Tax Exemption

[First-Car as Marina]

Hi everyone,

My car is coming up for that time of year that it needs to be taxed, however it is going to be 40 this year, meaning it will be tax exempt. I think it was built in 1976 however I'm not sure (chassis number is ME2SKD-84952M and I don't know if that can be used to date it). My questions are, what do I have to do to get the exemption, and do you use the date the car was made for the exemption or the date of first registration?

Many thanks,

Alex

[MarinaCoupe]

The tax free Historic status applies on the 1st April in the year after the cars' 40th birthday. So a car built in 1976 is eligible in April 2017. If your car was built and registered in 1976, you will be able to go to the post office in April 2017, and they will record the change of tax status at the counter, confirm that you are 'taxed' all for nothing.

If the car was registered early in 1977, but built in 1976 you will need to prove it to the DVLA. The club have some build records and may be able to confirm the build was in 1976, if we can then we can write you a letter to be sent with the DVLA form to claim the Historic status. There is a charge for this service.

If the car is already taxed at the point the DVLA grant Historic status, they will refund the price of any unused tax.




Chris

[JoshWard]

Your car was built sometime around October/November 1976 but wasn't registered until 1977. The Club (Chris!) can sort you out a dating certificate, let me know if you need the other chassis numbers to prove the build date Chris.

[MarinaCoupe]

Thanks Josh

Alex - there's nothing to be done until next April, best to come back to me in next March. Happy to do it earlier if you prefer.




Chris

[First-Car as Marina]

Hi Chris,

Just thought about this the other evening and again just now and wondered if you was able to sort me out with the proof needed to make my car tax exempt?

Thanks,

Alex

[mickthefitter]

There was something in last week's issue of Classic Car Buyer, which I didn't purchase but browsed on the news stand, about either from now, or possibly from after July 31st, the DVLA will only accept the date of first registration of a vehicle as proof of historic tax status, and not a build date. As far as I can remember the article stated that this had something to do with a change in how cars were recorded in the log book from the 1976-77 period onwards, saying they were declared 'New and Unused' by the supplying dealer on the registration document. The FBHVC has been on the case with the DVLA, objecting to the change, but the DVLA pushed it through anyway. I can't imagine it can affect all that many vehicles each year, but it does mean that whenever the rule change applies from, either now already or from 1st August onwards, the DVLA won't accept any build date records as proof of historic status.

[MarinaCoupe]

Yup, I saw that too.

[First-Car as Marina]

So does this mean my car isn't tax exempt this year, or should I try anyway to see??

[MarinaCoupe]

Yup still on, as the new rule doesn't come in until August. Do it sooner rather than later,

[First-Car as Marina]

Awesome, that'll save me £145 this year and I should get some tax money back if I do it before 1/7 I believe?? Do you want me to PM you my email address to send the letter to or?? Not sure how it works. Also, you said there is a charge for it, how would you like paying and how much?

Thanks for your help,

Alex

[mickthefitter]

I've now got 'NNN' taxed as a historic vehicle, or at least the Post Office has kept my V5C and I've come home with a till receipt for £0.00 that is my proof that my Marina is street legal again. Here's the thing - I went to the Post Office with all of my own documents that I thought I needed, intending to pick up a Form V10, Application For Vehicle Tax, and fill it in there. They hadn't got one. They'd got stacks of forms for V62 registration documents, but no V10s. So I had to go back home and download one and print it off. It didn't matter anyway because I'd forgotten to take my insurance certificate with me. Then when I got back to the Post Office with my V10, V5C, certificate of insurance and fresh MoT print out, the young man behind the counter, who looked about 18-20, studied everything very carefully, then tapped some keys on his computer terminal, raised his eyebrows (I wondered if it was because the computer told him my application was valid), then called a friend of similar age over from behind another counter, asked her a question that she didn't know the answer to, and then processed my application, telling me that his system wasn't asking for the form V10, just the V5C, which he wrote 'historic' on in a box that I assume was change of taxation class, and he got me to sign and date it. Even the government's own web page telling you how to apply for historic road tax, says you need to fill in a form V10, but I've come home with mine along with all my other documents. So, we will see if the changeover to historic road tax status goes without a hitch. In the meantime, I will hang on to my filled-in form V10, just in case it doesn't.