New Tax disc rules: DVLA incompetent, yet again.

[b1k3rdude]

How many people are aware of the new tax disc rules? I only found out 3 hrs ago.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vehicle-tax-changes

DVLA said it was "it was mentioned in the budget"... er, like everyone fucking watches or reads the budget... fuck-wits.

Here are 3 issues straight off the bat -

• it wasn't mentioned anywhere near enough on other forms of media. If the dvla have known about this for a while, like say for over a year - they could have let me/others know the last time I taxed the bike...
• what happens if say your buying a new bike on a Sunday and you don't have access to a post office, the internet or a phone. Assuming you have adequate ins. you then can't legally drive the bike.
• As we all know government systems aren't the most reliable, what happens if both the dvla's automated phone service and website are down? Should we then have to wait for their shit arse system/s to come back up..? If someone is miles away from home its unreasonable to expect them to hang around before being able to tax the bike, FFS.

When I spoke to the dvla today, 2 of the 3 minions I spoke didn't know all the details listed on their own fucking website. WTF they could not just make the old system electronic, as in "the vehicle is taxed", like they do in other countries and not tied to the fucking owner is beyond me. Useless fucking c**ts.

[red98]

I thought all this was common knowledge , ive known for sometime now......not sure if I have mentioned this before but I do have my own bike trailer with tow vechicle and driver available for hire   

[richfzs]

Must admit, I do think there must have been a bit of "head in sand" to have completely missed it. They haven't done a great job of communicating details, true, and yes it should have been in the renewal notices that have gone out since April - but to have not known at all, I'm quite surprised by!

[b1k3rdude]

I'm quite surprised by!

Several mates, one of which owns a repair shop didn't know until I told him.

[richfzs]

Does he sell bikes? If not, then he's not really any different to anyone else - if he does, I'm more than surprised!

[rustyrider]

You must all be living in caves then.  It was on the last renewal you must have received.  Not that it matters, if your tax runs beyond October 1st you'll be told about the new system when you get your reminder to renew your tax.  Taking your bullet points one at a time

It's been mentioned in newspapers, online, on websites and forums (including this one) and, as said, on the last renewal you would have received.
If you buy a bike on a Sunday not only can you not tax it if you don't have online access but the previous keeper can't cancel the tax either so it's still taxed until he tells them he's sold it.  It's no different to now, he is still responsible until he tells them he no longer has it, the only difference is that as well as being responsible for speeding and parking tickets, he's responsible for the tax too.
If the system is down the same applies as above, it's still taxed.

Personally I think the new system is much better.  No need to display a tax disc, the option to pay monthly by direct debit, the option to cancel the direct debit and declare sorn at any time so if you want to only tax something for a month you can.  In other countries that have a road tax, almost all of them have the tax with the owner and not the vehicle just the same as the owner gets the plates issued to him for a particular vehicle and they stay with him when it is sold, they don't stay with the vehicle.

[b1k3rdude]

• It was on the last renewal you must have received.
• It's been mentioned in newspapers, online,
• on websites and forums (including this one)
• Not that it matters, if your tax runs beyond October 1st you'll be told about the new system when you get your reminder to renew your tax.

• It wasn't on mine back last September/October time.
• I don't buy newspapers, I buy Ride mag occasionally, and I only look at the google news page and gaming news pages most of the time. And I only found out about today because I had been looking for something online and happened to use a different search engine.
• I've not seen it on any of the forums I use and I didn't see it on this forum as I only frequent the fazer section.
• If I had need to buy a s/h bike before then and not found out I would have been none the wiser.

A few other UK bods from other forums said their local bbc channel's mentioned it, but was never mentioned on the national news. Both of which are mute in my case as I haven't watched video based news either on TV or online for several years now.

[Motorbreath]

Pity, British bikes always looked so retro with those ancient artifacts attached to them 

[richfzs]

It's not on the last renewal I received, which was for an end of July expiry. There may have been a separate insert in the envelope - I would have just binned this without reading, as I knew about the changes anyway - because as you say, it's been everywhere...

[peejay]

If I had need to buy a s/h bike before then and not found out I would have been none the wiser.



Hmm. If you buy  bike before 1st October, old system still in force.
Interestingly the DVLA site say direct debit can be annually, six monthly or monthly. You don't get a six monthly option at present with taxing bikes up to 400cc.

[Skippernick]

Well the most obvious notice was the huge 3 page thread we had about it, we were deciding whether to put a foc u design in the holder so that we can identify ourselves.

[richfzs]

Well there was that, I suppose 

[lew600fazer]

You must all be living in caves then.  It was on the last renewal you must have received.  Not that it matters, if your tax runs beyond October 1st you'll be told about the new system when you get your reminder to renew your tax.  Taking your bullet points one at a time

It's been mentioned in newspapers, online, on websites and forums (including this one) and, as said, on the last renewal you would have received.
If you buy a bike on a Sunday not only can you not tax it if you don't have online access but the previous keeper can't cancel the tax either so it's still taxed until he tells them he's sold it.  It's no different to now, he is still responsible until he tells them he no longer has it, the only difference is that as well as being responsible for speeding and parking tickets, he's responsible for the tax too.
If the system is down the same applies as above, it's still taxed.

