Happy conclusion to road tax saga and confusion

With reference to TCM/YWA page 85, in the May issue, when Bob King visited his local Post Office to licence his 1980 MZ 250/1 as a historic vehicle (no fee or MoT certificate required) under the rolling 40 year rule early this year, he was refused, and advised he still needed to pay a taxation fee and the machine needed an MoT test, despite it being over 40 years old before January 1, 1981.

My research on the DVLA website advised the historic class 40 year rule for most vehicles applied to Bob’s MZ and many other vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1981, or registered before January 8, 1981, but the yearon-year rolling date exemption starts on April 1 each year, not January 1 as Bob and I expected.

All puzzling, but the good news is that Bob presented himself and his MZ’s documents to his local Post Office, who are able to tax vehicles on April 1, 2021, the earliest date I advised from researched DVLA information. And his machine was licensed with no fee required and nor was a current MoT test certificate – instead Mr King completed an MoT exemption form (V112). The helpful lady at Bob’s local Post Office added notes to his V5C document which she sent to DVLA, Swansea. A few weeks later, a new V5C arrived in the post with the 1980 MZ’s taxation class recorded as ‘historic.’

Thus all you owners of 1981 manufactured vehicles and those registered before January 8, 1982, will need to wait until April 1, 2022, before being able to apply for free tax and MoT exemption under the rolling 40 year rule.