Keep Up With Vehicle Tax Disc Changes

October 1st 2014 sees the traditional paper tax disc is being ‘scrapped’ as part of a streamlining and cost cutting drive to save money on administrative fees. According to research about the new changes to vehicle tax, up to 40% of people (from 1,000 asked) were unaware of the changes.

Let’s put this right – because failing to follow the new rules could leave you facing a fine of up to £1,000 – so we’ve put together a list of what you need to know.

1. Tax no longer transferred When buying a vehicle the tax isn’t transferred, meaning that before you get behind the wheel you will need to make sure you’ve set it up.
2. Tax refunds If you sell your vehicle and notify the DVLA, you will get an automatic refund on remaining vehicle tax allocated to the car. Note that at this point the DVLA becomes aware that there is a vehicle that needs to be taxed, if you’re a buyer!
3. Direct debit payments You can opt pay road tax via direct debit, but if you do you might be charged an additional 5% for administration; paying via credit card also incurs fees. Paying monthly might be convenient if you’re on a tight budget, but be aware of the true costs when you choose your payment method to avoid forking out more than you need to.
4. No need to display From October you no longer need to display the traditional paper tax disc, as the details have been stored electronically. Inspectors will use specialised cameras to ascertain which cars have lapsed tax records.
5. Driving your vehicle abroad The DVLA has cleared everything with the European Union so if you take your vehicle across the channel, you shouldn’t get pulled over for non-compliance.

You can see the full list of changes to tax discs on the DVLA website. You can also learn more about the importance of correctly taxing your vehicle in our blog post Motorists confused by vehicle tax changes.