What Is The Fine For Not Displaying Your Tax Disc?

If you want to know what the fine is for not displaying your car tax disc, you will find the answer to your question in the following blog post where we will discuss the road tax system and the rules regarding its payments.

What Is The Fine For Not Displaying Your Tax Disc?

With the abolishment of tax discs in 2014, there is no longer a fine for not displaying your tax disc in the UK but there is a fine for not meeting the requirements for what the tax discs denoted. Until they were abolished in 2014, tax discs were proof of road tax payment or Vehicle Excise Duty by registered owners of vehicles in the UK. 

It was essential for drivers to display their tax discs to confirm that their road tax payments were paid. However, with the digitalisation of road tax payments and vehicle records (among other things), the DVLA does not require drivers to display a car tax disc but is supposed to make sure that their Vehicle Tax Duty is paid. 

The proof of these payments is not only maintained online by the DVLA but is also available to drivers in their vehicle logbooks or V5C. In addition to this, a vehicle must be insured and MOT certified before it can be driven on public roads in the UK.

Therefore, whether or not tax discs are to be displayed or not, you can still be fined for not having your road tax paid and driving your car on a public road. The amount of this fine is £80 but if you pay it before the due date of the next 28 days, it can be halved to £40.

On the other hand, if you don’t pay this fine, the DVLA can not only clamp and impound your vehicle but can also take the matter to a Magistrate’s Court where a fine of £1,000 can be imposed on vehicle owners. 

Can Road Tax Be Transferred Like Tax Discs?

No, road tax (or even SORN) cannot be transferred when you sell your car or transfer its ownership to someone else; even if it is a family member.

While road tax (as well as SORN) was transferable to new vehicle owners when there it was sold by the previous owner to the new one or the vehicle ownership was changed when it was being passed on from one family member to the next (mostly from parents to their children).

However, this is not the case anymore. Vehicle Excise Duty or road tax is not transferable. Therefore, if you sell or pass on your car to someone else, you will need to inform the DVLA of the change in the registered keeper of the vehicle and cancel your road tax. 

The excess amount of road tax paid by the previous owner is refunded by the DVLA. On the other hand, the new registered keeper will start becoming liable for road tax payments once they purchase a car. This is why new owners should insist on having the vehicle logbook updated by the previous owners when they buy a car.

Does Road Tax Run Out Like Tax Discs?

Yes, road tax still runs out in the same way as it was displayed on car tax discs. The duration of your road tax payment runs for a year and the DVLA send a reminder notice termed the V11 to registered keepers of vehicles, reminding them to pay their road tax before it runs out so that they are not penalised.

You can pay your car tax 2 months in advance before your current car tax runs out. However, if your car tax expires at the end of the month, you can pay the amount by the 5th day of the month. These payments can either be through cheque, postal order, online or direct debit.

Once you make your car tax payment, you can check if your vehicle is taxed by using the 11-digit reference number on your vehicle logbook.

Conclusion:

While the tax disc system may have been abolished in 2014, car tax payments are still essential; otherwise, the DVLA can penalise you for £80. Road tax is mandatory for all registered keepers of vehicles and must be maintained for road-worthy vehicles so that fines can be avoided. It is only when a vehicle is declared SORN that road tax payment is not required.

References:

Driving without tax – what’s the penalty?

DVLA enforcement of vehicle tax, registration and insurance offences – GOV.UK

Driving Without Tax Penalties VED Without V5C | startrescue.co.uk