The road tax disc has been around since 1921 with its introduction to prove the payment of taxes for vehicle use on public roads. Prior to 1921, tolls were a form of taxation and anyone who used the public highway would have to pay up.
The first road tax discs had no perforations around the edge. People either cut around the shape, or folded the edges to adhere to the law to make them round. These tax discs were the norm until 1938 when a circular perforation was then designed to make it simpler. Motorists were now able to cut around the perforation easier and slot the disc into a holder.
The introduction of the road tax disc reformation
After all these years of using the road tax disc, it’s finally coming to an end thanks to our modern day technology. The abolishment of the disc is October 2014. For some people it will be a time for mourning and others will be a great time of joy.
You either love or hate the tax disc, however it does appear the majority of us won’t be sad to see it go. After all, it has been a hassle for most, just the thought of having to find your insurance certificate and last MoT document can be quite a hassle. To top that, you then need to drive to your local post office and stand in a long queue, for some folks this hassle has to be done on a lunch break. Naturally, this does not sound too pretty so it stands to reason why many are glad to see the road tax disc go. However, the introduction of ordering your next tax disc online has helped in recent years.
There are a minority of drivers who are old-school and may find it quite sad to see it go. Then there are the scrap road tax disc collectors who believe the whole idea of the abolition is ludicrous. The latest story of a young man called Jude Currie aged 11 from Cobham in Surrey has been fascinated by these discs for many years. He has collected thousands, which are now valued at over £10,000. The older the road tax disc the more it is worth.
Sadly, the road tax bill itself will not be abolished, we will still have to pay, but not display. The new system will be introducing annual, biannual or monthly direct debit payment options. Payments that are made annually will not incur any surcharges.
In this era where money is quite tight, monthly direct debits are a welcome relief. However, paying on a monthly basis may not always be the best option as surcharges will be added. These charges can certainly mount up if you have many monthly payments. Please note ‘first registration’ vehicles, HGV’s and fleet contracts will not be able to pay monthly.
Another sad change is that the road tax disc will no longer be transferable on private sales. This is to ensure the seller can’t make out there’s more tax available on the vehicle than what there actually is. The previous owner will be responsible to reclaim the unused period and the new owner will have to start afresh once the vehicle has been purchased.
Tags: Disc Road Tax
