Done something very stupid…. I forgot to change the address on my car when we moved earlier this year (end of March) and so didn’t get reminder for car tax renewal (which had in my head as March to coincide with MOT). My own stupid fault and it ran out 30th Nov. If I try to sort it out tomorrow does anyone know if I need to ring the DVLA direct or can I do it through a post office that can issue tax discs/change addresses and also whether it would be an automatic £1000 fine. From reading around it seems spot fines can be given too which obviously I wouldn’t know about as they will all have been going to old address – would they be added to the fine? Can’t plead anything for my part – just sheer stupidity but would like to get some sleep tonight which I will if I know roughly what to expect/need to do tomorrow…..

I got fined the last 2 years due to being incompetent, first time was for about 3 weeks and the fine was- gasp- the amount of tax due for that 3 weeks. Second time was a little over a month and the fine was IIRC £30 or £60.

I went an entire month without renewing and when I finally got round to doing it i paid for 6 months but they just backdated it. you do get increasingly threeatening letters but I’ve yet to be fined/crushed!

this is exactly 4 weeks then as it’s last day of the month tomorrow. Hoping I can get it sorted at the post office but thanks for that, gives me some idea anyway! £60/£80 I can cope with – over £500 and up to a £1000 is going to sting but it’s my own stupid fault 🙁

Go to the post office and they have a form to fill in if you dont have the renewal form, the form with your mot and insurance will get you a tax disc, and then send off the change of address bit on your logbook,
you’ll probably be fine if you pull your finger out..

Can definitely get it sorted tomorrow. I’ve got the Registration document (with old address), MOT certificate, insurance certificate, old tax disc, my driving license (which I DID remember to change the address on) ready to take to town with me tomorrow to do first thing.

Don’t sweat it. Got three motors in our household and at least one of them goes over every year (Mrs Stavro’s this year, he he). Just payup at the post office asap

phew, I may sleep tonight then. I am not a bad person! Really don’t want a massive fine straight after christmas. Thanks all!

Just renew it, whichever way is convenient, the worst that will happen is you have to pay from when you were last taxed, but odds are they will just except the renewal.

Cheers.

Do it online now. it’s much easier than visiting the Post office!

Be prepared to visit a few post offices – a lot of them no longer sell road fund licenses

Try online as must be easier

I once went 9 months without – spotted at the MOT

When I went to tax it they check to see if you have been caught by one of those auto number recognition systems [ somehow I had not] then they let me backdate it all + a small fine – so little I cant even recall what it was £30 ??? – and then spoke to me like i was a stupid small child whilst processing it all at a regional DVLA office.
Never forgotten since

highclimber – Member

Do it online now. it’s much easier than visiting the Post office!
I pretty sure you can only do that in the month that the tax is going to run out. Once you’ve gone over that you need to take all your documentation to the post office.

Can’t do it on line high climber as I’ve moved so disc will go to old address.

Have just check the Post office I’m going to – they definitely do car tax but thanks for the warning!

Be prepared to visit a few post offices – a lot of them no longer sell road fund licenses

Or you could save yourself the legwork by checking on their website:
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder?page=1

I would agree with the suggestion to go online, but if you’re renewing late you then have the issue that it’s not strictly speaking legal to use the car until the disc arrives in the post. I chanced it when I only got round to renewing the morning my tax was due, but in your situation you probably don’t want to add to your issues.

a lot of them no longer sell road fund licenses

If you want to be pedantic, no-one sells road fund licenses.
Some post offices do however process Graduated Vehicle Excise Duty. 😉

[/pedant]

Emma: don’t worry too much about it, my Grandfather used to forget about his all the time and they just backdated the payment to cover the period he’d missed.

[/pedant]

you forgot to open the statement

quite happy to go to a post office, was more concerned with whether, as it is now out of date, would I have to go direct to DVLA. I’ve checked the post office on the website and they definitely do tax and I’ve got as much paperwork as I could possibly think you would need ready to take with me. No way will I risk driving the damn thing before I get tax although I will be getting very wet walking to the post office (30 minutes walk) in the morning as it’s supposed to P*** down 🙁

You will not be able to buy it on line if the address is not your current one. However just get down to the post office with your registration doc, insurance certificate and MOT and you will be able to buy it over the counter.

I once over ran by 3 months (they wanted to back date me and fine me £60 I was super poor at the time<and the lady at the PO said go home sorn your car come back next week and we will sort it with out back dating or the fine. In the end i payed up asi needed the car but its always an option.

so, been to post office to retax, had it back dated for the month I’ve missed. £215.00 for a year but no mention of a fine. Lady at the till said she thought any fine would show up on the system when she put it through but may still be posted on once they have the new address, she wasn’t sure. At least the damn thing is taxed now!

Current wife retaxed her car this morning at the Post Office. Was expecting a queue out the door and was empty. Bloke said he hadnt done a tax disc for a while !! We usually do it on line, but had to wait for todays payday. I always stick it on the fridge as a reminder.

Result! And a load off your mind.

Being as a new year starts tomorrow, now seems like a good time to put a reminder on your nice new calendar 🙂

Current wife retaxed her car this morning…

Interesting turn of phrase. Planning a new patio?

my tax disc fell off the window and onto the passenger footwell… within the hour a policeman had put a notice on my car to display my tax disc and show it at the police station…!

psling I have purchased a new 2013 diary especially for car related dates 🙂

my driving license (which I DID remember to change the address on)

So why can’t someone at the DVLA apply common sense and enquire if you would like the address on your reg doc changing too? Just a little note, or even the form to do it with, in the envelope they return your licence in.

My brother genuinely forgot to renew theirs (again, like the OP due to a house move). Called the DVLA to sort it out and apparently there was a “non-compulsory fine” which they were asked whether they wanted to pay. Insert obvious response here.

So why can’t someone at the DVLA apply common sense and enquire if you would like the address on your reg doc changing too? Just a little note, or even the form to do it with, in the envelope they return your licence in.

They will probably ask why they should be responsible for this, seeing as the car doesn’t have to be moving with you, may not even be registered to the person who is paying the tax etc. If they have to enquire every time someone changes their license address there would be a lot of phoning around going on.

FWIW neither of my cars are currently registered to my current address (though they are insured for this address) – everything still goes to my old address where I can pick up the mail anyway. I will get around to changing it one day.

A friend of mine forgot to tax his for several months (3 cars, slipped his mind), upon re-taxing (around 2009) he was fined £80 via a letter from the DVLA.

I always stick it on the fridge as a reminder.

I make a note of the date of expiry and put it on the car windscreen.

I always stick it on the fridge as a reminder.

I make a note of the date of expiry and put it on the car windscreen.

Isnt it already on the windscreen ?

Current wife retaxed her car this morning…

Interesting turn of phrase. Planning a new patio?

Nope, I am the latest husband………although she said never again after me !!!