Turning 40 - thinking ahead

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LooneyTunes

Original Poster:

6,860 posts

159 months

Friday 9th December 2022
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Had a quick search and looked at DVLA site and I can’t find a definitive answer, but hoping someone here will be able to help.

One of my cars turns 40 in mid-2023, current MOT and tax runs out in December 2023.

dvla said:
If your vehicle was built before 1 January 1982, you can stop paying vehicle tax from 1 April 2022.
If I roll this forward, the tax exemption for a 1983 registered vehicle (I.e. “before 1 Jan 2024) will kick in from 1st April 2024.

The V112 MOT exemption form seems to simply be a case of declaring that the vehicle was manufactured more than 40 years ago (which I have the evidence to support) with no annual date cut-offs. When it hits 40, it’s eligible.

That leads me to believe that when I come to Dec 2023, I’ll need to re-tax the vehicle (and will get a refund for the period Dec 2023-April 2024) but will not necessarily need an MOT.

Does anyone know if the absence of an MOT at that point causes a problem/makes things inconvenient? If so, I’m tempted to SORN in April 2023 and then re-tax shortly after whilst the MOT is current, rolling the tax round to the point at which it is exempt.

In all likelihood I’ll keep MOTing the vehicle as a way to get an extra set of eyes over it/provide an independent log of basic condition and mileage but don’t want to run up against issues if we get a really miserable December with roads covered in salt.

Jordie Barretts sock

4,155 posts

20 months

Friday 9th December 2022
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If i understand you correctly, your car turns 40 in December. It does not become eligible for Historic taxation class until April 2023. It does not automatically suddenly become VED free, you have to change to the taxation class from PLG to Historic. To do this it must be taxed.

I also understand that you cannot change it to Historic before the April after it turns 40.

So, if your VED runs out in December, you can SORN until April, then you have to tax it and at the same time apply to change the taxation class to Historic. You have to do this at a Post Office. You also have to fill out a form from the PO (I forget what number it is) that is a self declaration that your car is MOT exempt.

Posty sends all this off to DVLA and a few weeks later you receive a new V5c with taxation class Historic. And around the same time a cheque for the rebate due on your VED. The cheeky gits won't backdate the rebate to April 1st either, so you only get 5 months back (if you taxed for six months).

Hope that helps.

Obviously after Historic is granted, no need to Sorn as it's free VED each year, you still have to 'renew' every 12 months online.

LooneyTunes

Original Poster:

6,860 posts

159 months

Friday 9th December 2022
quotequote all
Thanks for taking a shot at it.

I’m keen to not have to SORN for an extended period, and the timeline is more like this:

October 23, vehicle turns 40
Dec 23, current MOT runs out, tax runs out
April 24, vehicle becomes tax exempt

What I’m trying to find out is whether:
1) I’ll be able to buy vehicle tax in Dec to cover the remaining period (recognising that I’ll need to buy 6/12 months and get a refund) if the MOT isn’t renewed in advance; or
2) I can work around this by SORNing briefly in early-mid 2023 in order to pay for a fresh 12 months road tax well in advance of the MOT expiring.

It’s not the most common situation so I don’t know whether DVLA’s systems/the post office will get confused if I try to buy tax for a vehicle that is MOT exempt but not yet transitioned to historic taxation status. In all likelihood I’ll MOT earlier in the year but don’t want to get caught out if I get distracted by other things.

s p a c e m a n

10,781 posts

149 months

Friday 9th December 2022
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You can just buy tax rolling monthly online though can't you, you don't need to tax it and then get a rebate on what you don't use.

Jordie Barretts sock

4,155 posts

20 months

Friday 9th December 2022
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You can't tax it without a valid MOT. Just tried that within an hour of my son's car being MOT (and sorn). Had to wait until next day when DVLA had caught up.

Has to be taxed to change category to Historic. Depends if you want to drive it between December and April I suppose.

Either of your scenarios work, assuming you will MOT in Dec 23.

sixor8

6,299 posts

269 months

Friday 9th December 2022
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A car is MoT exempt as soon as it is 40, but as mentioned above, it becomes eligible for 'historic' status the April AFTER it is 40, assuming it rolls forward at the budget, which it has every year since its re-introduction in 2014.

When you buy VED, you will have to tick a box to state that you believe the car is MoT exempt (online anyway, not sure about at a Post Office) because it is not substantially modified. My current old car was already in the 'historics' status when I bought it so can't advise on how you retain use of the car at the same time as transferring to 'historic,' without going via SORN first. There must be a way. scratchchin You should then receive a refund of unused months of VED premiums.

Jordie Barretts sock

4,155 posts

20 months

Friday 9th December 2022
quotequote all
You don't need to sorn to go from PLG to Historic.

You just apply for tax (oddly) as PLG at the PO and change the status at rhe same time. A few weeks later your tax refund and a new V5c appear.

