Lude Generation

So, it's been announced that tax discs are to go paperless next year - happy days. Makes good sense considering that the offence of driving an untaxed vehicle is more easily spotted through ANPR than by peering through car windows as they pass, so the DVLA may as well cut the cost of administering the system by not producing and distributing the physical tax disc.

Another nice announcement is the option to pay by direct debit! Will make my life easier, it's a minefield remembering what needs tax when and saving for it. I'm looking forward to the money just being taken after pay day and me not having to remember to save

For anyone interested here's a news article: Clicky

About time too. Discs are an archaic system, plus the added bonus of paying by DD is a win win too.

even if DVLA cut their costs our tax will not get lower. So this isn't an argument for me. On the other side I quite like my tax disc. It always remind me when I have to buy new one. I see it everyday. MOT station call me whenever my MOT is due and insurance company do as well. Doing that I don't have to remember about anything else then my petrol.
When they go paperless I will be first whos car will be towed away. Personally I don't like this idea

K30DPC wrote:even if DVLA cut their costs our tax will not get lower. So this isn't an argument for me. On the other side I quite like my tax disc. It always remind me when I have to buy new one. I see it everyday. MOT station call me whenever my MOT is due and insurance company do as well. Doing that I don't have to remember about anything else then my petrol.
When they go paperless I will be first whos car will be towed away. Personally I don't like this idea

But the plus side is, if it's by DD, then you won't need to remember to pay it, it'll just go out until you tell them to stop I suppose

K30DPC wrote:even if DVLA cut their costs our tax will not get lower. So this isn't an argument for me. On the other side I quite like my tax disc. It always remind me when I have to buy new one. I see it everyday. MOT station call me whenever my MOT is due and insurance company do as well. Doing that I don't have to remember about anything else then my petrol.
When they go paperless I will be first whos car will be towed away. Personally I don't like this idea

No, of course the tax we pay won't go down but less money spent in one area of the public sector means money can be allocated to other areas where it may be more beneficial.

Don't worry about forgetting, I'm sure they'll still send the reminders. Or just stick it on a DD, then you don't even have to think about it

So many people will switch to DD, it's a great way of bringing in extra revenue for no actual tax rise (people that currently pay in full, will suddenly be paying the additional 5% admin fee on top by now paying by DD)

I seem to recall someone suggesting on here just a couple of months ago, that the government would have to start offering car tax payment by DD?

does that DD have interest?

also I don't trust the dvla to renew my tax, rather do it myself and have proof of tax

No interest, just the 5% admin fee.

It's an interesting one about tax renewal - they have a disclaimer about them not being liable if they forget to send you the renewal notice/reminder for a SORN.
So it's ok if they, with their computer solely dedicated to managing tax, forget, but if you forget you get fined...


(To be fair, they are quite lenient on the deadline for renewing though - I often forget to do it on time on the seven cars I have SORN'd and go half way through the following month before I remember, but I've only ever had reminders, not actually been 'done'.)

I'm looking forwards to this. I'm still going to have tax discs on display, but custom ones.

I've designed this one for the trike club, TWATS:


Marvin will have this one, as this was the date of first registration:



Probably do something similar for the other motors as well, either a custom design, or a date of first registration based one.

I reckon that's a good idea, it'll be a bit alien to suddenly not have them in the windscreen. Maybe a customised club disc instead?

I reckon there will be an email or something you can print to carry visual proof should you get pulled and the system is down....which kind of defeats the point of losing the disc