Fined for not paying £0 on my road tax 28 April 2017 at 8:50AM edited 30 November -1 at 12:00AM in Motoring 52 replies 27K views

davemajor

HI there.

I got a letter through from DVLA saying that my road tax was due for renewal and the amount was £0. (ford fiesta eco boost so doesn't pay any road tax)

I thought this was an automated letter and didn't pay much attention to it.

I have just received another letter from saying I have to pay a fine for not paying my road tax of £0......little bit confused, to say the least.

I phoned up DVLA and they were not very helpful basically saying that I still need to tax it even if no tax is due.
Has anyone else received a similar letter? and if so did you appeal?

Or do i have to bite the bullet and pay the fine?

Thanks in advance

Dave

bengalknights

Yes even though the tax is zero you still have to go online and declare your car is still on the road and not sorn by "taxing" it

LandyAndy

When we still had physical tax discs you still had to actually obtain one. Nothing has changed. I think you have to pay.


EDIT: pipped to it by bengalknights

AdrianC

You aren't being penalised for paying nothing.
You are being penalised for having a vehicle that is neither taxed nor SORNed.

You are bang to rights.

Nothing has changed. Zero-cost tax vehicles have ALWAYS needed to still be taxed - no matter the reason why they're zero-cost. Historic, disabled, low-emission. You've always needed to ensure that the vehicle is currently taxed.

Rover_Driver

davemajor wrote: »

I have just received another letter from saying I have to pay a fine for not paying my road tax of £0......little bit confused, to say the least.

The confusion is the word 'tax'. It will be for failing to renew the Vehicle Licence, for which Vehicle Excise Duty may, or (as in your case) my not be due.

fred246

I hope I don't get fined for not having payed any tax on my bicycles.

AdrianC

fred246 wrote: »

I hope I don't get fined for not having payed any tax on my bicycles.

Bicycles don't need to be taxed or SORNed.
Cars do. All of them.

glentoran99

Rover_Driver wrote: »

The confusion is the word 'tax'. It will be for failing to renew the Vehicle Licence, for which Vehicle Excise Duty may, or (as in your case) my not be due.

Its referred to as vehicle Tax as on gov.uk I see no reference to licencing


Tax your vehicle
Report an untaxed vehicle
Vehicles exempt from vehicle tax

Rover_Driver

glentoran99 wrote: »

Its referred to as vehicle Tax as on gov.uk I see no reference to licencing

That is one reason why it is confusing, even the authorities refer to 'vehicle tax' when it is two different matters - either the 'Vehicle Excise Duty', which may or may not be payable, to obtain a 'Vehicle Licence'.

The OP is not the first person to think that as they don't need to pay 'tax', they do not renew their vehicle licence and action is taken against them by the DVLA.

For example, it should be 'Report an unlicensed vehicle', and 'Vehicles exempt from excise duty'.

Car_54

glentoran99 wrote: »

Its referred to as vehicle Tax as on gov.uk I see no reference to licencing


Tax your vehicle
Report an untaxed vehicle
Vehicles exempt from vehicle tax

gov.uk is notorious for over-simplification, and if not inaccuracy. The law (Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994) says:

"Vehicle excise duty charged in respect of a vehicle by subsection (1)(b) or (1A)(b) shall be paid on a licence to be taken out by the person keeping the vehicle."

So you pay the tax (£0 in some cases) and you get a licence.

Rover_Driver

As above, the .gov.uk website only gives general advice, often inaccurate, and should never be relied upon without reference to the relevant legislation.