars in all of the uk to read number plates,not only that but if you clone a number plate of a identical car you can drive around on that cars tax and no one will know.

[Val Beechey]

I was under the impression that any speed camera can be used for  number recognition. If I'm right that increases the risk of being caught out considerably BUT  does it mean that you have to be speeding to be caught.

Dougs' reply has upset John (doesn't take much  )  I've got his reminder by the side of me, expires 30th Sept. 2014. He's not happy at not having a disc to put on his windscreen 

Val