UK Road Tax Changes
Today (October 1st 2014) marks the end for the need to display a road fund licence disc, commonly known as tax disc, in the UK.
No more fiddling with tearing out that perforated circle of paper (the number of tax discs we've torn is countless!) and then wrestling with the holder, that sticks to your windscreen, and itself, like superglue. But of course, your car still needs to be taxed.
These road tax changes will have several implications:
- You can still go to the post office and hand the cash over or pay online, like we've been able to do for ages now, you just won't get a disc in return.
- You can still pay for either 6 or 12 months at a time. However, you can now spread the cost by monthly direct debit (5% surcharge payable)
- Don't think that now there's no disc you can get away with not paying. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are all over the UK. In 2011, in response to a Freedom of information request, the Home Office confirmed there were 4,000 ANPR cameras. That has estimated to have doubled. If you're spotted without tax an automatic £80 penalty notice will be issued
- When you sell a car now, you have to tell the DVLA you've sold it and they'll refund any months you've already paid for. If you don't tell them, you could face a fine
- When you buy a car now, it is your responsibility to tax it before you drive it. The previous tax will not come with the car you just bought
- Because there's no tax disc to look at, it's not so easy to keep track of when it expires. You'll now have to go to the DVLA website to check