Tax Free Car - Clamped and Fined

Uxb1

The_Grateful_!!!!! wrote: »

But has never received a letter or told at any point she would need to do this.

Those cars which are zero tax payable rated still get the annual letter from the DVLA for the car reminding them that the vehicle tax expires on date X and that the addressee either needs to re-tax it or SORN it.
So she should have had a reminder letter usually around a month prior to the expiry date.

Inner_Zone

onomatopoeia99 wrote: »

Or they could just make SORN automatic if tax is not bought when required.

But if the keeper does not inform them how would they know.


Once SORN is notified it now automatically continues, unlike when it was first introduced where it only lasted for one year.

The_Grateful_Ghoul

I just wanted to confirm that we never received a reminder and were blissfully unaware of the need to re-register. If we did, we would have actioned straight away as we are both quite proactive about stuff like that. Of course, now we know, it won't happen again and it's in our calendar for 12 months' time.

The most annoying thing is the re-registration process was as simple as entering the reference number on the DVLA website in just a few seconds without any hassle. A text message, email or letter to remind her would have saved her all the hassle and the expensive fine.

AdrianC

The_Grateful_!!!!! wrote: »

The most annoying thing is the re-registration process was as simple as entering the reference number

From the V5C?

...on the DVLA website in just a few seconds without any hassle. A text message, email or letter to remind her would have saved her all the hassle and the expensive fine.

They do send the V11 reminder to the RK at the address on the V5C, about a month before the old licence is due to expire. I've just had one for a car that expires at the end of this month. It's no different to any other car, except for the payment.

Post does, sometimes, rarely, go AWOL. That's hardly DVLA's fault.

NeverEnough

Not the OP's fault either, if the post goes missing. If someone purchases a zero-rated VED car, they are not necessarily aware of the need to tax it, albeit for £0, and getting the reminder would have certainly helped.

OP has already indicated they now know and have diarised accordingly for the future - expensive way of finding out and no, not their fault the post went missing, it happens quite often these days - have had items from dvla not arrive and likewise have sent mail which has never arrived there - post is not exactly wholly reliable these days.

It's one of these "strict liability" issues - that you "should have known about something you were blissfully unaware of".

oldagetraveller

It's always someone elses fault!
I own an "Historic Vehicle"which is VED exempt. But I sure as heck knew, right from the start, it was obligatory to display a valid disc (before their abolition) and still have to go through the application each year whether I receive a reminder or not.

Mercdriver

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

Utterly stupid system. It is quite natural to think that a zero-rated car won't need taxing but oh no that would be too simple.

At first glance, it does sound daft. But what if the government in the future puts that class of car at £200 VED? If no one had to show that their car was still on the road being used, those on zero rated would be stuffed

AdrianC

NeverEnough wrote: »

Not the OP's fault either, if the post goes missing.

It's long been established that the V11 is just a courtesy on DVLA's part, and failure to send it - let alone failure to receive it - does not exonerate the RK from their legal responsibility to ensure their car is licenced at all times.

If someone purchases a zero-rated VED car, they are not necessarily aware of the need to tax it, albeit for £0, and getting the reminder would have certainly helped.

It may have helped, but ignorance of legal requirements is no excuse. The price of the VED changes nothing about responsibility to licence a car. Your angle is that people expect it should. The only thing that's changed in recent years is the number of cars that are £0 VED because of low emissions. There's long been £0 historic vehicles and £0 disabled tax-class vehicles - their keepers have long understood the procedure.

AdrianC

alembicbassman wrote: »

Can't wait for the Government to start taxing zero emissions vehicles next. The 100g CO2/KM £0 tax ended on 31st March 2017

Only for new cars registered after that date. Band A is still £0 for pre-2017 cars.

Luckily new tax rates are never retrospectively applied, just annual increments.

New banding rules have mostly not been retrospectively applied in the past - intro of CO2 in 2001, intro of bands L/M in 2006, move back to non-CO2 in 2017

But they have been in the past, too - the introduction of a lower cost band for <1550cc engined cars in the 90s.

Those same zero rated cars are now £145 if registered from 1st April 2017

Post-2017 EVs are £0. Hybrids are £135.