JohnD63

Here's something i've just learnt
My UK car tax ran out in August when i was here in Italy with the car. I havent used it since, It's been sat at the back of the house. I've been using lorenas left hand drive car. I was going to declare it SORN online but all the paperwork goes to my old UK address and you need the reference number in the paperwork to do anything online so i left it.
Anyway i'm heading back to the UK tommorrow for the weekend so i was going to drive Lorenas car, otherwise if i was to use my car i'd have to take out 6 months road tax just for the sake of a weekend. Well i've just found out that if my car tax runs out while i'm residing abroad, and my car is registered in the UK, then i have to pay UK Road tax. Even if the car is sat on your drive in another country. Plus you can not declare the car SORN in another country, only in the UK. Seems a bit of a cheek that i'm not driving on UK roads but i have to pay their tax!! Next time my tax runs out i'm going to say its in the UK so i can register it SORN!

TestaRossa

Hmm, I can kind of understand it - they can check it is SORN in the UK but unless they fancy sending someone from Swansea on a European tour there's no way for them to know, so you could be swanning around in it for all they know. Could you get it registered as an Italian car?

LivingHere

I am sure that you can also do on-line stuff using the reference no on the log book. I renewed our road tax using this no because our redirected reminder got lost in the postal confusion.

I also renewed our road tax a couple of months late once and wasn't fined or charged the missing months. I think that they were just grateful to get some money.

JohnD63

My naivety led me to think that if you drive on UK Roads you pay the tax for UK roads. Not pay the tax whilst your car's in another country.
Lorena bought her car in Germany and to have it registered in Italy it cost her €600 to register

Next time i'll declare my car SORN and tell them its off the road in the UK

JohnD63

Yes your right. When i come back i'll be bringing my log book with me

danw

can you point me to the page where it says as such? we were thinking we might let our tax expire whilst we were here but if we have to renew it so be it.

thnx dan

Nuvoletta

well careful here chaps, if you let the tax expire and don't declare it SORN then you are liable for the back tax as well.
I've kept my bike taxed for one of two reasons, 1. if I have an accident and the bike is taken back to the UK the insurance may want to know why it wasn't taxed. 2. Not all the coppers here are as daft as their Gucci looking uniforms suggest. I got stopped a few weeks ago and the copper asked where my 'disc' was? (meaning the tax) I keep it in my pocket with my documents (as I had the last two stolen) once he had seen it he was happy.

John, if you're going to keep your car here why not register it at a UK address where someone will forward your mail. After all you will have to have it insured and the mail for that will have to go somewhere. Also if you are driving your car down here you should have the log book with you at all times, failing to have it (or proof of ownership, or a letter of permission to drive)-(something we used to have to carry when I drove a truck down here) may see you getting the car impounded. Don't forget, you should carry your insurance, logbook and licence at all times here.

As for the tax itself, whilst it may 'grate' a little to pay UK tax when you don't use the roads, just think if you had to Insure your car here. Believe me, £160 (or whatever it is this week!) for UK road tax is a piddling amount in comparison to Italian insurance. We were pretty stupid when we moved here, we sold our two UK cars and bought cars here. I see a couple of UK reg cars running around in our area and they have done so for the last 18 months Nobody seems to bother them either.

Lorna at Vicenza

Surely UK road tax and insurance are two different things???

And you don't just have to "carry" your insurance here - it has to be displayed in the car and visible at all times.

Margaret M

Also, aren't you supposed to register a UK car here if it is here more than 6 months, and can have it impounded if you don't?

Nuvoletta

No, you have to carry ALL your documents if you're driving a UK reg car here. As the UK does'nt have a display for the window that means carrying everything. Insurance, tax, and your driving licence. Believe me, getting stopped without all the above is a pain in the backside..

And yes you are supposed to register your car here if here for more than 6 months, but as with many thing's it seems people get away without doing that.

And yes the road tax and the insurance are different. However, if you don't tax your car it shows up at the the DVLA and the insurance company can see that. Then they may be asking why? Just go to the DVLA site and put your car reg number in, it will show if it's taxed or not, when I get a moment I post a link to the page. Remember, it's an insurance company and any excuse not to pay...

Lorna at Vicenza

Now I get you - didn't realise that you were only talking about UK reg cars.

LivingHere

Don't forget about the MOT. We drive back once a year and one of the first things we do is sort that out. I do know people who have it done here, but our car started life in Germany and we don't have a dealership service history so we can't. Also I think it depends on the insurance company as to whether will accept it.

JohnD63

[QUOTE=Nuvoletta;8078382]
John, if you're going to keep your car here why not register it at a UK address where someone will forward your mail. After all you will have to have it insured and the mail for that will have to go somewhere. Also if you are driving your car down here you should have the log book with you at all times, failing to have it (or proof of ownership, or a letter of permission to drive)-(something we used to have to carry when I drove a truck down here) may see you getting the car impounded. Don't forget, you should carry your insurance, logbook and licence at all times here.

QUOTE]

Hi Ty, the car is registered at my brothers address in the UK. All my mail goes there. The only problem is that he can be a lazy git and couldn't be arsed to keep forwarding my mail. I'm back in the UK now for the weekend and am sifting through all the mail
Actually i completely forgot about the log book when i came down here last time. I just put it in the car today so it will be with me when i return. see you next week

JohnD63

Thats what i'm going to do

Midsomer_Peter

If I understand correctly.
To get your MoT, you need to take the car back to England every year.
To get your road tax, you need an MoT.
To get your insurance renewed, you need your road tax.
Most UK insurance companies only cover you for a maximum of 30 days outside the UK (unless you go to a specialist).
Technically, if your car is in a country for more than 6 months, it's technically considered that you've exported the car, and the letter of the law says you should process the appropriate paperwork, including registering it in that country, so pay attention if you want a road tax refund for your car not being in UK.