How to 'tax' 68 Spitfire.

[Rabbit]

HELP! I received from DVLC a request letter to road tax my 1968 Spitfire which obviously is tax exempt so no tax would be payable which they stated. It has been off road and Sorned for 24 years (don't ask) but is now ready for the road. Sat down on PC, typed in all details and low and low and behold . . . No record found of this vehicle! I tried 2 16 digit numbers, still no joy. I decided to ring DVLC . . . . well, that was a total waste of energy and time, 11 phone calls all finished up with 'We very busy etc etc, ring back later. I was really wondering if I can drive on the road to take it for MoT. It is insured, has been for 3 years. I am intending to visit the local police station to see if I am legal etc. Thought there may be some advice from others in same boat. I am not wanting a 'Age Related plate' etc. Thanks.

[Colin Lindsay]

If it's SORN'd then DVA should at least have had some recent record of the car, and if they've sent you a reminder letter then they have you as the LRO. Try a tax check to see what details come up on the Gov website:

https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax

I know it needs taxed but this will confirm what they have on the vehicle, if anything, and you'll know it's in the system... which it should be as they've sent you the letter... but possibly, as happened with some of mine, they were so long off the road that the documents will need to be taken to a Post Office so that the car can be taxed over the counter; after that, it should be plain sailing.

Legally you can drive it to a pre-arranged MOT Test so if it's Insured you're fine.

[Pete Lewis]

my 2000 was untaxed for years , no idea itf it had been sorned , but it had been MOT'd

post office made a call to dvla as they expected to raise a tax but they were allowed to tax it ( free) but we had to sen the V5 to swansea 

new one by return of post   what they new that we didnt i have no idea but its been easy ever since

the fact there is no fee you still have to license /register as taxed 

pete

[thescrapman]

Others have had this issue lately.  The numbers are wrong. Try as if you have not had any letters from DVLA using log book.

No tax is fine if going to a pre book MOT. Make sure garage records your appt inc reg number.

[NonMember]

My 1970 Spitfire had been off the road since 1988 - well before SORN and VHI exemption - so it was on the DVLA records but under the wrong tax class and in a "zombie" status. It wasn't really a problem - I just took the V5 along the the post office with the VHI amendment and a tax application form with zero to pay (and a form certifying that it didn't need an MOT). They sent the V5 off and gave me a receipt to show it was taxed.

[Hicks]

On 11/09/2020 at 18:13, Rabbit said:

HELP! I received from DVLC a request letter to road tax my 1968 Spitfire which obviously is tax exempt so no tax would be payable which they stated. It has been off road and Sorned for 24 years (don't ask) but is now ready for the road. Sat down on PC, typed in all details and low and low and behold . . . No record found of this vehicle! I tried 2 16 digit numbers, still no joy. I decided to ring DVLC . . . . well, that was a total waste of energy and time, 11 phone calls all finished up with 'We very busy etc etc, ring back later. I was really wondering if I can drive on the road to take it for MoT. It is insured, has been for 3 years. I am intending to visit the local police station to see if I am legal etc. Thought there may be some advice from others in same boat. I am not wanting a 'Age Related plate' etc. Thanks.

Also - Just to add - If you actually want to get an answer out the DVLA use the webchat, don't phone them  - Same with the HMRC. The people on the phones generally aren't that great unless you super sweet talk them - the people on the webchat portal are lovely - super knowledgable - you get through to them way faster, and you get a transcript of the full conversation afterwards to prove exactly what's been said.

 

I recently needed to sort out a load of mis-matched information on my spitfire (wrong engine size, wrong registered keeper name, changing vehicle tax class etc) - Hopped on the webchat and got all the info I needed in a matter of minutes, printed it all off, including the transcript, sent off a big fat envelope and a week later a nice shiny new log book came back with all my up to date details in  !

 

James