Worried - car tax expired months ago

dark_marcie

Hi all,

I have got myself into a real pickle and I wonder if anyone can offer their advice/experience.

I moved house a year ago, and I have just found my V5 with my old address on it. No wonder I didn't get the car tax renewal notice, and it's now been expired for 6 months. (not SORNed either)

I feel so stupid and it's not like me to let these things slip.

What really worries me is that if I renew my tax, I will face the wrath of the DVLA and possibly the police! It says on the DVLA website that the maximum fine for using a car without declaring SORN is £5000 and a 2 year prison sentence! I am really crapping myself.

Does anyone know what happens in this sort of case? How much would I have to pay in fines and am I likely to become a criminal?

Many thanks

hewhoisnotintheknow

just get it done asap, see what happens, hopefullyy it will just be the cost of the new tax and the back tax

you wont become a criminal

buy a calender

I wouldnt drive it until you have it sorted, sods law and all that

cos69

Make sure you have got a driving licence with the correct address, and write to the DVLA and explain about the car tax. I think owning up before your found out should be enough for them, after all its 6 months and not 6 years

jostar37_2

Thats is good advice from coz69.

If you show intiative b getting in contact with the DVLA, it will demonstrate that you are geniuinely concerned, not a scumbag tax evader and that you have a perfectly valid and good enough reason for not getting the car tax sorted on time (and on this one occasion - you have been paying tax for some time right?). I have always found the DVLA to be decent people but instead of writing a letter, I would phone them since letter writing is too long, will keep you worried due to long delay in them getting back to you and you can take the time to explain to someone that you are a good person and it was an honest mistake.

I know it is easy to say but you wont go to prison or get fined! but get it sorted as soon as you can and you will be fine.

Good luck - Jo

BillScarab

Get a google docs accoutn and use their online calendar. You can get it to send a text message to your mobile to remind you of things. So put your Car Tax, MOT, Insurance and any other inmportant dates on their and it will text you when they are due.

Hintza

jostar37 wrote: »

......and that you have a perfectly valid and good enough reason for not getting the car tax sorted on time (

Hardly a valid reason. But I agree with you in general.

But yes just fess up and pay the back tax and the fine. I'm not sure what the fine is but from what I have read on here is is normally around the £40-£60 mark.

dark_marcie

Many thanks to all of the above for the advice and support.

I rang the DVLA this morning who advised I go into the local DVLA office. Also gave me the number of a place to check if there was a fine and pay it. There was indeed a fine of £80 which was actually much lower than I expected, given the tax had been expired for 5 months.

Then I went into the DVLA office to get my tax. They didn't seem bothered about the expiry of my tax and let me buy the new tax there and then.

I was surprised at how easy it was to sort out and how leniant the DVLA were. What surprises me more is the fact that I have been driving the car for 6 months, up and down the length of Britain, parking in city centres, and no one appears to have noticed despite it's a different colour tax disc to the current ones. (presumably my car would have been towed or something, if the police had found the out of date tax).
Also, it's been MOTd and serviced and the mechanics didn't notice. I even had a new windscreen fitted, and the fitter transferred the out of date tax disc to the new screen without noticing. I can only presume he was half asleep when he did it.
Not that I am complaining. It's a gift horse, and I'm not about to look it in the mouth.

:j

ktuludays

how you could possibly not know that it had expired?

Rolandtheroadie

dark_marcie wrote: »

Also, it's been MOTd and serviced and the mechanics didn't notice. I even had a new windscreen fitted, and the fitter transferred the out of date tax disc to the new screen without noticing. I can only presume he was half asleep when he did it.
Not that I am complaining. It's a gift horse, and I'm not about to look it in the mouth.

:j

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for these people to care about whether you have taxed your car or not.

Justicia

dark_marcie wrote: »

What surprises me more is the fact that I have been driving the car for 6 months, up and down the length of Britain, parking in city centres, and no one appears to have noticed despite it's a different colour tax disc to the current ones.

Yeah, you included! :rolleyes:

Anyway, at least you have it sorted now and paying the fine should serve as a future mental reminder!