Road Tax

[arn22110]

Does a 1972 car require road tax?

[alfaspecial]

arn22110 said:

Does a 1972 car require road tax?

Vehicles made before 1 January 1980 are tax free

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax

[4rephill]

arn22110 said:

Does a 1972 car require road tax?

Technically, no one has paid "road tax" since 1937

[//j17]

alfaspecial said:

arn22110 said:

Does a 1972 car require road tax?

Vehicles made before 1 January 1980 are tax free

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax

I believe the full answer is:
1. Yes, all cars require road tax.
2. Cars 40 years old+ [u]can[/u] apply for the zero-tated historic vehicle tax rate.

So unless you've had the "Taxaction class" on your V5C updated to "HISTORIC VEHICLE" you still need to pay road tax. If you HAVE changed the tax class then you STILL need to renew your road tax every 12 months, it will just be at a rate of £0.00.

Ignore either of those steps and your car WON'T be taxed, your insurance will be invalid, etc, etc, etc.

[Cliftonite]

//j17 said:

I believe the full answer is:
1. Yes, all cars require road tax.
2. Cars 40 years old+ [u]can[/u] apply for the zero-tated historic vehicle tax rate.

So unless you've had the "Taxaction class" on your V5C updated to "HISTORIC VEHICLE" you still need to pay road tax. If you HAVE changed the tax class then you STILL need to renew your road tax every 12 months, it will just be at a rate of £0.00.

Ignore either of those steps and your car WON'T be taxed, your insurance will be invalid, etc, etc, etc.

You were doing SO well until then!

[Sebring440]

//j17 said:

your insurance will be invalid, etc, etc, etc.

Run that one past us again?

[vpr]

Basically having no road tax does NOT affect your insurance

Common misconception

[sixor8]

And since the scrapping of the paper disc, you can buy VED online on any vehicle without it being insured. The chap or chapesse at the Post Office (in years gone by) reading a knocked-out insurance certificate was always a bit of lip service anyway.

If it is not insured shortly afterwards however, DVLA will send the registered keeper a 'reminder.'

[Cliftonite]

sixor8 said:

And since the scrapping of the paper disc, you can buy VED online on any vehicle without it being insured. The chap or chapesse at the Post Office (in years gone by) reading a knocked-out insurance certificate was always a bit of lip service anyway.

If it is not insured shortly afterwards however, DVLA will send the registered keeper a 'reminder.'

Thereby getting the VED money AND the money from a potential fine! Makes good business sense! Under the old scheme, they got neither!
/cynic

[//j17]

vpr said:

Basically having no road tax does NOT affect your insurance

Common misconception

Yes and no - it depends on your insurance policy wording.

No, having no road tax is unlikely to invalidate the insurance of your vehicle while stored off the public highway. But I think every policy I've ever had has had clauses around the vehicle having to be maintained and in compliance will all legal requirements in order to be covered for use on the road to be covered for use on the road, and I'd have said that gives them more than enough wiggle room to get out of a claim if you had an accident while not taxed.

[vpr]

//j17 said:

vpr said:

Basically having no road tax does NOT affect your insurance

Common misconception

Yes and no - it depends on your insurance policy wording.

No, having no road tax is unlikely to invalidate the insurance of your vehicle while stored off the public highway. But I think every policy I've ever had has had clauses around the vehicle having to be maintained and in compliance will all legal requirements in order to be covered for use on the road to be covered for use on the road, and I'd have said that gives them more than enough wiggle room to get out of a claim if you had an accident while not taxed.

I’d be interested to know of any cases of such

My nipper wrote his car and another off totalling 80k. His car wasn’t taxed. Wasn’t an issue.

I’ve always asked the question to my ins companies and every time it’s not been mandatory

Edited by vpr on Sunday 16th August 17:57

[Sebring440]

//j17 said:

and I'd have said.....

So no real substance to your claim then?

[sixor8]

It's perfectly legal to drive a car to and from a pre-booked MoT test if untaxed or SORN as long as the car is insured. The insurance companies are aware of this.

And (as discussed elsewhere at length), there is no legal maximum distance either.