Car tax discs to be abolished

[Michael Browne]

Paper tax discs will be replaced with electronic system from October 2014, with monthly direct debit option for 5%

 

The tricky task of trying to remove the circular car tax disc from its perforations will soon be a thing of the past, as the government moves to a paperless system.

 

After the best part of a century, paper tax discs are to be replaced with an electronic system, allowing motorists to pay for their vehicle excise duty by monthly direct debit.

 

It will allow drivers to spread payments, although at a cost of an additional 5%, and save businesses an estimated £7m a year in administration costs.

 

The changes will form part of the finance bill next year, and are expected to come into effect from October 2014.

 

Drivers who are not online will be able to tax their car in person at a post office or by phone.

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/dec/05/car-tax-discs-abolished-paper-electronic

[sailor sam]

Not so sure this is a good idea, not having anything on display to prove the legality of a vehicle being on the road. I think it will give an opportunity for more drivers not to bother to tax their cars which, in turn, means the possibility of them not being insured either.

 

There are those among us who lie to see whether a car is taxed or not. If we can see that a disc is significantly out of date, it follows that the car is probably uninsured as well. This is useful to know if you are unlucky enough to be involved in an accident where you can visibly check for yourself if the other driver is driving legitimately. Without anything on the screen at all, this is going to be difficult.

[dpick]

Knowing this mob how long before the computer balls up and we start getting done for no tax

 

 

dpick

[topcat1802]

I hope that they take the collection of the electronic tax disc away form the DVLA. No doubt they will need to set up a whole new company/government department to collect the money! And why are they charging 5% extra to pay by monthly instalments?

[ploddertom]

I hope that they take the collection of the electronic tax disc away form the DVLA. No doubt they will need to set up a whole new company/government department to collect the money! And why are they charging 5% extra to pay by monthly instalments?

 

Capita!! The kings of cock ups.

[stu007]

So I assume they have taken into account that all local authorities with traffic wardens needing to either update or buy new systems to be compatible with this new system will get government money to do this, or will it be the council tax payer paying for it.

[Surfer01]

And if the computer decides to have a crash and data is lost, who will be liable? Surely this will lead to more number plates being cloned?

[Kiki1]

Capita!! The kings of cock ups.

 

To call them a useless bunch of muppets would be an insult to useless muppets.

 

http://www.transportxtra.com/magazines/parking_review/news/?ID=34996

[dpick]

And if the computer decides to have a crash and data is lost, who will be liable? Surely this will lead to more number plates being cloned?

 

 

I would say yes it would and after having my car cloned back in 2008/9 it can cause a load of problems I had to prove that I was not in Wales but in Scotland when I got a ticket for speeding in Wales.

 

 

dpick

[macmanbr1]

ha-ha!. Jobs for Eton,Harrow and The Cheltenham Ladies School leavers!!.........

 

 

 

I hope that they take the collection of the electronic tax disc away form the DVLA. No doubt they will need to set up a whole new company/government department to collect the money! And why are they charging 5% extra to pay by monthly instalments?

Edited December 21, 2013 by macmanbr1
wrong quote

[crem]

Most "official" checks are done electronically now anyway (such as when the police pull you over), so the paper disc is an ancient system long since due for abolition. Of course the DVLA will need to invent another fine system to replace the "failure to display" one that they get decent funds from at the moment.

[caro]

I got my mot today and apparently the certificate is to be scrapped too. I struggle to remember when this is due now so how much harder will it be without a paper certificate, especially for those who don't use the internet, assuming it will be checked online.

[Consumer dude]

All on the internet ? what if you can't use the internet or don't use the internet ?

[caro]

Maybe I'm wrong about that but I agree not everyone can use it - including my OH!

[barlotti komet]

As said before , most things are checked automatically (a.n.p.r. to name but one) .The cars reg plate is old fashioned too , the only real way to check a cars I.D. is the chassis # (assuming it's not a cut & shut) I think cars of the future will have an 'electronic fingerprint' which will be scanned like a.n.p.r. is and all of the duties (road tax / mot / insurance will show up as paid or not), but as this is all electronics based it's open to equipment failure or hacking and too much info is available . Paying road tax via fuel purchase duty has been done a for a long time abroad , 'pay as you go' -the more you drive the more you pay ,and the less you drive the less you pay - the fairest way?, most people pay for water / gas / electric that way .Payments via the internet is the prefered method for most things these days as it is electronically recorded, so pretty much all of us a going to be bludgeoned into using the web at some point in our lives , either directly or by getting someone else to push the buttons - thats progress I guess ?

