Registering a Historic vehicle

[Vanin]

I have two 40 year old cars that I wish to register as historic
The first is an Opel Monza, first registered 18/11/1983 and the second another Monza first registered 1/4/1983
I have taken the V5 s to the Post Office but no joy so I phoned the DVLA and the recorded voice message acknowledged that the first car was over 40 years old and historic , it is currently on a Sorn with no MOT
The DVLA then asked me to pay the full Road tax of over £300 and there is no ability to challenge this
Same with the second Monza
I had no trouble at the Post Office with two other vehicles both over 40 years. All the vehicles have been owned by me for over twenty years and I have the correct v5s . Any advice on my next step please would be welcome b

[Stick Legs]

Watching as my friend has a similar issue coming up with a SORN vehicle.

[andrewcliffe]

A car becomes considered historic for tax purposes on the 1st of April following its 40th birthday.

Then you can apply

https://www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles/apply-for-veh...

[sixor8]

Yes, many aren't aware of that. They become MoT exempt as soon as they are 40 but the VED rate at £0 has be approved at every Spring budget since it was re-introduced as a rolling forward measure in 2014.

[catso]

andrewcliffe said:

A car becomes considered historic for tax purposes on the 1st of April following its 40th birthday.

Then you can apply

https://www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles/apply-for-veh...

Indeed, when I changed my old Moto Guzzi (bike) to historic, I applied for it before April and was told that it would only be free tax after April so, for the sake of a month or so I left it on SORN.

I also had to wait an extra year to get it as despite being a 1979 built bike it wasn't actually registered until the day after the cut off date in Jan '80.

[droopsnoot]

catso said:

I also had to wait an extra year to get it as despite being a 1979 built bike it wasn't actually registered until the day after the cut off date in Jan '80.

Could you not get an acceptable proof of the build date? My was registered in early 1976 (13th, so outside the 'grace period') but built much earlier, and Vauxhall Heritage provided confirmation of the year and month it was built. I sent that to the DVLA and they added it to the V5, and my VED exemption came earlier as a result.

[aeropilot]

sixor8 said:

Yes, many aren't aware of that. They become MoT exempt as soon as they are 40 but the VED rate at £0 has be approved at every Spring budget since it was re-introduced as a rolling forward measure in 2014.

And as such, with a likely change of Govt later this year, I'd be betting on the rolling 40 year Historic zero VED rate stopping effective of a March 31st 1984 cut-off date.

[sixor8]

Possibly, Gordon Brown froze it in 1998, the year after Labour won a majority, at pre-1973 cars. That was when it was a 25 y.o. on a rolling basis. However, there was no MoT exemption back then.

[aeropilot]

sixor8 said:

Possibly, Gordon Brown froze it in 1998, the year after Labour won a majority, at pre-1973 cars. That was when it was a 25 y.o. on a rolling basis. However, there was no MoT exemption back then.

I'll bet they'll stop the MOT exemption at same time to be frozen at the 40 years point.

[caziques]

droopsnoot said:

Could you not get an acceptable proof of the build date? My was registered in early 1976 (13th, so outside the 'grace period') but built much earlier, and Vauxhall Heritage provided confirmation of the year and month it was built. I sent that to the DVLA and they added it to the V5, and my VED exemption came earlier as a result.

Did this the first year the "25 year free" thingy came in.

Car registered in March, missing the cutoff by 3 months. Got a build date from British Motor Industry Heritage Trust that the car was built the previous November and hence was in fact over 25 years old.

Various "experts" had said this wasn't possible, they were wrong.

[aeropilot]

caziques said:

droopsnoot said:

Could you not get an acceptable proof of the build date? My was registered in early 1976 (13th, so outside the 'grace period') but built much earlier, and Vauxhall Heritage provided confirmation of the year and month it was built. I sent that to the DVLA and they added it to the V5, and my VED exemption came earlier as a result.

Did this the first year the "25 year free" thingy came in.

Car registered in March, missing the cutoff by 3 months. Got a build date from British Motor Industry Heritage Trust that the car was built the previous November and hence was in fact over 25 years old.

Various "experts" had said this wasn't possible, they were wrong.

You need to be careful though, as it depends on what the car is, and what records are available, as docs DVLA will accept won't cover all situations.

[catso]

droopsnoot said:

catso said:

I also had to wait an extra year to get it as despite being a 1979 built bike it wasn't actually registered until the day after the cut off date in Jan '80.

Could you not get an acceptable proof of the build date? My was registered in early 1976 (13th, so outside the 'grace period') but built much earlier, and Vauxhall Heritage provided confirmation of the year and month it was built. I sent that to the DVLA and they added it to the V5, and my VED exemption came earlier as a result.

Maybe but it was during covid lockdown and they gave me a 6 month MOT extension which covered it until November by which time I wouldn't be riding it anyway, so it only cost me the tax which is likely less than any dating document that I may have been able to get would have cost. Especially as I had personally imported the bike from Italy just a few years earlier so didn't have much original documentation, it just didn't seem worth the bother trying.

[droopsnoot]

aeropilot said:

And as such, with a likely change of Govt later this year, I'd be betting on the rolling 40 year Historic zero VED rate stopping effective of a March 31st 1984 cut-off date.

I'm hoping not, this would be the second time I've missed on out on by a very short time - the first time the Firenza was almost of a qualifying age, this time it's my Audi coupe.

[aeropilot]

droopsnoot said:

aeropilot said:

And as such, with a likely change of Govt later this year, I'd be betting on the rolling 40 year Historic zero VED rate stopping effective of a March 31st 1984 cut-off date.

I'm hoping not, this would be the second time I've missed on out on by a very short time - the first time the Firenza was almost of a qualifying age, this time it's my Audi coupe.

I'm sure many are hoping not.....

Many though are expecting it, given past history, and likely people making up new Cabinet.

[andrewcliffe]

If you are able to get an official letter citing build date as opposed date of first registration, then that could possibly form grounds of a successful appeal. Its certainly worth trying, especially for owners of a car whose date of first registration is annoyingly close to the 1st April date. In the OP's case, Vauxhall / Opel may have records and will issue a certificate or acceptable letter for a small fee, or a recognised owners club can do the same - but both should become eligble for free tax from 1st April 2024.

Edited by andrewcliffe on Tuesday 16th January 10:55

[Vanin]

I appreciate the April 1st date but how come the recorded message from the DVLA acknowledged that my vehicle was over 40 years old and historic and then asked me for the full amount over £300

Took four log books with similar dates to my local post office and two similar cars were registered historic no problem, but with these last two they do not want to know

[aeropilot]

Vanin said:

I appreciate the April 1st date but how come the recorded message from the DVLA acknowledged that my vehicle was over 40 years old and historic and then asked me for the full amount over £300

Because you are trying to tax if BEFORE April, so its not zero rate.
Its only zero VED after April.

If you pay the money, after April you can reclaim a refund for the tax not used for the period, so effectively only end up paying for Jan-Mar period.

Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 16th January 16:28