Re-taxing an MOT-exempt vehicle

Re: Re-taxing an MOT-exempt vehicle

Mick_S said:
Hi John.

I thought you need to have the Historic classification before being MOT and Tax exempt.. and being able to use the black and silver number plate.

It was a bit of hassle getting it, in my case, but probably worthwhile. I have also been advised to get MOTs to strengthen the argument that the bike is roadworthy, in case an argument with insurers is necessary at some point.

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I'm glad you said strengthening the argument; because a valid MOT certificate is of course no proof whatsoever that the bike is roadworthy, and there is case history on this. It merely confirms that at the point in time at which it was inspected, it met the criteria for the test.
 
Re: Re-taxing an MOT-exempt vehicle

My Shovel is 1978.

Not allowed to have white on black numberplate.

Took V5 to post office 3 months ago.

Changed Taxation Class section to Historic.

Signed Changes, Handed to postmaster, no charge, she gave me receipt as proof.

3 weeks later new V5 arrived. Piece of piss. Unusual for me though!!


A black and silver numberplate is only allowed on motorcycles manufactured before January 1st 1977.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-motorcycles/0-identification-of-the-vehicle

Registration plates may:
Display white, grey or silver characters on a black background - only on motorcycles manufactured before 1 January 1977

This is from the latest updated testing manual I test from.

HTH

Fuz
 
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Re: Re-taxing an MOT-exempt vehicle

fuz said:
My Shovel is 1978.

Not allowed to have white on black numberplate.

Took V5 to post office 3 months ago.

Changed Taxation Class section to Historic.

Signed Changes, Handed to postmaster, no charge, she gave me receipt as proof.

3 weeks later new V5 arrived. Piece of piss. Unusual for me though!!


A black and silver numberplate is only allowed on motorcycles manufactured before January 1st 1977.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-motorcycles/0-identification-of-the-vehicle

Registration plates may:
Display white, grey or silver characters on a black background - only on motorcycles manufactured before 1 January 1977

This is from the latest updated testing manual I test from.

HTH

Fuz
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That's interesting.


The following link seems to have different advice.

https://www.heritagecarinsurance.co...cles/can-i-display-black-silver-number-plate/


There is a link to a DVLA document (INF104 possibly) that says clearly that black and white plates can be used on vehicles from before 1979. Top of page 11 if anyone is interested. Also says it rolls forward every year.


Very confusing.


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Re: Re-taxing an MOT-exempt vehicle

Worth pointing out, Mick, that Fuz is an MOT tester by profession and he is quoting from the official text.

Having said that, it's not the first time I've known DOT rules and guidelines to contradict themselves. Would not surprise me to learn that there are different criteria for cars and bikes.
 
My Shovel V5 says "Historic Vehicle" on page 2.

Also since I last posted they moved the goalposts on number plates again.

Now the rules state if a motorcycle was built before January 1st 1980 it can have a white on black number plate.

If a motorcycle was built after January 1st 1980 it MUST have a black on yellow plate to pass the MOT.

This is a fixed date and not rolling on every year, as before.
 
Thanks. My 80/81 Shovel Reg Doc has come back as "Exempt" when I was expecting "Historic". I'm wondering whether this means no tax or mot but yellow plates?
 
"Yeah, that's weird Mick,

I'd have thought it should have said "Taxation Class : Historic Vehicle" the same as mine as its over 40 years old.
 
fuz said:
"Yeah, that's weird Mick,


I'd have thought it should have said "Taxation Class : Historic Vehicle" the same as mine as its over 40 years old.
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I am wondering whether DVLA made a mistake (as they did on my 1977 shovel which took about 3 attempts to register as Historic correctly) or whether this is the norm for "historic" vehicles after the cut-off date for black and silver number plates. I just checked, and it was registered on 1/11/1980, so as I understand, will never be eligible for the black and silver numberplates.

Two big problems in sorting this stuff are firstly that I am overseas and secondly that the 2 Main Post Offices near me when I am in the UK have access to the main Horizon IT system, deal with all vehicle taxation, yet the staff will not deal with Historic vehicles, claiming that they cannot and everything has to be sent to DVLA (DVLA has previously told me that the Main Post Offices could deal with this if they wanted to, but it it easier for them to tell customers to bugger off).

Has anyone else with a bike first registered after 1 Jan 1980 and over 40 years old registered their bike as "Historic"? If so, does it say "Historic" or "Exempt" on Page 2 of the logbook, I think in Section K.

