Fine for not renewing road tax

Wig

BigSaver wrote: »

If you doing it online, the 15days rule still apply right? The only problem is it maybe delayed in the post and this is my first time doing this, so if I take it to the post office.. then i know its going to be done.

I always do it at the postoffice, then you know it's been done and it's in your hands. And you help your local postoffice.

Also beware, do not remove your old disc from the window until it has expired. You MUST have a valid disc displayed. Display both discs if you want to, so you don't forget to swap them over. but you must not remove the old disc until the 1st of the month.

BigSaver_2

Wig wrote: »

I always do it at the postoffice, then you know it's been done and it's in your hands. And you help your local postoffice.

Also beware, do not remove your old disc from the window until it has expired. You MUST have a valid disc displayed. Display both discs if you want to, so you don't forget to swap them over. but you must not remove the old disc until the 1st of the month.

Unfortunately my local post office doesn't offer this service so I have to go to the city centre. Thanks for all your help

pinkfluffybabe

Just to say that when you buy it online it comes really quickly in the post (2/3 working days) so you are unlikely to be without it unless you leave it terribly late. You can also do it online without the reminder letter - you need to put in a number from your V5.

pixeljuice

OK, I'm another idiot who forgot to renew road tax. I only noticed today after cleaning the car for the first time in a while. Current disc expired on 31/12/07. It would be great if someone with a bit more knowledge could let me know if I've understood the situation correctly:

- As I didn't get any reminders I will need to fill in form V10 at the post office tomorrow
- This will be dated to 1st Feb, which means I'll be one month short
- I've almost certainly got an £80 fine in the post, but I can settle for £40 if I pay it straight away. Should I have received this already?
- If I've been spotted on the road, I'll get another (£80?) fine, otherwise I'll just get a fine for missing the tax

Do I contact the DVLA to pay the missing month? Should I just send them the right amount?

Thanks for any advice

Wig

Sounds like you have understood the situation correctly to me.

If you do nothing, you will get the letter soon but it is a bit early for them to have sent it out already. It could take another 4 weeks or so. The letter will be an automatic penalty of £80 reduced to £40 for not renewing on time. AIUI they will only send another letter asking for a seperate fine for using the vehicle if it was seen by someone like police or council whilst on the road.


By far the best course of action for you to take is to tax the vehicle tommorow. There is a section asking you if the vehicle has been off or on the road during the gap since it was last licenced, up to you how you answer that question.

Then phone up DVLA and tell them you have just renewed your tax with a resulting missing out January. Again up to you whether to say if it was on or off the road during this time. They will then advise you on what to expect in terms of fines. But telling them on the phone is likely to make them look upon you more favourably than just waiting for the letter. They may very well offer the facility of paying for the missing month and they may tell you you will not recieve an auto 80/40 penalty letter.

Don't be a stranger, return to this thread when you have found out what they have said will happen, and again when you recieve the letter.

pixeljuice

Thanks so much for the (ultra fast!) reply and advice Wig

There is a section asking you if the vehicle has been off or on the road during the gap since it was last licenced, up to you how you answer that question

Clearly it's tempting to say off the road (in all honesty I don't drive that frequently) but I actually MOT'd the damned thing in mid-January (yes, I wish the !!!!!!s had noticed/told me about the tax) so I think I might just be inviting trouble to say otherwise. I admit the 'minimum £1000 fine' talk scares me though as there's no way I can afford that.

Should I be concerned that I didn't receive a reminder? Presumably, the threats/fines department is a bit more reliable?

To make my day even worse, I just broke the yolk on my fried egg. Bah! ;0

Wig

Perhaps the first thing to do (before going to post office) is to phone DVLA 01792 782341 and ask them hypothetically mentioning no names. If you missed a month would there be any difference to the fines situation if the car was declared off the road on the form (but not sorn officially) for the period compared with if you admitted the car was used in ignorance on the road.

The fined twice thing, is really crazy, and I think it only occurs if some official reports the car on the road when it shouldn't be there.

The lack of reminder is a common occurence and not an excuse, and you will have to pay for January ontop of the fine.

pixeljuice

Thanks again Wig

The fined twice thing, is really crazy...The lack of reminder is a common occurence and not an excuse

A rant: I understand that these are the rules and I'll (grudgingly) pay whatever (reasonable) fine+tax I end up with. I can't say I'm a fan of 'automated justice' of this kind though. The 'possible reminder' doesn't make much sense to me either. Car tax is basically a bill as far as I can see. If other companies don't send me a bill I don't pay them and they are usually apologetic about it. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me that the DVLA could send a reminder if the potential penalties are so high. Even more so if they use a computer system to automatically send out fines. Damned taxes.

Don't be a stranger, return to this thread

I'll do my best, although if my ability to remember road tax is anything to go by I may well forget!

Incidentally, I'm surprised a word beginning with b with two g's in the middle is censored as above: it makes it look like I was being really abusive!

pompeyrich

The £80 is definately reduced to £40 if paid promptly, they actually give me over a month to pay the reduced penalty. My failure to tax/sorn penalty letter arrived 23 Dec and the £80 fee was reduced to £40 if paid before 2nd Feb, which is almost 6 weeks. Also had to pay the missing 2 months at the going rate and of course tax the car from the date of the letter. I got the initial reminder just simply forgot about it.

Pixel, I used that defence in Court re an MOT being the only bill that one doesn't get a reminder for and although, rightly, found guilty of not having an MOT, I was fined £30,no costs, at the time an MOT was £29, so I felt justice was done.

pixeljuice

Here's an update on my progress. I used form v10 to apply for a new tax disc at the post office - no questions asked about the missing month.

The DVLA told me (after a long while on hold listening to, of all things 'cry me a river' by Justin Timberlake) that I will have to notify my local office, in writing, that I have missed a month, explaining why and saying whether or not the vehicle was on or off the road during this time. They will inform me in writing of any outstanding duty and fines that I need to pay.

I'll post back when I get some correspondance from them.