Farewell car tax disc

[SKII]

I bought my last ever car tax disc today. I didn't realise it until I got to the PO...I clearly wasn't paying full attention to Gideon's last budget statement. Going to be weird no cars with tax discs. They clearly think they will maintain 99 percent compliance with the rules around this...but you have to wonder.

Youre only going to be found out if they do a random check or you get pulled over for something else. They are relying on number plate recognition cameras - so false plates might become more of a commodity to some.

They already can't be monitoring the number of EU cars here with regards to paying road tax - they are only supposed to have 6 months grace before registering their car here and paying car tax. From my own street, I know that's not being enforced. Wonder how they'll genuinely keep tabs on all of this once nobody has to display a disc? :hmmm

 

[egb_hibs]

First I've heard of this. Remember all they have to achieve is to lose less revenues than equal the cost of operating the disc system. No idea if that's likely but that would be the real benchmark

 

[Jack]

I've noticed a lot of DVLA vans about with cameras as I drive about. Not sure what use that is as there's no follow up police car to stop anyone that doesn't come up on the system?

As usual with these remote camera systems it will be the more honest driver who will get the letter through their door with the fine and follow up.

The real baddies who don't properly register their vehicles deliberately to avoid paying road tax, insurance, MOTs etc., and those who have foreign plates, will drive off into the sunset Scot free.

 

[Kurt]

Don't know how I'll get my disc holder off my windscreen. I might have to find something else to put in it.

is is there a date for them stopping the discs?

 

[Westside Green]

If I remember correctly they reckon not issuing tax discs will save about 90M per year.

 

[Beagle]

Guess who forgot to renew their car tax by today? :doh:

And this thread just reminded me.

There used to be a 14 day period of grace because the duty can be back dated to the start of the month, but I think they did away with the grace period so they could catch out more people and accrue more fine money.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't know what the government plan is to ensure everyone has road tax to cover their vehicle but I'm thinking it may be along the same lines as the tv licencing whereby they go on the assumption everyone has a car and it's up to the individual to prove they don't own one.

 

[Westside Green]

Direct Debit and abolition of the tax disc - News stories - GOV.UK

DVLA will offer motorists the ability to spread their vehicle tax payments should they wish to do so. For vehicle tax starting from 1 November 2014, motorists will be able to pay vehicle tax by direct debit annually, biannually or monthly. There will be no additional handling fees for annual payments but to limit the impact on the public finances there will be a small surcharge of 5% of vehicle tax for biannual and monthly payments. This is half of the 10% surcharge that is currently applied to 6 monthly tax discs and which has been in existence for a number of decades.
Also from 1 October 2014, the paper tax disc, first issued on 1 January 1921, will no longer be issued and required to be displayed on a vehicle windscreen. Vehicle tax will still need to be paid but with DVLA having a digital record of who has and has not paid, a paper tax disc is no longer necessary as proof that vehicle tax is paid. The vast majority of motorists pay their vehicle tax with latest figures confirming that over 99% of motorists tax their vehicles on time Most on-road enforcement action is now based on using Automatic Number Plate Readers. These cameras use the number plate rather than a visual inspection of the tax disc. The police also have access to DVLA records via the police national computer. There are significant savings for fleet operators and other businesses from not having to handle the administration of tax discs.

 

[Kurt]

There used to be a 14 day period of grace because the duty can be back dated to the start of the month, but I think they did away with the grace period so they could catch out more people and accrue more fine money.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't know what the government plan is to ensure everyone has road tax to cover their vehicle but I'm thinking it may be along the same lines as the tv licencing whereby they go on the assumption everyone has a car and it's up to the individual to prove they don't own one.

They still have the grace period. This proved useful all the times Ibought the disc online and they failed to send it out.

 

[Kurt]

I think it's the same grace period as the law is that you have to display a valid disc. An email receipt from DVLA doesn't satisfy the requirement

 

[Ice Warrier]

If you've paid online by the due date, you get five days grace to allow for delivery in the post.

That's all you're allowed at the moment.

 

[hibs1986]

I've noticed a lot of DVLA vans about with cameras as I drive about. Not sure what use that is as there's no follow up police car to stop anyone that doesn't come up on the system? As usual with these remote camera systems it will be the more honest driver who will get the letter through their door with the fine and follow up.

The real baddies who don't properly register their vehicles deliberately to avoid paying road tax, insurance, MOTs etc., and those who have foreign plates, will drive off into the sunset Scot free.

Perhaps they would just ticket non-compliant cars
Many years ago, a lot of cars in our area were ticketed one afternoon for no obvious parking reason. I looked up the code number that was written on the tickets, and it was for not displaying a valid tax disc. Happened again a few years later.

 

[Jack]

Perhaps they would just ticket non-compliant cars
Many years ago, a lot of cars in our area were ticketed one afternoon for no obvious parking reason. I looked up the code number that was written on the tickets, and it was for not displaying a valid tax disc. Happened again a few years later.

I appreciate what you're saying, I remember that too. The vans I've seen were at the side of the M90, at the Cramond Brig(g) and another fast/heavy traffic location near the weege, I can't remember exactly where.