Tax Disc Renewal

[Lutz]

No, Euro. I repeat, the requirement to be legal while abroad extends only to the need to be able to produce documentary proof of roadworthiness and insurance coverage. There is no fiscal liability while not in your country of permanent residence. Why should there be? What has the French government, for example, to gain from whether tax has been paid to the UK Chancellor of Exchequer or not? They aren't interested and have no reason to be.

 

[Lutz]

ps: I did have a fairly serious accident abroad once (in Norway). The police that came to the scene to take details did not check the tax, only the other items mentioned above.

 

[BobT1]

08:35 PM DVLA do not give first 7 days to renew your road tax. And Lutz I believe to be wrong with the advice he is giving.

EURO.

I work for Grampian Police & 2 weeks ago we received a memo from DVLA informing us that as of now neither a Police Officer or Traffic Warden will issue a Fixed Penalty notice to a vehicle with an expired VEL until 7 days after renewal date. FACT.

 

[Guest]

Sorry but that's not what the law says is it Robert. well according to DVLA and Legal Advice. Not issuing a penalty and being fully legal to satisfy your insurers in the event of a claim! I wouldn't trust it or the UK Police to be consistent.

Not issuing a Fixed Penalty Notice to a vehicle displaying an expired Tax disc is not the same as not having one!

If you read my post above you would see that.

Not that effects me as I dont have a UK car.

Lutz, you are running around in circles and giving conflicting dangerous advice. You said in your case that you had arranged some alternative insurance as you were taking your UK car from the UK for a long period.

No one cares about your fiscal needs of other countries line, it's just a needless distraction. If the car is not taxed in the UK your UK insurer is unlikely to pay out. So why would anyone risk listening to Lutz's advice.

Earlier I mentioned a friend who runs a haulage business, he lives in Spain for about five months of a year. This is what he and other Brits are told -

"UK-registered vehicles. Anyone who is a non-resident (i.e. not in possession of a valid Residencia card) may freely drive and use a UK-registered vehicle during their stay here, but the vehicle must have all the usual documentation for MOT, tax and insurance and, of course, you must carry a valid UK driving licence.

Regarding the taxes on a UK registered car:

It is not possible to tax a UK registered vehicle here, but that does not mean you do not need road tax: every vehicle on the road ought to carry current and valid vehicle tax, and if your vehicle is UK registered, you should display a UK vehicle tax disc.

Regarding insurance for your UK car:

It is difficult to find competitive insurance cover here for a UK-registered vehicle, although not impossible, but this is as important to have in place as it is in the UK.

Regarding the need to import your car:

the Spanish rule is that you should apply for Residencia if spending more than 183 days a years, there is no provision for renewing documentation such as road tax on UK vehicles. If this is the case, the vehicle should be imported and the number plate changed to a Spanish registration.

..you have six months to arrange importation of the vehicle and obtain a new Spanish number plate. Vehicle importations can be complicated and various documents are required to complete the process: I recommend you seek professional assistance for this service, and most reputable car dealerships can

assist you in this regard.

Until earlier this year we've used UK registered cars at our French homes. We had them insured through our UK address, but were told from day 1 that the cars had to be taxed insured and MOT'd in the UK to be legal in France. The same as what my daughter and son in-law were told when they moved to France.

As for my friends vehicles in Portugal, he's had one driver in Hospital with insurance claims to make to do with mediacl treatment as well as the vehicle claims. Even that claim has been held up until he proved that his vehicles were UK legal!

 

[Damian]

Gafferbill, the only way you will get the information you need, from the only people who can tell you is to phone the DVLA and ask them.

Regardless of all the advice, stories and anecdotes on this topic, ASK the people who deal with it daily.

 

[Guest]

Damian!

That's why I posted the detail and link from the DVLA.

And no doubt that is why Gafferbill has posted his thanks and the repsonse to his email he sent to DVLA!

What ever any one thinks, you risk losing your whold outfit should you need to make an insurance claim and then find that advice given by Lutz, me or Robert is wrong!

 

[Lutz]

As Ian already indicated, once out of the UK, one can safely ignore anything the DVLA say because they longer have any means of enforcement. All that then counts are the requirements of the host country.

A new or used car purchased with the intent to export permanently, is tax free and can continue to be used abroad tax free until permanent residency has been established elsewhere. If you move around a lot, never staying anywhere long enough to count as a permanent resident, this can amount to a considerable period of tax-free use. In my case this was 18 months plus all the saving that I had through not having to pay VAT on the car in the first place. The 'travelling community' on the Continent make full use of this possibility by applying for tax-free export number plates in one country and then travelling all over Europe almost indefinitely without paying tax anywhere. This works fine for them so long as they never return to their home country.

 

[Guest]

For F S ;0) Lutz

What travellers do or I what I did buying a car to export to Dubai or what you did for your Grand Tour has nothing to do with a UK caravanner with his UK insurance covering him for X number of days in Europe.

Keep it tax'd, mot't and insured whilst touring in Europe or you risk loosing it. Check with the DVLA not Lutz :0)

Link for DVLA is

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_4022052
Gafferbill emailed them and the result is shown above!

 

[Lutz]

Of course I haven't solved Gafferbill's problem. He's done that himself to his own satisfaction.

However, I could imagine that there are a number of caravanners contemplating extended touring around Europe (or in fact beyond) and my comments were really meant as a possible suggestion for them to consider.

 

[Damian]

I think this has run its course.

Everyone else is running around in circles, stating the same conra arguments.

The answer is to follow the DVLA guidelines and if in doubt,keep all your documents up to date.

 

[Gafferbill]

Damanian........

When I posted this topic I genuinely did not know how to avoid having an untaxed vehicle, on arrival at Dover, since my tax disc ran out whilst I was abroad.

I knew others must have the same problem and now, if they read this topic, they will know how to avoid breaking the law!

I was always going to ask the DVLA for the correct procedure, as to how to keep your documents up to date.