[Tony P]

As Surfer mentioned above, it is an open invitation to clone plates/vehicles - and hope the vehicle being imitated was fully legal to avoid a "stop".

What an irony that would be!!

 

As far as I know, there is nothing illegal in painting out any visible VIN number behind the windscreen, which is presumably what parking CEOs will record in place of tax disc numbers.

[unzippy]

Most "official" checks are done electronically now anyway (such as when the police pull you over), so the paper disc is an ancient system long since due for abolition. Of course the DVLA will need to invent another fine system to replace the "failure to display" one that they get decent funds from at the moment.

 

Personally I think the Police will be unhappy about this. One of the first things they do (that can't be done a computer) is check the number plate matches what is written on the tax disc.

 

Plate cloners rarely change the tax disc to match plates...

[afcwben]

How will this effect diabled drivers who currently get their car tax free

[Surfer01]

How will this effect diabled drivers who currently get their car tax free

 

At present bailiffs are not allowed to clamp a car displaying a "Disabled" road tax, so if the cannot see it, they will clamp the disabled person's car as most bailiffs do not check the reg details of a vehicle before clamping.

[afcwben]

My question related to how will they be exempt from duty as they are at present when the duty is collected via the pump

[caro]

My question related to how will they be exempt from duty as they are at present when the duty is collected via the pump

 

It won't be collected via the pump (although IMHO it should be). It will still be paid as usual, or even monthly, but there won't be a disc.

[Surfer01]

My question related to how will they be exempt from duty as they are at present when the duty is collected via the pump

Why do you think they will be collecting duty via the pump?

[topcat1802]

If they abolish tax discs they should also abolish registration documents at the same time. Once you can complete your registration document online you will be able to transfer it on line also.

 

 

How will the DVLA make money then - there will be nobody being 'fined' by DVLA for not taxing their cars, there will be nobody to fine for not notifying them of a change of keeper.

 

 

I also see that they are doing away with the paper part of the driving licence and all driving convictions, etc will be held on line! Will there be a system of appeals for when the DVLA get the information wrong and you want it corrected? That's probably how the DVLA will make their money, charging people to correct their mistakes!

[grumpy101]

This is the daftest idea that I have heard of in ages. For example the law requiring one to produce ones log book (V5) and driving licence when having number plates made, only applies in England and Wales. (Not Scotland, Ireland or the IOM)

 

All that cheats and rogues need to do is note down the registration numbers of vehicles that are the same make, model and colour as their own and clone it. Of course they won't know whether the one that they are planning to clone is actually legitimate.

 

In the 1970s I heard third hand about a rough traveller type of character who allegedly never ever paid for tax, insurance or MOTs. Allegedly he would only buy cars that they made millions and millions of, red Ford Escorts for example. Allegedly he would use the other persons number for about a month and then migrate to another number. As to the tax disc or the absence of it, presumably the other person would get the fine for "failing to display". Most unsavoury.

 

I fear that a whole can of worms is about to be opened and what about foreign travel? I really cannot see the French or the Spanish taking kindly to Englishmen who drive without a tax disc as basically the tax disc is proof that the vehicle is insured. Perhaps the DVLA will now be telling the hard pressed motorist to get an insurance vignette from his insurers? If so it will just be a case of replacing one type of disc with another! SNAFU!

Edited June 3, 2014 by grumpy101
extras

[grumpy101]

As Surfer mentioned above, it is an open invitation to clone plates/vehicles - and hope the vehicle being imitated was fully legal to avoid a "stop".

What an irony that would be!!

 

As far as I know, there is nothing illegal in painting out any visible VIN number behind the windscreen, which is presumably what parking CEOs will record in place of tax disc numbers.

 

The VIN behind the windscreen is the way in for gangs to steal your car. (1) They can write down the VIN. (2) They can write down the registration, the make, model and colour. (3) They then pretend to be a car parking company and they send off to DVLA for the car owners details claiming that he owes them a parking fine.

 

Once a dossier has been built up the gang relays all the information to accomplices overseas. The "chauffeur" who has "lost the keys" gets a duplicate set made and these are then airmailed to the gang in London. The car is then stolen. The chances of this happening to a twenty year old Peugeot 405 are infinitesimally small but if one owns a £50,000 plus car the risks are very real. Allegedly the DVLA has tightened up the rules on giving out information but all the gang needs is a mate who works for a genuine car parking company. A letter left inside the car will also give away the owners name and address. Take care!