Slightly off topic, Devious LA

[scalyback]

I assumed (bloody stupidly) that when the Devious LA got rid of tax discs, they would also cut down on unnecessary red tape.

If you had a tax free vehicle, you had to contact them to get a tax disc that showed no charge, and I expected with the exit of the tax disc, their computer would simply ignore electric, historical and other tax exempt classes, but what do I see on their website...

"You still need to apply for vehicle tax even if you don’t need to pay vehicle tax."

SO if I have an old vehicle, I have to inform them that i am going to pay nothing to receive nothing every year?

AND If I forget to pay them nothing to get nothing, do I get a big fine? I bet THAT'S why they left this rubbish running!

"Money. money, money, it's so funny, going to steal from you!"

 

[DastardlyDick]

I'm sorry, I don't see the issue here - if you have an exempt vehicle you don't pay anything - exactly how are DVLA "stealing" from you?

[Bazster]

I think what he's suggesting is that if he forgets not to pay the VED that he doesn't need then they will fine him.

Don't know if that's true but given it's the DVLA I could well believe it.  It's like going into a shop, deciding you don't want any of the shite on offer, but having to check out your empty basket anyway lest you be done for shoplifting.

[DastardlyDick]

I suppose they have have to know how many vehicles are on the road, and this is the easiest way of doing it, and those paper tax discs used to cost a fortune to print what with all the anti= counterfeiting stuff they had on them too.
You can't really forget - they still send the paper reminders for Road Tax.

The one that annoys me is the Continuous Insurance  thing - if I don't use my vehicle on the road, the only risk is that it gets stolen/vandalised. If I don't mind being out of pocket for the cost of a replacement vehicle or repairs, then I should be allowed to make that choice.

[scalyback]

I can kind of see that continuous insurance has positives, no one wants to be seriously hurt by an uninsured vehicle, plus the insurance company usually send a reminder, but what gets me is that if the Devious LA intend to collect the money from the fines then they should  bloody well send their own reminders out.

[The Bald Eagle]

The one that annoys me is the Continuous Insurance  thing - if I don't use my vehicle on the road, the only risk is that it gets stolen/vandalised. If I don't mind being out of pocket for the cost of a replacement vehicle or repairs, then I should be allowed to make that choice.

You do realise that if you SORN a vehicle it doesn't need to be insured?

[Kill Switch]

I can kind of see that continuous insurance has positives, no one wants to be seriously hurt by an uninsured vehicle, plus the insurance company usually send a reminder, but what gets me is that if the Devious LA intend to collect the money from the fines then they should  bloody well send their own reminders out.

I'm withh DD on this, if the vehicle isn't being used, and there is no intention of it being used, why should i have to insure it for use.
And a SORN'ed vehicle has to be kep off the road https://www.gov.uk/sorn-statutory-off-road-notification

So, if it's off the road, why do I need to SORN it anyway, and if it's off the road without a SORN, why do I need to insure it.

[DastardlyDick]

The one that annoys me is the Continuous Insurance  thing - if I don't use my vehicle on the road, the only risk is that it gets stolen/vandalised. If I don't mind being out of pocket for the cost of a replacement vehicle or repairs, then I should be allowed to make that choice.

You do realise that if you SORN a vehicle it doesn't need to be insured?

Yes, I did know that, but thank you for pointing it out 

[Ewan Hoosami]

So, if it's off the road, why do I need to SORN it anyway,…………….

I'm presuming it's because the Distasteful and Vile Loathsome Arsewipes are not earning enough £2.50s from their private parking weasel friends. Most rozzer cars now are ANPR equipped so flag up vehicles which appear to be uninsured/untaxed. Yeah, I'd say catching out the unwary is the order of the day here.

The other issue I have with these scumbags is the ancient practice of only issuing/redeeming complete months of tax. So if I sell you a bike or car, I lose the current month and you pay a full month whilst only having use of a partial month. They get a double whammy on every sale. Similarly, if you SORN, you'll lose the remainder of the month and then get bent over for a full month when you put the vehicle back on the road.

[Belplasca]

The thing with the continuous insurance is that the only way to get around it is to SORN the vehicle. But you can only do the at the start/end of a month. So, if you take your car off the road a few days into the month and SORN it, the tax that you have paid for the rest of the month will be forfeit.

If you then put the car back on the road a few days before the end of the month you have to buy tax from the beginning of the month...

Why cannot the road tax be sold on a daily basis now that there is no paper disc? Insurance companies sell insurance on a daily basis. Their computers cope with it fine. Yet the Minister tells me that it would cause chaos to the DVLA's computers to have to do the same with road tax...

So, it's all about the money, again, isn't it?

(And all that is without the implications of a motorist being presumed guilty (of using their uninsured car on the road) unless they can prove their innocence - and removing all methods of proving that innocence.)

bob

[2b1ask1]

A fair point; tax could just as easily be daily now there  is no paper disk, computers are not fussed by dates; it is all about the £££

[DastardlyDick]

Why cannot the road tax be sold on a daily basis now that there is no paper disc? Insurance companies sell insurance on a daily basis. Their computers cope with it fine. Yet the Minister tells me that it would cause chaos to the DVLA's computers to have to do the same with road tax..

Because DVLAs computers are ancient, and we all know what happens to Goernment IT contracts - they end up costing millions more than they should.
Why don't they just scrap 'road tax' altogether, and add a few pence to the price of a litre of fuel? It would be collected by the petrol companies, so no cost to Govt., completely un-evadable and fairer as we would only pay when we use the road.

[Ewan Hoosami]

Why don't they just scrap 'road tax' altogether (Yay! Dick for president!), and add a few pence to the price of a litre of fuel? (of the BPA Ltd)

Oh dear! You started so well to begin with. Unfortunately, No more can be added to fuel prices as it's already taxed to the max.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2979083/Britain-one-lowest-petrol-prices-Europe-tax-highest-VAT-duty-added.html

You simply have to admire how the fuel duty is added first and the VAT is then added on top so that not only is the fuel taxed, but so is the fuel duty as well. Your tax is taxed. Genius.

[scalyback]

And what about my Lister Stationary engine???

Not want to pay more for fuel, when it has never seen, let alone used a road! (well, it's been on a trailer)

Then there are lawn mowers and strimmers...

[DastardlyDick]

And what about my Lister Stationary engine???

Not want to pay more for fuel, when it has never seen, let alone used a road! (well, it's been on a trailer)

Then there are lawn mowers and strimmers...

Since the ammount of VED is actually (allegedly) linked to emissions, it would seem to be fair that those are included too.