Just seen this on the news.

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-05/u-k-to-end-car-tax-disks-to-rely-on-electronic-register.html

Apparently you will be able to pay monthly over 6 or 12 months for a 5% fee when this comes in.

To be announced in the chancellors autumn statement later today.

What are peoples views? Good idea? Bad idea?

Edited 5 December, 201312 yr by Ade VRS

Not sure if I like the idea of that, because if the direct debit is stopped or doesn't go through you could get your car seized for having no tax... What they should do is do away with road tax altogether and slap it on fuel instead.

interesting RE: the direct debits, maybe they are planning a big hike in the tax. Charging monthly will make it seem like you are paying less, whereas in reality it works out a lot.

 

Not displaying is a great idea, it also wipes out the offence of "failing to display". However it will save loads of money for government, the special paper, the printing costs, staff costs etc. However the poor post offices will have one less thing to do and become even less viable.

I like the idea.

Glad I don't have a big box of Briskoda tax disc holders

under my bed to shift. :p

January sale?

The direct debit thing is a sensible move IMO.
It's one of the few "bills" that you can't pay monthly so this is just bringing it up to date.

I wasn't sure about ditching the paper disk, but given that most enforcement is now done based on the lack of a SORN it makes sense.

I think its great. Just wonder how long it will take to happen? 10 years?

Good idea I think, I usually do mine online so wouldn't really effect me.

Only place I can see issues is when buying a used car...

'Yeh mate it's got 11 months tax... Honest...'

So they'll have to make it something Joe public can check

for themselves.

 

And the type of person with defective adenoids who likes

nothing more than a spot of curtain twitching and getting on the phone

to report untaxed vehicles will have to find some other way of being

an civic champion. Either that or they'll spend all day on the phone to

the hotline checking every car in the street until they get a hit... 

Seems to be the way forward - even heard this morning that they are beginning to email TV licences.

 

 

What they should do is do away with road tax altogether and slap it on fuel instead.

 

This would be a sensible move IMO - makes the whole system much more "Pay as you drive" - however would need to be carefully considered so as not to add too much onto the fuel price otherwise it will make transport companies lives a lot harder, and with the costs likely to be passed onto clients could well force up the price of goods.

Only place I can see issues is when buying a used car...

'Yeh mate it's got 11 months tax... Honest...'

So they'll have to make it something Joe public can check

for themselves.

 

You already can check online.

 

Run a vehicle enquiry.

 

https://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/app/home/intro?skin=businesslink

I not at all sure about this move sounds a bit like a scroats charter to me. They mention policing via anpr. But were are all the police traffic patrols with these fitted. I think it will make avoiding tax a lot easier,which is good or bad depending how you look at it. A tax disc was usually (not always) a sign the car was insured,most vehicles without we're not,and easily spotted what now,anpr again. It's a bit like speed cameras having a effect on speeding. This tax should be scrapped and as previously stated put on fuel duty the more you use the more you pay.

Direct debit; the devil will be in the details. I mean will it work like TVL where you're charged more, and paying 6 months in advance?

You already can check online.

Run a vehicle enquiry.

https://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/app/home/intro?skin=businesslink

 

Exactly, we use this all the time.  It's very handy!

Ahh, never knew about that. Just the insurance one.

Cloane the plate , get somebody else to do the paying.

Direct Debit sounds good. £250 in one go is a sting, and difficult mentally to save for!

As above, it'll help out the people with cars in higher tax bands split the cost (maybe even persuade more people to buy high Co2 chuckers again?) So long as we're all paying the same per year it's fine by me. The savings they're bound to make could even be reinvested into the actual roads  :wonder:

First thing that came to my mind was 'it'll make it easier to clean inside the windscreen'.....

Seems to be the way forward - even heard this morning that they are beginning to email TV licences.

We've had our TV license emailed to us for at least the last 4 years (probably longer).

As mannyo says, one less thing for the Post Office to do though.

We've had our TV license emailed to us for at least the last 4 years (probably longer).

As mannyo says, one less thing for the Post Office to do though.

 

I've been doing my car tax online for years anyway. The post office seems to be full of extremely rude, grumpy old women, so I avoid going in there as much as possible.

I like the idea of pay monthly especially as the golf and octy are in the same tax month. May even encourage business a little not having to form out bed in huge lumps. August was always an expense month for the old chaps business

 5% fee 

 

I'll just pay it outright, thanks.

 

Given that you can "cancel" a current disc and get your money back for the remaining months I'm not convinced they should be ALLOWED to charge interest for it.

 

Of course the argument will be that this offer will "help" cash strapped households, but the reality is that it serves one purpose only - to take advantage of and make MORE money from people who can't afford to pay for their VED outright. Disgusting.

I'll just pay it outright, thanks.

 

Given that you can "cancel" a current disc and get your money back for the remaining months I'm not convinced they should be ALLOWED to charge interest for it.

 

Of course the argument will be that this offer will "help" cash strapped households, but the reality is that it serves one purpose only - to take advantage of and make MORE money from people who can't afford to pay for their VED outright. Disgusting.

 

How is it disgusting?

At the moment there's a 10% surcharge for paying for it in two chunks, so moving to a 5% surcharge for monthly payments is actually a reduction.

How is it disgusting?

At the moment there's a 10% surcharge for paying for it in two chunks, so moving to a 5% surcharge for monthly payments is actually a reduction.

 

Its disgusting because its aimed at people who can't afford to pay it in a lump sum, but they end up paying more than those who can afford to.

 

I applaud the move to electronic only, but not this cash grab that comes with it.