Change to historic vehicle regs

[jakethepeg]

Any update to the 40 year rules in the pipeline, I hear rumours, but I keep thinking about tomorrow

[mk1coopers]

Not sure, I’ve been looking at the DVLA website as I’ve got a car registered in 1984, which should change in April this year, the site is still showing the historic registration dates for last year , what rumours have you heard

[jakethepeg]

I think it's just people stirring, conspiracy theories are all the rage

[mk1coopers]

I’ve seen all sorts, freezing it again as the current incumbents did last time, putting it to 30 years, stopping it altogether, guess we will just have to wait

[mab01uk]

It was the 'New Labour' governments Chancellor Gordon Brown who froze the previously rolling 25 year classic car tax exemption in his first budget in 1997 for Tony Blair. He called it a 'Bangers Charter'...
(The original 25 year tax exemption was brought in by the Conservative Chancellor Kenneth Clarke in his 1995 budget. In 2014, another Tory Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, reintroduced a rolling 40-year tax exemption for classic cars.)

I doubt our current Chancellor, 'Rachel from Accounts' has any love for Historic Vehicles and probably thinks most Classic Cars are owned by wealthy 'old men' who don't vote Labour and therefore don't deserve anything back from a lifetime of paying into the system. A bit like pensioners and family farmers....

Note: As previously mentioned if you have any Minis that qualify for the 'Historic' tax class but whose V5c/log book has not yet been updated from the PLG (Private/Light Goods) tax class, it is probably worth taking the documents to the nearest PO, incase of any future rule changes. Currently for cars over 40 years old you don't need an MOT or insurance document (except in Northern Ireland) so even vehicles not currently on the road or undergoing restoration can apply for the change to 'Historic.'
https://www.gov.uk/historic-vehicles/ap ... -exemption

Basically the PO counter person scans the barcode on your V5 (signed, dated and 'Historic' entered in changes section), checks your MOT exemption V112 form, gives you a printed receipt with reg number and taxed £0.00 and sends off the V5 to the DVLA for you. (Some PO's get a bit confused if they have not processed one before as no money changes hands and they have to refer to the instructions on their screen). A few days later the Gov.UK Car Tax website should show your Historic vehicle as now taxed. A few weeks later you should get a new V5c in the post with 'Historic' as the tax class. A few weeks later you may get another letter saying your vehicle is showing as taxed but not insured on the Motor Insurance Database at which point you must either insure the vehicle or declare SORN online within 2 weeks to avoid a fine.
There have been reports that changing any other details on the V5 at the same time, especially keepers address can complicate things and even result in a vehicle inspection being required.....so as always with the DVLA keep it simple and do one change at a time!