The
vehicle licence (tax disc) explained
Any
vehicle used or kept on a public road in
the United Kingdom is required, by law,
to display a valid vehicle tax disc. A tax
disc (also referred to as a vehicle licence
or car tax) shows that you have paid the
necessary vehicle tax (or vehicle excise
duty) for your vehicle.
The
purpose of vehicle tax
The
tax disc is the first indicator to the
police that the vehicle:
- has
the necessary test certificate
(MOT)
- is
covered by third party insurance
- vehicle
tax has been paid
It
also gives the Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Agency (DVLA) the opportunity to check
that the details shown on the vehicle
register are up to date and accurate
when the vehicle is re-taxed.
How
long does a tax disc run for
A
tax disc usually runs for 12 calendar
months beginning on the first day of
the month in which it was taken out.
However, where the cost of vehicle tax
exceeds £50, a six months tax disc can
be purchased. If you are registering
the vehicle for the first time in Great
Britain, you can tax it for part of
the month in which it is first registered,
plus six or twelve months after that.
Spreading
the cost of paying for a vehicle tax disc
You
can purchase Post Office® savings stamps
costing £5.00 each if you want to spread
the cost of your vehicle tax. You should
attach the stamps to a P6386 Post Office®
savings stamps collector card (or P6386W
in Wales). The stamps and collector
cards are available from all Post Office®
branches. You can use these stamps as
full or part payment of your vehicle
tax at a vehicle licence issuing Post
Office® branch. Post Office® saving
stamps can not be used at a DVLA local
office or refunded at DVLA.
On
31 March 2005, DVLA Motor Vehicle Licence
(MVL) savings stamps were withdrawn
from sale. Any stamps you have already
purchased and attached to the V218 Vehicle
Licence stamps savings card (or V218W
in Wales), can be used to buy your vehicle
tax disc at vehicle licence issuing
Post Office® branches until 31 March
2006. After this date any DVLA MVL stamps
that you hold can only be used at a
DVLA local office or refunded at DVLA
Swansea.
Until
31 March 2006, you may use a mixture
of both DVLA MVL stamps and Post Office®
savings stamps to buy your tax disc
at a vehicle licence issuing Post Office®
branch but you must not mix both types
of stamps on the same card.
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Exemptions
from paying vehicle tax
Certain
vehicles are exempt from paying vehicle tax, however,
they are still required to be taxed annually and are issued
with a free tax disc.
When
and where to display the disc
A
vehicle tax disc shows the registration number and the
date up to which you have paid vehicle tax. It comes into
force on the day it is issued. But, if you apply for a
tax disc in advance, it comes into force on the first
day of the following month and you should not display
it on your vehicle until then. You must display this disc
on the left-hand side of the vehicle's windscreen. If
the vehicle does not have a windscreen fitted, you will
need to display the disc on the passenger side. For motorcycles,
the tax disc should be displayed on the near-side of the
bike. If a side car is fitted to the motorcycle, then
the tax disc must be displayed on the near-side of the
handlebars or on the near-side of the side car.
Using
a vehicle on a public road without displaying a tax disc
If
a vehicle is used or kept on a public road it must display
a valid tax disc. However, there is one exception. You
can drive an untaxed vehicle on a public road to and from
a pre-arranged:
- MOT
testing station
- VIC
testing station
- an
approved vehicle weight testing station which covers
design weight
- certificate
or plated revenue weight
- reduced
pollution test
Can
I transfer a tax disc from one vehicle to another?
No,
once a tax disc is issued to a vehicle, it cannot be transferred
to another.
Can
I tax my Northern Ireland registered vehicle in Great Britain?
A
tax disc cannot be issued in Great Britain for a vehicle
that is registered in Northern Ireland, unless the vehicle
is to be registered in Great Britain.
Can
I claim a refund on my tax disc if I take my vehicle off
the road or sell it?
Yes,
you can claim a refund of the vehicle tax for complete
calendar months you have left to run on your tax disc.
The following link gives details on how to apply for a
refund.
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