Personally I think the new system is much better.  No need to display a tax disc, the option to pay monthly by direct debit, the option to cancel the direct debit and declare sorn at any time so if you want to only tax something for a month you can.  In other countries that have a road tax, almost all of them have the tax with the owner and not the vehicle just the same as the owner gets the plates issued to him for a particular vehicle and they stay with him when it is sold, they don't stay with the vehicle.

In Spain the plates stay with the vehicle

[b1k3rdude]

In Spain the plates stay with the vehicle

Far better solution.

[lew600fazer]

In Spain the plates stay with the vehicle

Far better solution.

Just to add a bit more on my last post,
The plates stays with the vehicle, the tax (Suma) stays with the previous owner until it is due renewal. You have to transfer the vehicle registration and new owner details with Traffico using a Gestor/Notaire and they will charge you € 250.00.
That was well of topic

But just a bit about declaring SORN. You need to declare SORN when you take a car/bike off the road, we all should know that. But is everyone aware that if the bike changes hands and you inform the DVLA that you are the new keeper if you are not taxing the bike there and then you still have to declare a SORN.

When I bought my FZ1 earlier this year I bought it of a lad on the forum here. He lived in Scotland and it was already on SORN. As I live in Spain and I bought the bike at Christmas time I did not fancy riding it down here during the winter so he kindly kept it for me until April. It was only by chance I read that the SORN is not transferable to the new keeper. The penalties can be expensive as the DVLA can fine you for failing to notify them and either tax or SORN the bike again. I think it is £80.00 fine and then they can back tax the bike from the last time it was taxed?

[YamFazFan]

The thing I'm most gutted about is I've just bought a brand new Oxford tax safe holder to replace the old one!

[richfzs]

[Motorbreath]

In Spain the plates stay with the vehicle

Far better solution.

Just to add a bit more on my last post,
The plates stays with the vehicle, the tax (Suma) stays with the previous owner until it is due renewal. You have to transfer the vehicle registration and new owner details with Traffico using a Gestor/Notaire and they will charge you € 250.00.
That was well of topic

But just a bit about declaring SORN. You need to declare SORN when you take a car/bike off the road, we all should know that. But is everyone aware that if the bike changes hands and you inform the DVLA that you are the new keeper if you are not taxing the bike there and then you still have to declare a SORN.

When I bought my FZ1 earlier this year I bought it of a lad on the forum here. He lived in Scotland and it was already on SORN. As I live in Spain and I bought the bike at Christmas time I did not fancy riding it down here during the winter so he kindly kept it for me until April. It was only by chance I read that the SORN is not transferable to the new keeper. The penalties can be expensive as the DVLA can fine you for failing to notify them and either tax or SORN the bike again. I think it is £80.00 fine and then they can back tax the bike from the last time it was taxed?

There is no need to pay €250 to a gestor. It is common that the buyer goes by himself to a Tráfico office with the contract and paperwork -included the tax already paid by the previous owner- and then just pay a 50€ fee 

[lew600fazer]

In Spain the plates stay with the vehicle

Far better solution.

Just to add a bit more on my last post,
The plates stays with the vehicle, the tax (Suma) stays with the previous owner until it is due renewal. You have to transfer the vehicle registration and new owner details with Traffico using a Gestor/Notaire and they will charge you € 250.00.
That was well of topic

But just a bit about declaring SORN. You need to declare SORN when you take a car/bike off the road, we all should know that. But is everyone aware that if the bike changes hands and you inform the DVLA that you are the new keeper if you are not taxing the bike there and then you still have to declare a SORN.

When I bought my FZ1 earlier this year I bought it of a lad on the forum here. He lived in Scotland and it was already on SORN. As I live in Spain and I bought the bike at Christmas time I did not fancy riding it down here during the winter so he kindly kept it for me until April. It was only by chance I read that the SORN is not transferable to the new keeper. The penalties can be expensive as the DVLA can fine you for failing to notify them and either tax or SORN the bike again. I think it is £80.00 fine and then they can back tax the bike from the last time it was taxed?

There is no need to pay €250 to a gestor. It is common that the buyer goes by himself to a Tráfico office with the contract and paperwork -included the tax already paid by the previous owner- and then just pay a 50€ fee 

I was referring as me being the buyer, It is all very well if you know the system and speak Spanish, yes pay the €50.00 fee. Again a rip off.
All in all it cost me just under €1400.00 to change my FZ1 from Brit plates to Spanish plates, €918.00 for transfer and €425.00 for a european headlight. I love living in Spain, but sometimes it pisses me off when you know they are getting their arm into you. A lot of folk ride on Brit Plates but no matter what anyone says they are breaking the law out here if they have residencia.

[rustyrider]

A lot of folk ride on Brit Plates but no matter what anyone says they are breaking the law out here if they have residencia.

Nit necessarily.  As Spain is EU the rules there are the same as every other EU country.  If a vehicle is permanently exported, within 6 months of export it must be transferred to the registration of where it is now used.  If it returns to it's country of registration at least once a year, it has not been permanently exported so can remain on, in this case, British plates and be used in any other country, EU or not, as long as it is legal in it's country of registration.  So, if it is registered at a UK address, MoT'd and taxed it can remain on UK plates as long as it visits the UK at least once a year, which it would need to do to be MoT'd anyway.