The Ford Capri Laser Page

After more than 90 years affixed to British motorists' cars, the tax disc is to be scrapped and replaced with a modern electronic system, Chancellor George Osborne will announce today.

For the first time motorists will also be able to pay for their vehicle excise duty (VED) by monthly direct debit, spreading the burden for hard-pressed drivers, although this will cost an extra 5%.

The extra charge for paying for six months at a time will be reduced from 10% to 5% and the two measures are expected to save motorists who spread their payments over £20 million a year.

Scrapping the tax disk is expected to save businesses a total of £7 million a year in administration costs, but customers who are not online will still be able to tax their car in person at a Post Office or on the phone.

A Treasury spokesman said: "This is a visual symbol of how we are moving government into the modern age and making dealing with government more hassle free."

The changes will be legislated for in next year's Finance Bill and will come into effect from October 2014.

Officials said the tax disc was no longer needed for enforcement purposes,

If they`re going to scrap the disc so there`s no visible evidence of payment or otherwise, - why oh why not go the whole way and change it to a duty on fuel so it 1/ is proportional to usage and 2/ can`t be avoided ????

stevemarl wrote:If they`re going to scrap the disc so there`s no visible evidence of payment or otherwise, - why oh why not go the whole way and change it to a duty on fuel so it 1/ is proportional to usage and 2/ can`t be avoided ????

because then all the business people can't get away with paying pennies obviously.

Hi,
Does anyone know if this is still happening? I can't find any new info on the web.
Andrew.

Yes, if memory serves October they stop issuing new ones?

stevemarl wrote:Yes, if memory serves October they stop issuing new ones?

Thanks Steve,
It's going to take a while to get used to seeing windscreens with no tax disc on. I may keep mine on display in the screen if it is permitted.
I wonder If a tax disc expires after that date can it be removed in October, or does it have to be displayed until the expiry date?
All the best,
Andrew.

peers.dupp wrote:It's going to take a while to get used to seeing windscreens with no tax disc on.

Not where I live it`s not....

peers.dupp wrote: It's going to take a while to get used to seeing windscreens with no tax disc on.

Yes I feel just the same, it is. And cars just won't look right! And I always liked having a disc holder in my cars relating to something I like, got a Capri Club one in the Capri right now, what can I do with it now?! Mind you, it was free.

stevemarl wrote:

peers.dupp wrote:It's going to take a while to get used to seeing windscreens with no tax disc on.

Not where I live it`s not....

Can't help but chuckle at that, brilliant.

A Treasury spokesman said: "This is a visual symbol of how we are moving government into the modern age and making dealing with government more hassle free."

HAHAHAHA! I've got one line to add to that. Self assessment. Tax doesn't have to be taxing!!!

I wonder if car taxes will go down now, it must be a decent saving they will make without having to make and send out all those discs, and with the lesser mysterious 'admin' costs. No? I didn't think so either!

It is sad I think (or I am sad, probably the latter); I`ve got all the tax discs from my 1st car from `75 to it being scrapped in 2003, have to get them framed 1 day.

Hi,

stevemarl wrote:It is sad I think (or I am sad, probably the latter); I`ve got all the tax discs from my 1st car from `75 to it being scrapped in 2003, have to get them framed 1 day.

Wow, that's amazing, that would make a great display. How much was the fee back in 1975?
I've had my Toyota 10 years and kept all the discs. In those 10 years the fee has increased from £145 per annum to £220, an increase of 51.7%.

ollyw wrote:A Treasury spokesman said: "This is a visual symbol of how we are moving government into the modern age and making dealing with government more hassle free."

How long have the databases and ANPR been in operation now? It's taken a long time to move slowly into the "modern age".

pbar wrote:I wonder if car taxes will go down now, it must be a decent saving they will make without having to make and send out all those discs, and with the lesser mysterious 'admin' costs.

You're correct, of course, when you consider the logistics and security currently involved in getting the discs from where they are printed to the Post offices.
The all important admin fee, oh yes, including the 10% surcharge for paying for six months tax instead of twelve. There are massive savings to be had yet, as you say, I've not heard any talk of a reduction of fee.

I'd better stop, as this is the second thread where I've criticised the Government, so if I disappear from this forum you'll know where I've gone. Hang on, there's a knock at the door now.......

All the best,
Andrew.

I lied - can`t find the 75/6 one !!! However in `77 it was £50 ... a year!

(Also, the Viva had an 8 gallon tank; if it was ABSOLUTELY empty, just fumes, and you filled it right up the neck - you could JUST squeeze £5 of petrol in it....)

Hi,

stevemarl wrote:I lied - can`t find the 75/6 one !!! However in `77 it was £50 ... a year!

(Also, the Viva had an 8 gallon tank; if it was ABSOLUTELY empty, just fumes, and you filled it right up the neck - you could JUST squeeze £5 of petrol in it....)

62p a gallon, a full tank for £5, £50 annual road tax? I wonder, what does that make the annual motoring rate of inflation? I dread to think!

Andrew.

Interesting stats from ONS courtesy of the Guardian c2002 :

Average weekly gross wage: 1977 - £68.70 (£259 adjusted); 2002 - £503

Average annual expenditure on credit cards: 1977 - £155 (£584 adjusted); 2002 - £1,989

Size of the Queen Mother's overdraft when she died: £955,000

Cost of a barrel of crude oil: 1977 - $12.70 ($37.10 adjusted); 2002 - $24.50

(Last is most interesting, crude oil was cheaper in real terms in 2002 than it was in `77 !!!!! I think at this point young people say WTF, whatever that means..... )

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jun/ ... .monarchy4

Hi,
Thanks Steve, some fascinating statistics there.
As you point out, it is interesting to note the reduction of price in real terms of crude oil. I suppose that there must have been much less duty on it in those days.
I was also amazed to read that the Queen Mother had an overdraft! If she was unable to live within her means, what chance do the rest of us have? In fact she died with £7M in debts and her £643K annual civil list annuity was overspent EIGHT times every year:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... debts.html

All the best,
Andrew.

Fascinating!

" took a year and four months to move out of Buckingham Palace into Clarence House, which she described as "this horrid little house." (with it`s 60 servants)

You`ve got to laugh...

Dont know about you but im going to take all my tax discs to the post office and piss on them in october. How anyone would want a visual reminder of their money getting stolen and sent to india in your pride and joy is beyond me!

I call a national piss on disk day.

From What I understood is that the vehicle Tax is going to be non transferable when you sell or buy a vehicle. Thats going to cause a little bit of havoc