No more tax discs

[humbucker]

Gideon Osborne, the prostitute-loving Bullingdon half-wit who runs our country's finances, has announced plans to ditch the trusty tax disc.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 83765.html

[James McGrath]

Looks like they're just getting rid of the paper discs, not the tax itself.
Now I'll have no use for my original 1990 Vauxhall dealer tax disc holder

I got all excited there for a moment!

[humbucker]

Haha yes, I should have clarified, just the paper disc, presumably to encourage people to buy online (where they are charged extra for the privilege of paying tax). Walking into the postie looks like it will still be the cheapest way to tax your vehicle, even if you don't get a lovely souvenir paper circle to destroy when trying to separate it from the perforated edge.

Then again, Gideon's statement was reminiscent of a Welsh farmyard in the midst of The Zombie Apocalypse.....Baaaa Blaaaaargh... Bleurrrrgh... so who knows what else is in there to hammer the long-suffering petrolhead?!

Tw@t

[planetc]

Will be interesting to see how the motoring organisations deal with this. Part of the t&cs is the requirement for vehicles to be road legal, taxed insured and motd. The absence of a disc currently means that recovery is not provided. There would need to be some means of checking I guess?

[vauxtillidie]

Will be interesting to see how the motoring organisations deal with this. Part of the t&cs is the requirement for vehicles to be road legal, taxed insured and motd. The absence of a disc currently means that recovery is not provided. There would need to be some means of checking I guess?

I guess organisations like this would have access to the database to see if vehicle is taxed, i guess patrols could also have access via smartphones if the need arose

[humbucker]

Will be interesting to see how the motoring organisations deal with this. Part of the t&cs is the requirement for vehicles to be road legal, taxed insured and motd. The absence of a disc currently means that recovery is not provided. There would need to be some means of checking I guess?

I guess organisations like this would have access to the database to see if vehicle is taxed, i guess patrols could also have access via smartphones if the need arose

And you can bet your bottom dollar that the RAC, AA etc will have to pay through the nose for the database and updates thereafter.

[TurboDan]

Will be interesting to see how the motoring organisations deal with this. Part of the t&cs is the requirement for vehicles to be road legal, taxed insured and motd. The absence of a disc currently means that recovery is not provided. There would need to be some means of checking I guess?

A few years ago i broke down on the motorway in a calibra turbo that had no tax, no mot, no insurance and was sorn off the road. I phoned the recovery people think it was the rac i was with at the time and they came and took me home no questions asked.

[planetc]

Luck of the draw, if you get a contractor, or a slightly sleepy patrol it can get missed

[TurboDan]

It was quite a few years ago now so the rules may have changed since then.

[vauxtillidie]

must have been a slightly sleep police man too dan to get away with that one

[planetc]

Been the same for the 11 years I've been doing it.

[Cavalier342]

Ye I heard about this. To be honest, it's all been on the database for years, I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner. Of course as has been said, if any authorities need to check the tax of a vehicle, they'll have to either ring DVLA or check themselves via some sort of gadget.

Still for those who love to mod their cars, a clean tax disc-free windscreen may be a bonus I suppose a bit of round paper isn't the best solution anyway.

[Cavalier342]

P.S. Does anyone actually know when this comes into force. I.e. when is it legal to not display a tax disc?

[planetc]

Sure I read somewhere that it could be as early as late 2014?

[Lowrider Dave]

I would imagine the system will have to be put into place where the database can be accessed by various authorities for checking purposes, also the online side will have to be looked at and the cross over period from disc to whatever they deem a suitable replacement (receipt?) for the punter. Perhaps they should tie it in with the MOT, so mot and tax at the same time - one bit of uninspiring easy to forge white paper.

[Cavalier342]

Hmm not exactly tomorrow like I was hoping for..... Oh well.

Dave, MOT and tax usually falls within the same month or 2 months for me Trust me it ain't pleasant paying out money on something that does nothing beneficial to the car apart from keeping it road legal.

[HAIRIBO]

That article said oct 2014

[humbucker]

I would imagine the system will have to be put into place where the database can be accessed by various authorities for checking purposes, also the online side will have to be looked at and the cross over period from disc to whatever they deem a suitable replacement (receipt?) for the punter. Perhaps they should tie it in with the MOT, so mot and tax at the same time - one bit of uninspiring easy to forge white paper.

(Not that I'm suggesting you thought that this was the case, but...) Breakdown recovery institutions like the RAC aren't authorities, they're companies like any other so wouldn't necessarily be handed access to the database without financial contributions to the Treasury/MoT. From a business/revenue POV it would be madness to offer the data FOC, even if it would be morally bankrupt to seek payment! Furthermore, single point taxation (e.g at time of MoT) wouldn't work as you can buy road tax for six months instead of twelve (ideal for those of us who run some of our cars in summer only). Also, you can cash tax in at any time, so a single point check wouldn't qualify as proof of tax all year round.

Online/paper crossover shouldn't be an issue as you can still pop in to the Post Office to buy your tax, you just won't get a paper disc any longer.

On the plus side, the Treasury will also introduce a revised monthly payment scheme via direct debit for road tax, which might be a bonus for some, but worth bearing in mind that they're charging at least 5% on top of the value of the road tax for unlucky punters who want to take advantage of the offer. Add to that the cost of ordering it online and you're soon attracting applying a sh1tload of extra cost on top of an already expensive fee.

[Cavalier342]

Though they did say that they may lower the 6 month rate. I'm sticking with 6 months then.

[terkin]

Though they did say that they may lower the 6 month rate. I'm sticking with 6 months then.

likewise,12months just depresses me to much 250 on the Octavia silly money

[humbucker]

Though they did say that they may lower the 6 month rate. I'm sticking with 6 months then.

likewise,12months just depresses me to much 250 on the Octavia silly money

400+ on the Irmscher Omega...

Maybe that explains why it's been SORN'd for three years

[TurboDan]

£475 for 12 months on my old scooby!

Paying monthly really would of helped with that sort of price.

[terkin]

i couldn't own them is no point lol is that why you sold it dan

[gsi pie]

tax is tax lol if you can afford a big fast car you can afford tax

I can wait as itl give me somewhere to put my hobnobs

[planetc]

Chocolate will melt?