Penalty for not taxing a £0 band car?

[Hazuki]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 13 January 2025 at 14:08

[anonymous-user]

Don't know the amount of the fine, but a neighbour had a big sticker placed on their driver windpw and I think a clamp as well from non-payment of VED, even though it was £0 rated. I'd imagine it was a few hundred quid to get the clamp removed. Don't know if they had to pay a fine on top of that, possibly not.

I guess the argument is that if you don't register a car for zero VED, they don't know that it's zero VED, so they treat it just like any other untaxed car.

edit to add:

https://www.cartaxenforcement.co.uk/

Possible £1000 fine at the bottom of that page, although I'd have thought it unlikely.

[briSk]

More to the point - why wouldn't you tax it for £0? :-)
I like taxing my Aygo station/'errand car' far more than taxing my 996..!
Unless it doesn't have an MOT in which case it should be SORN anyway.

[Tommo87]

It has always been the case that everyone has to apply for VED.

The amount payable will differ, but £0 is treated no differently to any other number.


I’m sure some people will ask why DVLA don’t automatically know and make allowances, and it’s probably possible, but not worth the expense to implement.

[NorthernSky]

I must admit to falling foul of this with a Toyota iQ.

Assumed that 0 tax meant exactly that, but they send you a fine (I think it was 20 quid or so) for not 'paying' £0 on the online tax service.

You need to carry out the usual online registry with V5C & opt to pay £0, for the system to recognise the car as having been 'paid for' for the 6 or 12 month term.

Just another way they get you I suppose. :/

[Steve Dean]

This always makes me smile ....... as an owner of several vehicles which come under the 'Historic' category and are rated at £0 VED. I always have a laugh with the lady in the local post office - I give her nothing and in return she gives me a receipt for nothing - but it makes the vehicle legal.
I believe the fixed penalty notice for not doing so is £80 (haven't checked recently).

Of course the same applies to some modern vehicles that are zero rated.

[Jamescrs]

A colleague of mine has forgotten to tax his Skoda Octavia for the last 3 years as it's a zero tax car and he has been fined at least twice after being caught by mobile vans driving on a road, I'm sure the fine has been £100 on each occasion.

I compliment him on his community spirit by effectively volunteering to pay extra tax each year

[vitesse2000]

It has to be that to tax it, even at £0 you have to insure/MOT (if not exempt) it, making sure it is all down as legal on their ANPR systems - so it’ll register when one or more of the legal requirements cease to be met…

All just so Big Brother can keep his watchful eyes on us all

[Turbobanana]

I guess the key point is notifying the DVLA that the car is on the road, by taxing it (even if it costs nothing).

As someone else has said, it's a quick, online process that costs nothing and they send a reminder for it - why wouldn't you?

[LargeRed]

you still have to tax (or SORN) your vehicle, even if the band is Zero.

as, the vehicles in any band may change, as may the taxation of that class may change.


wait, not too long before EV get tax'ed.

[Nimby]

Can't you set up a direct debit? Its a simple option on the DVLA website for non-exempt vehicles.

[Monkeylegend]

The DVLA system wil automatically do an Insurance and MOT check when you tax a car, maybe that is the reason even if zero rated.

[Fer]

Could you set up a standing order?

[donkmeister]

vitesse2000 said:

It has to be that to tax it, even at £0 you have to insure/MOT (if not exempt) it, making sure it is all down as legal on their ANPR systems - so it’ll register when one or more of the legal requirements cease to be met…

All just so Big Brother can keep his watchful eyes on us all

Do you consent, Vitesse of the family 2000?

[Monkeylegend]

donkmeister said:

vitesse2000 said:

It has to be that to tax it, even at £0 you have to insure/MOT (if not exempt) it, making sure it is all down as legal on their ANPR systems - so it’ll register when one or more of the legal requirements cease to be met…

All just so Big Brother can keep his watchful eyes on us all

Do you consent, Vitesse of the family 2000?

It's a good job they do check, who wants to share the roads with uninsured and maybe dangerous vehicles.

[martinbiz]

vitesse2000 said:

It has to be that to tax it, even at £0 you have to insure/MOT (if not exempt) it, making sure it is all down as legal on their ANPR systems - so it’ll register when one or more of the legal requirements cease to be met…

All just so Big Brother can keep his watchful eyes on us all

Since the introduction of CIE regs, insurance status is no longer checked when taxing a vehicle

[martinbiz]

Jamescrs said:

A colleague of mine has forgotten to tax his Skoda Octavia for the last 3 years as it's a zero tax car and he has been fined at least twice after being caught by mobile vans driving on a road, I'm sure the fine has been £100 on each occasion.

I compliment him on his community spirit by effectively volunteering to pay extra tax each year

Not sure why it seems to be so hard, the system is exactly the same whether it's exempt or you pay, you still get a renewal through the post

[monkfish1]

Steve Dean said:

This always makes me smile ....... as an owner of several vehicles which come under the 'Historic' category and are rated at £0 VED. I always have a laugh with the lady in the local post office - I give her nothing and in return she gives me a receipt for nothing - but it makes the vehicle legal.
I believe the fixed penalty notice for not doing so is £80 (haven't checked recently).

Of course the same applies to some modern vehicles that are zero rated.

Is taxing a car at the post office still a thing?

[Panamax]

VAT works similarly.

Some things are "exempt" (outside the VAT system) but others are "zero rated" - i.e. inside the VAT system but with a tax rate of zero.

[carreauchompeur]

It is an odd one. I have stopped cars without tax in such circumstances and have debated seizing them, but it seems a bit cruel and unusual!