How to reduce your Car Tax, legally

merikiito · 13 April 2010 at 4:30PM

This is the story so far:

We have a Astra Bertone Coupe MK4 G 2001.
This car used to have a 2.2SE petrol engine fitted
It now has a 2.0DTi engine fitted taken from a Astra MK4 2001 (we think this is the only Coupe in the UK which has had this done).

DVLA changed the fuel and engine number on the V5 but not the CO2

2.2SE 202 G/KM
2.0TDi 154 G/KM

The result is I am paying higher car tax based on the old engines CO2.

So I go into my local DVLA office to get the CO2 changed, simples as the meerkat would say.

No not simples, say the DVLA, the orginal CO2 reading will say with the car even tho you haved changed the engine.

So what does this mean???

Well from what I can work out you can go and get a Corsa 1.3CDTi which is £35 tax a year and shove in a 3.0L V6 Diesel or Petrol and only pay £35 car tax. The DVLA would neither confirm or deny you could do this.
(the above only applies to cars registered on or after 2001 as thats when they started doing Tax based on CO2)

So thats how you can reduce your Car Tax,simples!

The local DVLA have forwarded my request to head office but they are sure nothing can be done but they may as well try.

reddevilled · 14 April 2010 at 11:38AM

Sounds like a lot of hard work for little gain!

00ec25 · 14 April 2010 at 12:47PM

and the increased insurance premium for having a modified car may negate the tax saving anyway,
insurance companies really do not like people putting bigger engines in, boy racer driver attitude and risk springs to their mind

molerat · 14 April 2010 at 1:21PM

This just goes to show the stupidity of the road tax system. Scrap it and put it on the price of fuel. Those that use it will then pay for it, a true green tax. I am sure that there would actually be an increase in revenue as everybody would have to pay their share as it would be almost inescapable. Those running on veg oil would be even better off, presently age exempt vehicles would now pay their small share. A huge chunk of DVLA could be culled and there would be less police time spent on enforcement, think of the savings. If you want something to stick in the window use the MOT or insurance.