Investigation – Why tax-exempt classics must still be declared

Fines issued to owners of historic vehicles are falling – despite the fact that there are more such vehicles on Britain’s roads than ever before

The number of tax-exempt vehicles – including classics – being pursued by the DVLA for not being properly licensed has dropped by more than a third – bucking the national trend.

New statistics from the Department for Transport (DfT) show that the number of owners fined for not renewing their Vehicle Excise Duty or putting their vehicle on a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) plummeted from 57,673 in 2010 to 36,473 last year, despite the introduction of rolling tax exemption for historic vehicles in 2014.

This is in contrast to the number of penalties being issued to cars upon which tax is still paid (classified as Private Light Goods by the DVLA) which has been increasing since 2013. The number of penalties being issued for ‘nil tax’ vehicles – typically new cars that aren’t given financial charges on account of being environmentally friendly – have also more than doubled since 2015.

The DVLA – which phased out paper tax discs in 2014 – argued that its current system of postal and text-based reminders is working effectively at making sure that drivers renew their road tax.

A spokesman for the agency said: ‘The law is clear that all vehicles must be licensed or declared off road by making a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), and this also applies to vehicles where there is no tax to pay. This regular contact means that we have an up to date record of the keeper of the vehicle, which helps to ensure that we have accurate records, which helps police and emergency services should they need to trace or contact a vehicle’s keeper. Most motorists licence their vehicles correctly and on time.

‘ We send reminders to all keepers on our records to let them know when their vehicle tax renewal is due, which is why it’s so important that they keep their address up to date. If the keeper does not tax or licence the vehicle, we will then issue a last chance reminder. This applies whether the vehicle is nil-rated or there is an amount of tax to pay.’

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Club’s communications director, Geoff Lancaster, said: ‘This is great show of responsibility on the part of the classic vehicle movement. Owning a historic vehicle generally means that you have a greater grasp of legislation and upkeep than the average modern car owner. Keeping your paperwork in order is just one aspect of diligent ownership, and falling SORN and relicensing evasion figures yearon-year go that little bit further in proving to legislators that we can, and should, be trusted to take care of our cars.’