DVLA and historic tax

[sheepdip]

You could not write it!

Went to tax my Escort today as I had seen on DVLA website that it was now tax exempt. I had read that any car manufactured before 1st Jan 1980 or registered before 8th Jan 1980 is now historic and tax at £0. My log book said registered 1st of Jan 1980 hence should be free! MOT'ed on Tuesday as I wanted to be sure it was OK after a 2 year layup.
Nice lady in my local post office sad no problem until she read the bar code - not exempt! Showed her the info on the DVLA web site and she agreed it should have been Ok.
I rang DVLA who would not believe me at first about the detail on their website, all they wanted to quote was that I needed to wait until April! After much debate and several minutes on hold I was told that my car did not have an actual date of registration but an estimate! so I have wait until April!
Just love dealing with the DVLA!
By the way each time I have rang them the staff have always tried their hardest to help.

[TarquinMX5]

What you're saying is basically correct but it's always been the case that it (the first opportunity to tax at zero rate) doesn't kick in until the April.

That's the way it used to read on the website as well, unless they've changed it recently.

[sheepdip]

I was always under the impression that April was the big date but its not what their website states!

[droopsnoot]

The DVLA web site always talks about the current situation - so you won't see anywhere where it states that the cut-off will advance a year on next April 1st, only the current cut-off date. That said, it does say that vehicles manufactured before 1st January 1980 (so anything in 1979 or backwards) are exempt, on two different pages, so I am surprised that you are having problems.

Edited by droopsnoot on Friday 25th September 12:25

[lowdrag]

AFAIK the onset of free tax and MOT exists when the car becomes 40 years old by year date. your car, being 1980, will not I believe qualify until 1/1/2021 when all 1980 cars will become 40 years old as far as the computer is concerned.

[kjs62]

Yes I have a motorbike with 1/1/80 as date of registration - was imported from USA in 1995 and I guess was just claimed as made in 1980
so was given the 1/1/80 date - it's a BH so DVLA wouldn't be open that day anyway. Actual date on frame is August 1979 but whoever imported didn't see that even though that's where the frame number is!
So the bike will be 41 years 8 months old before it's tax exempt on 1 April next year.
I guess your escort has been re-registered for some reason to have the 1/1/80 date ?

On the plus side they'll not need VED paying for ever again (or MOT) - well until they're outlawed for having engines in them.

[mgtony]

sheepdip said:

I was always under the impression that April was the big date but its not what their website states!

April is the main date for change, but it your case it should have been from this/last April. As you state, and as their website states:

"Vehicles exempt from vehicle tax
You do not need to pay vehicle tax if your vehicle was built before 1 January 1980.

If you do not know when your vehicle was built, but it was first registered between 1 and 7 January 1980, you do not have to pay vehicle tax."

A vehicle registered in the first week of the year is taken as being built in the previous year. As everything is done by the bar code at the Post Office, if this doesn't read as it should and the DVLC aren't any help, then I don't know where you go next.
Could try sending the V5 back to them with the change made to 'Historic' status and a covering letter.

The MOT exemption is as soon as a car becomes 40 years old, no mention of having to wait till the following April.

[TarquinMX5]

Perhaps it's the estimated date of registration that's the stumbling block.

What does the V5 actually state for date of registration?

[austin]

With my cars I had to send off the V5 to the DVLA to get it updated to "Historic". The free tax

[mgv8]

I have done this my self. You have to re-register the car as 'historic' class, so will need a new V5 to change that.
Back when I did this was in person and there office in Brighton.

[droopsnoot]

austin said:

With my cars I had to send off the V5 to the DVLA to get it updated to "Historic". The free tax

And yet with the one I had on the road when it became eligible, I just went to the local PO and handed it over. Less than a minute later the V5 is on the way to DVLA and I've got 12 months VED for free. I have heard that varies from PO to PO, though, depending on training.

[DBSV8]

droopsnoot said:

austin said:

With my cars I had to send off the V5 to the DVLA to get it updated to "Historic". The free tax

And yet with the one I had on the road when it became eligible, I just went to the local PO and handed it over. Less than a minute later the V5 is on the way to DVLA and I've got 12 months VED for free. I have heard that varies from PO to PO, though, depending on training.

this

back in July after lots of dicking about at two post offices . i presented my V5 and form v112 .........nice lady gave me a receipt , for docs and conformation car was un-sorned and had 12 months free road tax saving of £175 plus no need to MOT .

then a week ago my new V5 arrived showing historic status , i also had a pleasant surprise with my multicar policy they added it at £91 a year agreed value of 10k , happy days

[restoman]

The most staggering part of this tale is that you actually got to speak to someone at DVLA . . . . .

[Hol]

restoman said:

The most staggering part of this tale is that you actually got to speak to someone at DVLA . . . . .

I’ve not had a problem getting through, since they opened it back up. I just dialled the number on the website.

They still lost my paperwork.