Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[ukdave2002]

My 1976 Stag has been on a SORN for the last 2 years, I went on line to tax it, and because the "taxation class " on the V5C was PRIVATE/LIGHT GOODS, I was being asked for £175.

Thought l'd have to send the V5C off to Swansea to get it changed its simpler than that, all that's required is to take the V5C to the Post Office with the change to Historic Vehicle made and signed, hand it over with a request for vehicle tax, 30 seconds later it was taxed at zero cost! Didn't even have to sign something to say it was MOT exempt, as the woman behind the counter knew the rules.

Couldn't be simpler

Dave

[Rootes75]

From experience quite a few PO counter staff dont know the rules or changes to them.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[MikeEdwards]

I was concerned about mine, having heard all the stories about PO staff not knowing the procedure - at least two people (one of whom is married to someone who runs a PO) told me that "it's not that simple, I've done it loads of times and always have to post the V5 off first".

In my local PO (which might be the same one that UKDave used) I spent more time in the queue than she spent processing it, couldn't have been easier. I was a little concerned as mine is registered two years later than it was manufactured, but I'd had the note added to the V5 some months previously, in preparation for the great day.

[Ashley]

I tax everything with my phone.

[lowdrag]

You had no need to write to Swansea nor go to the Post Office. All you needed to do was go on line and retax the car. Being over 40 years old it was instantly recognised by the DVLA as exempt from MOT and zero road tax. You needed to tick the box confirming this and then you would have been able to renew the road tax.

[ukdave2002]

[lowdrag]

The DVLA have set their computer to automatically recognize a car as tax exempt when it reaches 40 years old. I have put this up before, but here we go again.

Let us say your car was registered on 1/8 78 but is on a SORN. It has no MOT since it is laid up. You go on line to retax your car and you will be confronted with a declaration like this:-

(GB only) A vehicle other than a public service
vehicle registered or manufactured 40 years
ago and which has not been substantially
changed in the last 30 years.

If you can tick this box then the renewal of the tax is automatic at no cost since you have confirmed that your car comes within the scope of the new regulations of 19/5/2018. You do not need an MOT and your VED is free of cost. I have now done this for friends quite a number of times and have even gone further just to test the system with a car that was taxed but where the MOT had run out. I cancelled the road tax and renewed it for another 12 months with no problems, ticking the box as above. It may be, and we won't know until next year, that we shall be obliged to tick this box at each renewal of the VED.

Hope this helps.

It seems that in the end the DVLA threw in the towel since the whole matter became too complicated, Their original proposals would have left many completely original cars on Q plates because they were not as they came out of the factory. Not one Rolls Royce, Lagonda or Bentley would have qualified because theyw ere sold as chassis-only and sent to Thrupp & Maberley or whoever to build the body. Austin 7 hill-climb specials come to mind too, as well as my Lynx which was built over 30 years ago and so qualifies under the declaration above.

Hope this helps.

[alastairq]

[lowdrag]

Be very careful about writing to the DVLA and sending your V5 back for a change of description. I have done this for a friend whose car was modified over thirty years ago and who wanted the correct description of the car changed from an XJ6 to a C-type. Three months later back came a letter with the form V627 which relates to new builds and the IVA and has nothing to do with cars modified over thirty years ago. I have written back and asked for a further explanation since I had verbal agreement from a staff member that all I had to do was provide proof of the date of conversion and all would be hunky-dory. I am awaiting their reply, but am not holding my breath. They still haven't got a clue as to what they are doing at the DVLA it seems. One Lynx D-type came back from Spain and all that was needed was to get the old registration and V5 back. Not a bit of it - the DVLA issued a 17 digit VIN number and it will now need an annual MOT. I'd just let sleeping dogs lie for now and wait a year or two until the dust has settled.