Free Road Tax for cars reg. before 1/1/74

[V8s ONLY]

I believe at the last budget the Chancellor moved the eligibility date for free road tax forward a year,which comes into effect in March or April this year.Does anyone know the exact date this change will happen?

Also what is the procedure,do you have to send the V5 off to have the taxation class changed to Historic Vehicle?

[SESH]

I spoke with DVLA (after getting through their damned annoying telephone system).

You need to do the following :-

1 week before the new historic vehicle taxation comes into effect on 01 April 2014 (25 March) send off the following to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DZ. :-

V5C with completed section 7 changes to Historic Vehicle and sign section 8.
V10 form for new tax disc.
Send your MOT (actual doc not a copy) It will be returned to you with the new tax disc.
V14 if you are applying for a refund of tax for any months that are current on your tax disc after 01 April.

Hope this helps.

[Rich G]

^^^^^ and all via "signed for" post!

[Slidingpillar]

Pretty sure when my 1972 car became exempt (the original rolling exemption) I had to do nothing! Stands to reason they've now made it complicated.

[onomatopoeia]

Slidingpillar said:

Pretty sure when my 1972 car became exempt (the original rolling exemption) I had to do nothing! Stands to reason they've now made it complicated.

You used to have to take the V5 to the local DVLA office and they would change the taxation class for you and issue a free tax disc (assuming MOT and insurance was valid). Presumably it was also possible to do this by post.

[Slidingpillar]

Don't recall having to take the V5 anywhere. But it was rather a while ago.

[john2443]

When mine became exempt when it was first introduced (1996?) all I did was when the renewal notice came through it said amount due £0, if the V5 did change, they maybe sent an updated one but I didn't have to send it off.

[nta16]

I think some will be concerned with the refund

I'll enquire at a local office in March - not possible see below

IIRC - I don't think an MoT piece of paper would be required as it's only printed off and given by the test station as a security blanket now looks like I'm wrong again and they still may still want the printed paper even though it's all on computer now

EFA

Edited by nta16 on Friday 7th February 15:54

[Roy C]

nta16 said:

I'll enquire at a local office in March

"All DVLA local offices in England, Wales and Scotland have now closed"

[nta16]

Roy C said:

nta16 said:

I'll enquire at a local office in March

"All DVLA local offices in England, Wales and Scotland have now closed"

Roy, thank you for that

I checked all this a good while back and even checked the local DVLA office hadn't moved but all this must have been before the final decision/announcement of all the closures, perhaps me checking cause it all

some links for others but although the links still work some of the information looks out of date, forms and leaflets are dated 2011 and 2012 and things obviously change so do check - unlike I did

INF34 leaflet 'Taxing historic vehicles' - http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_...

V10 'Application for a tax disc' - http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_...

V14 'Application for a refund of vehicle tax OR return of a nil value tax disc' - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

Edited by nta16 on Friday 7th February 15:55

[Jagmanv12]

AFAIK it is the build date not registration date that is the important factor.
If your car was built in 73 but registered in 74 it qualifies for free tax.

[williredale]

SESH said:

I spoke with DVLA (after getting through their damned annoying telephone system).

You need to do the following :-

1 week before the new historic vehicle taxation comes into effect on 01 April 2014 (25 March) send off the following to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DZ. :-

V5C with completed section 7 changes to Historic Vehicle and sign section 8.
V10 form for new tax disc.
Send your MOT (actual doc not a copy) It will be returned to you with the new tax disc.
V14 if you are applying for a refund of tax for any months that are current on your tax disc after 01 April.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for this. When I looked a while ago the information was very thin on the ground. Mine will be exempt so I get to spend the £200 on petrol instead!

[Dbest92]

Thanks for posting this, as mentioned info has been thin on the ground about this up until now.

Slightly irritating my tax is out on the 31/3, but I shouldn't complain too much :P, will be a nice saving!

[nta16]

what's your problem Darren, that works out just fine as it means you don't need to apply for any refund

many people didn't realise there was a 7 day discretion on manufactured before 1st Jan but I see it's printed on INF34 leaflet

I learnt all about this when I found a previous car was built on the 8th so missed it by one day then I found my present car that was registered in April was built on the 11th Jan so just four days out

I'd imagine that the discretion will be repeated again so if your car was built between the 1st and 8th of January 1974 it's worth checking

the wording on INF34 says that it's if the V5C indicates the dates but these can be wrong so check your date of manufacture

[Dbest92]

nta16 said:

what's your problem Darren, that works out just fine as it means you don't need to apply for any refund

I hope this to be the case, however it depends on how long the dvla take to process it and issue a new taxdisc, don't want the car being off the road for a few weeks!

[V8s ONLY]

Thanks for your help folks.I went through this in '95,but can't remember what the exact process was.I probably did it via the Post Office,I'll call in sometime soon and ask if they can still handle it.

[M4SER]

Does anyone know what happens if your pre '74 car is currently on a SORN?

I'm hoping I can just send off my signed and completed V5C to DVLA after the 25th March and it will come back with the change of taxation class but the small-print on the V5C says changes to taxation class can only be made when applying for a new tax disc..

[V8s ONLY]

If it's on SORN,and you don't want to tax it, you do nothing.When you want to tax it, the fun dealing with the DVLA starts.

[Ecosse RM]

Roy C said:

"All DVLA local offices in England, Wales and Scotland have now closed"

I'd always thought one day I'd track down a 1973 car registered on my birthday so the new exemption year is good news.

A bit off topic but I wonder when the referendum debate up here in Scotland will consider road tax is sorted in Swansea....think I'll make sure my Capri is taxed in September although I suspect Mr Salmond is on a road to nowhere rather than taking the high road !

[srob]

Jagmanv12 said:

AFAIK it is the build date not registration date that is the important factor.
If your car was built in 73 but registered in 74 it qualifies for free tax.

Is that the same for the no MoT law too, do you know? I've got a 64 registered bike with a 59 frame and a 59 engine but is registered as 64.

Be a shame to lose it's original B reg numberplate though, if that would happen?