Tag Archives: Clearway Car Finance

Car tax disc nostalgia or apathy?

creativetaxdiscs.co.ukDespite the abolition of car tax discs, a recent survey suggests that one in two motorists continue to display car tax discs. But is this simply a case of genuine nostalgia?

I’m not so sure. Might it not simply be down to inertia or apathy? The fact that the number of drivers paying out of court settlements to the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has nearly doubled since, appears to confirm this theory.

If drivers don’t pay the penalty they’re taken to court and even this figure has risen by 29% since discs were abolished, according to Auto Express magazine. Most surprising of all, I thought, was that one in six motorists didn’t know the tax disc had been abolished? Clearly not Club members of course…

On the other hand, there seems to be some nostalgia and definite speculation among the velologist community (that’s car tax disc collectors to you and me). I loved reading about Jude Currie’s collection but I’m definitely suspicious of eBay claims that any individual tax discs might be worth as much as £1000.

From a business point of view I have always thought (but have yet to do this) that a FOXY-branded car disc holder would be a great place to remind motorists of their MOT and/or VED expiry dates. In the good old fashioned way – in writing on a familiar looking circular disc and a reminder of these time critical deadlines every time you sit in the car.

Then the passenger corner of my windscreen wouldn’t look so forlorn…

Car tax disc reminder tips

To remind us all where we’re at re car tax discs, and in case your tax reminder goes astray, I hope these tips will help.

1/ It’s not worth considering driving an untaxed vehicle because the fine could be as much as £1000. In some circumstances even more as it can be up to 5 times the cost of your car’s annual tax…)

2/ It’s quick and easy to tax your vehicle online using the 16 digit reference code from your vehicle tax renewal reminder (V11) or 11 digit reference number from your log book (V5C). If you know someone who isn’t online, why not offer to help them do this online when the time comes?

3/ If you (or a car dealer) sell a car, it’s up to the vehicle owner to tell the DVLA before handing over the keys to a new owner. The owner will then receive a refund of any full months’ unspent tax. Fiddly and time consuming, I agree.

4/ If you buy a car, it’s up to you to tax it before you drive it away. Much as you do with insurance. NB: Remember to allow more time than before for any car seller to tell the DVLA before you’ll be able to tax it in your name.

5/ If you hire a car or need to check if a car you drive is taxed (for any reason or concern) you can do so via the Vehicle Enquiry Service.

6/ If you move house and forget to tell the DVLA, or their reminder letter goes astray, it’s still your fault if you don’t pay your VED on time. We are all expected to know when our car tax expires and because the DVLA works with debt collection services, rest assured that all tax evaders will eventually be found…

In short, it makes compelling financial sense to set up diary reminders and an automatic Direct Debit Instruction to pay non-negotiable motoring essentials like your car tax. Then you can forget about this when you’re on holiday, working away from home perhaps or during other domestic or work-related distractions.