Thanks
 
Mine is a 1980. It states Historic on the log book. I did it in summer last year.

I knew it was going to be a right palaver and approached the task with this in mind. I queued up at 3 post offices before I found the right post office with the "right person". I handed over my documents and she processed the change immediately. I received the new log book several weeks later.

My experience tells me you have to be determined and allocate the appropriate amount of time to deal with lazy arseholes.
 
Thanks... that means mine is wrong and I will have to try to sort out when I am back from overseas.

I included a copy of a dating letter from Harley Davidson with my application (the previous owner was an MCN journalist with connections) and I sent all the required information with a covering letter.... just like I have done previously - and received "Exempt" instead of "Historic" logbooks. Time I foolishly thought that DVLA might be a bit better. It makes me pretty annoyed when I hear the public sector unions claiming that "working from home makes people more efficient" and yet it takes months to get a response which is wrong.
 
Mick_S said:
It makes me pretty annoyed when I hear the public sector unions claiming that "working from home makes people more efficient"
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It's just bollocks, as we've all found out. No grounds for making that claim whatsoever. But it means disruption and INefficiency, definitely.
 
Update... a letter arrived today from DVLA explaining that "I cannot issue you with a new V5C showing the change you have told us about as it affects the rate of vehicle tax due. Your unchanged V5C will be sent separately. Before you get a new V5C you must tax the vehicle under the new rate / class. You will need to apply for vehicle tax of exchange the current vehicle tax....."

So... they have already sent me a new V5C showing "Exempt" and presumably nothing to pay for tax, so I have to tax the Shovel for nothing and then apply again for Historic status.

I called DVLA, who explained that this is because it is currently on a SORN (I am overseas).. so the highly efficient process involves going through the application process twice, sending all supporting information again. The lady I spoke to said that Post Offices that issue tax can do this online, but I explained I have tried at 2 separate Post Offices that issue car tax fairly recently and was told to bugger off, and she conceded that not all Post Office staff are "fully trained". It's a slightly different take from the last DVLA person I spoke to, whose view was that many Post Office staff are lazy buggers who can't be arsed to help, so they tell people it has to be done via DVLA.

Hence some people being convinced that the process is totally painless and cvan be done via any relevant Post Office, whereas some of us have very different experiences....
 
I've got a 1975 XLH registered on a 76 N plate, I was under the impression that I could get the tax exempt and MOT pass, is this the wrong info??
 
Mach 1 said:
I've got a 1975 XLH registered on a 76 N plate, I was under the impression that I could get the tax exempt and MOT pass, is this the wrong info??
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You are correct, although it’s actually free road tax rather than being tax exempt and this only applies once the V5c has been changed to show its taxation class as Historic. The bike is automatically MOT exempt due to its age. Plenty of info on this thread to explain how to get the taxation class changed.
 
Regesterd my 73 BMW R75/5 last year they did everything at the post office, strange thing was i got a Tax reminder yet it was free but they had taxed it yet the bike was uninsured
 
Why does this country have such overly complicated regulative systems in place that serve no purpose other than to confuse! I don't agree with NIL road tax, be it applied to certain diesel cars under the Blair Government, or like my previous owned Ford Fiesta 2015 model that had zero tax - same with electric vehicles. Road tax has nothing to do with emissions - it was originally intended to pay for the upkeep of our crumbling roads!

Same goes with the MoT - it's supposed to ensure that on the day of inspection it meets a basic set of standards to aid the safety of the user of that vehicle and help protect other road users / public.

Now before I get a backlash from the historic brigade - from my own experience, most owners of old iron do look after their vehicles not just to ensure their own safety but also pride of ownership. But you hopefully get where I am coming from - if you use the road - contribute to its upkeep and if you want valid insurance - comply with the annual MoT inspection.

Sadly we all know that little of the revenue collected by road tax is used to keep our roads maintained - it's just another tax income. As for garages doing an MoT, majority would not want the hassle of inspecting the really old vintage stuff.
 
hippy said:
Regesterd my 73 BMW R75/5 last year they did everything at the post office, strange thing was i got a Tax reminder yet it was free but they had taxed it yet the bike was uninsured
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Insurance hasn't been checked for VED applications since "continuous insurance enforcement" was introduced. However, doesn't that mean that their actions caused you to break the law by owning an uninsured vehicle that wasn't "SORNed"?

www.gov.uk

Vehicle insurance

Rules on what motor insurance you need, what to do if you're in an accident, insurance for driving abroad, penalties for uninsured vehicles and drivers.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk
 
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