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Original poster

Ooops - late road tax...

27 replies

Blu · 20/01/2008 17:42

but I have just renewed online and don't seem to have been fined!

I didn't buy this car until mid Jan - and had to re-register it when I bought it, and buy a new tax disc - s foolishly I assumed the tax disc would run out mid-Jan. Just relaised it ran out at the end of Dec!!

Should I have been fined? Will a demand for payment arrive in the post? Have felt gloomy all afternoon at the tought of my carelessness and fine I could very much do without paying!

OP posts:
coby · 20/01/2008 17:50

no, you won't be fined becuase.......

have you looked at the tax disc you have just bought? It is highly likely it runs from 1st Jan so you are covered from then.

Original poster
Blu · 20/01/2008 23:22

Oh! Phew! Thanks Coby.
I thought there was an automatic fine for renewing it late - but yes, the new wone will be from Jan 1st.
Shall I leave a print-out of the receipt on my dashboard until the disc arrives in the post? Loads of cars seem to get clmped for having no disc!

OP posts:
NeitherUseNorOrnament · 20/01/2008 23:27

By law you have to display the tax disc

You can apply to pay for the time it was without tax - or do you mean that you bought the car mid Jan this year?

If you bought it jan last year you should have had a reminder for tax?

And when does the new tax disc run from?

They get quite jumpy if there is any gap without a SORN or a disc

NeitherUseNorOrnament · 20/01/2008 23:28

But as Coby said if you have just bought a disc that closes the gap they won't care in most (all) cases

WendyWeber · 20/01/2008 23:45

Oooh, Blu, please keep us posted, will you?

In theory the 14 days grace that used to exist no longer does, what with these computer thingies and technology and whatnot, so I am always paranoid about getting it done before the 1st - so if they don't come banging on your door asking for a fat fine we need to know!

coby · 20/01/2008 23:53

It is very unlikely there will be a fine - they can only fine for non-display as the tax has been paid as necessary. A Fine for non display when the tax has been paid is very rare IME.

WendyWeber · 21/01/2008 00:00

But Blu hasn't had a valid disc displayed for 20 days so far and hasn't got it yet either!

And it is display that counts - if you buy it on time, but forget to put it in the car, you can be fined according to the regulations

(Mind you, reading that it does sound as if it has to be spotted and reported by somebody first, not that they will just swoop on the basis of their computer systems, so that's nice - I think)(after all we all know now how reliable Govt computer systems are )

bookwormmum · 21/01/2008 00:03

Surely the computer system will backdate it from when it expired? I have been known to park my car on the driveway for a couple of weeks when I've not_hadthemoney forgotten to renew it in time. So far....

Did you buy it second-hand or from a dealer? A dealer should have taxed it for you really.

WendyWeber · 21/01/2008 00:05

I think Blu bought it 12 months ago, bwm. The disc she buys now will be backdated to 1/1/08 so she's technically covered but still not legal until the disc is in the car.

bookwormmum · 21/01/2008 00:09

It's a bit petty saying it has to be displayed when a few seconds on a phone will establish the tax status. Mind you, if you aren't taxed then technically you aren't insured either. Im sure it will come by Tuesday morning . It must be sent out first class post.... surely?

coby · 21/01/2008 00:22

Well I know of many who have been in this situation before and not got caught out for non-display. Reminders get lost in the post, people don't realise the tax is due so they drive around for a few weeks without displaying a valid tax disc. Half way through the month they tax so there is no gap in the taxation of the vehicle but there is a gap in displaying it - I've never known one get fined. This 14 day grace rubbish went out with the ark - it has't been a valid excuse for many years.

If you really are worried then you shouldn't drive the car until the tax disc is displayed - the receipt is not a tax disc so if someone wants to be petty then they can just ignore that too. In theory if you do not display a tax disc then you are not insured either. The disc should arrive within 5 working days. If I saw cars (locally) clamped for not displaying tax then I would stay off the road - never seen it down this way though

You would be incredibly unlucky if you got a fine tbh. Carry the reciept with you, display it if you wish if but it has no personal details on it.

