Petrol and diesel drivers face DVLA fines for breaking tax rules
Drivers must tax their vehicle before hitting UK roads
PA
The DVLA has warned drivers to make sure their SORN vehicle is taxed correctly before being able to re-enter UK roads.
For cars that have been declared off the road through a SORN, to use them again, drivers must make sure they are taxed.
The Statutory Off Road Notification is a legal notification that can be made to the DVLA to formally declare a car as being off the road.
For car owners, the main benefit is that drivers pay no tax on the vehicle while it’s in this period, though it will also lose the ability to be covered by insurance and must be kept off the road.
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Drivers can stop paying tax if they declare their vehicle SORN
PABut the DVLA warned on social media: “Has your vehicle been declared off-road (SORN) for a while?
“Don’t forget, if you want to use it on the road again, tax it before you do.”
Motorists are required to have valid car tax every time they get on the road, or they could face a huge £1,000 fine or five times the amount of tax chargeable, depending on which is higher.
The DVLA Outlines that the untaxed vehicle could also be clamped and the registered owner may have to pay additional fees.
According to stats, the number of cars with a SORN status in 2023 was up by almost five per cent compared with the same figures for 2022 between January and September.
SORN status will start immediately if either the vehicle tax has expired or a driver is not applying the month the vehicle tax is due to expire.
But with insurance premiums at an all-time high, drivers could save money by declaring their vehicle SORN.
When thinking about SORNs, many people may think that this only applies to cars that are off the road for longer periods of time, but the comparison site said this is not always the case.
Tim Alcock from LeaseCar.uk said: “Times are tough at the moment and a lot of people are making some difficult decisions when it comes to how to save money.
“Unless they tell DVLA and obtain a SORN notification the authorities will see the vehicle as untaxed and therefore they could be fined."
The highest car tax band for vehicles registered on or after April 1, 2017, is £2,745 for any vehicle that produces more than 255g of CO2 per kilometre.
For petrol and diesel cars registered between March 1, 2001, and March 31, 2017, which produce more than 255g of CO2 per kilometre will face a £735 annual fee.
However, if any of the most polluting vehicles were to be declared SORN, the registered keeper of the vehicle would save almost £3,000 every year that it is off the road.
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The DVLA can clamp vehicles if they have not paid their car tax
PAIf a driver lets their Vehicle Excise Duty expire without putting a SORN on their vehicle, they face fines of around £80.