If the OP taxes the car for six months at the start of Dec, then when it falls due again at the beginning of May is when the above happens. If he sorns it and waits until April, the above happens.

TarquinMX5

1,951 posts

81 months

Friday 9th December 2022
quotequote all
I think that you're overthinking this.

Your vehicle will be mot-exempt once it's 40 years old.

When your 'tax' is due in Dec 2023, simply complete Form V112, take it Post Office (I'd recommend a bigger one that processes plenty of car-tax applications as not all staff seem to be up-to-speed about 40-year old cars), to prove mot-exempt. I think they're supposed to send them off (can't recall now) but when I did it they just wanted sight of it.

In April 2024, take V5 to post office to change to Historic, they send off to DVLA, new log book returned and DVLA automatically refund your tax paid from April 2024 onwards. Remember, if you tax for 6-months, you don't get the small 'extra premium' refunded.

I've never paid monthly but assume that can only be done online and, if that's the case, I don't think you can use the mot-exemption online; that changes once DVLA class it as Historic as it becomes an automatic exemption.

It seems unnecessarily complicated but, as it's a Govt system, what would you expect. Why they can't automatically link the MOT/Historic etc together, who knows. Different depts wink

LooneyTunes

Original Poster:

6,860 posts

159 months

Friday 9th December 2022
quotequote all
Thanks guys.

Just to be on the safe side, I’ll probably knock it onto SORN for a week or two (whatever the minimum period is) when I start taxing the others for the summer so that I can buy tax all the way through to when it becomes eligible for Historic. Will give me the option to use in spring if the weather’s good without having to run the risk of the post office getting muddled up by it if there isn’t an MOT in place.

largelunchbox

583 posts

202 months

Saturday 10th December 2022
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I have a similar issue but not worried about the tax/mot/historic issue but will my 85 Buick which is currently not ulez compliant suddenly become compliant in 2025 once I’ve changed log book to historic status? If I can’t get a 100% yes answer then I’ll have to sell it, as paying £12.50 a day is just ridiculous.

TarquinMX5

1,951 posts

81 months

Saturday 10th December 2022
quotequote all
It won't be 'compliant' but it will be 'exempt', according to their website, once it's taxed as Historic. I haven't read it all, so don't know whether you need to register an exemption.

That's correct as of today but whether somebody will 'enhance' the rules in the next year or two, to make them more 'sustainable', carbon-neutral, non-binary, vegan-friendly or take-your-pick, who knows biggrin

LooneyTunes

Original Poster:

6,860 posts

159 months

Wednesday 17th April
quotequote all
Well, assuming DVLA don’t throw any issues, that was remarkably straightforward.

Took the v5 into the local post office, along with heritage certificate to show date of manufacture and MoT exemption self-certification form, and it seems like no supporting evidence is needed for age (and no other forms need to be filled out).

Receipt for £0.00 VED and the v5 sent by the post office for updating. Spent more time on the queue than for them to actually process it all.

Doofus

25,829 posts

174 months

Wednesday 17th April
quotequote all
You could have done all of that online from the comfort of home. smile

Jordie Barretts sock

4,155 posts

20 months

Wednesday 17th April
quotequote all
You can't change the status to Historic online. It has to go to a PO.

Doofus

25,829 posts

174 months

Wednesday 17th April
quotequote all
Jordie Barretts sock said:
You can't change the status to Historic online. It has to go to a PO.
I did mine online about four years ago. Presumalby it's changed since, then.

LooneyTunes

Original Poster:

6,860 posts

159 months

Wednesday 17th April
quotequote all
Doofus said:
Jordie Barretts sock said:
You can't change the status to Historic online. It has to go to a PO.
I did mine online about four years ago. Presumalby it's changed since, then.
Must have changed and has to be via PO (unless the online official instructions are wrong and there's some way to get it done without).

Doofus

25,829 posts

174 months

Wednesday 17th April
quotequote all
LooneyTunes said:
Doofus said:
Jordie Barretts sock said:
You can't change the status to Historic online. It has to go to a PO.
I did mine online about four years ago. Presumalby it's changed since, then.
Must have changed and has to be via PO (unless the online official instructions are wrong and there's some way to get it done without).
All I remember is that I ticked a box in the Gov.uk "Tax Your Car" website thing.

Jordie Barretts sock

4,155 posts

20 months

Thursday 18th April
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Yep, you can tax it on line, but you can't change it's tax status. For instance in this case going from PLG to Historic. That needs to be done at a PO. Has always been the case.

Doofus

25,829 posts

174 months

Thursday 18th April
quotequote all
Jordie Barretts sock said:
Yep, you can tax it on line, but you can't change it's tax status. For instance in this case going from PLG to Historic. That needs to be done at a PO. Has always been the case.
But I did change the tax status. smile

Jordie Barretts sock

4,155 posts

20 months

Thursday 18th April
quotequote all
You can't anymore.