WendyWeber · 21/01/2008 00:27

14 days grace did apply, coby - it used to say so on the reminder notices until the new system came in in 2004.

You may not know anybody who's been fined - I don't either - but technically anybody could be. You are supposed to renew before the end of the month it runs out.

Egypt · 21/01/2008 05:08

i was once fined. i went 2 weeks with an out of date tax disc and was seen. before i got the letter telling me i had been 'seen' i bought a new disc and wrote on the form that the car had been off the road for those 2 weeks to cover me . i got a £30 fine and a threat for court action if it wasnt paid before a certain date. scared me to death! so beware, even though the disc backdates you it doesn't cover you, you were using a car with an out of date disc on...end of. BUT you will be fine! (at least you didn't lie about it being off-road like me!)

Original poster
Blu · 21/01/2008 11:49

I am very lucky I haven't been caught parked on the road, as they do seem to send vehicles round checking and clamping!

I am going to leave my car in my work car park as much as poss until the new disc arrives, and if i have to be out and about will display the e mail receipt in the window!

Hoping that the new disc arrives v promptly!

Yes - the new disc is for when the old one ran out.

Grrr - by buying an untaxed car in the last week of jan 2007 I paid for 3 weeks unused tax disc!

Anyway, this will NOT happen next year. I have written all my renewal / MOT / Ins dates on the Dec pages of my diary to carry forward into next year.

OP posts:
coby · 21/01/2008 16:09

That is what I said - you could be fined but many people get away with it.

14 days grace was not in place in 2001 when I worked with vehicle licenses.

Had a thought last night blu...now is not a good time to have an out of date tax disc. Every year they change the background colour of the tax disc to make out of date discs easier to identify. All discs that are currently valid (i.e run out this year) are red (I think). Those that ran out last year are blue (I think)...

Original poster
Blu · 21/01/2008 17:29

My out of date disc is purple, I think. I should have paid for a 6 month disc and then done it annually from the middle of the year, rather than colour change january!

OP posts:
coby · 21/01/2008 21:35

, mine came within two days so fingers crossed.

Just out of interest...did you receive a reminder in December? If not, it might be worth checking the DVLA have your correct details (although it is more likely it got lost in the post at that time of year methinks)

mamhaf · 21/01/2008 21:43

I once drove around for almost three months without a valid tax disc - not on purpose, the reminder didn't arrive in the post and we just didn't notice.

I was very lucky not to get fined, probably because my mileage is so low, but still can't believe it happened.

CatsPee · 21/01/2008 21:48

I forgot once, and was 2 or 3 weeks late doing it, but didn't get fined.

No idea why they didn't send me a reminder like they do for every other person on the planet .

Original poster
Blu · 22/01/2008 09:45

I did get a reminder - 2 in fact - but didn't open them as i thought I had until the end of jan

OP posts:
coby · 22/01/2008 15:13

indeed - has it come yet?

malovitt · 22/01/2008 15:20

Take a look at this!

Original poster
Blu · 22/01/2008 17:41

ooh - I should have waited until Feb 2nd!

Not really - and as one of the comments says - traffic wardens defintielry patrol and clamp in Lambeth! I see dvla vehicles patrolling in the forst week of the month - and my neighbour got done last year - so the possible chance of a free month could turn out to be an expensive gamble.

And anyway, if you were involved in an accident without tax....

OP posts:
littleducks · 22/01/2008 17:50

i wouldnt worry too much they had to send out three tax discs to us after first two got 'lost' by light fingered postal workers, the final one sent recorded delivery arrived ages after we paid as we had to keep waiting and calling them, email receipt should cover you

coby · 22/01/2008 20:26
  • pmsl laughing at the 'comments' at the bottom of the page!
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