Tax Disc History - Earlswood Vintage & Classic Tax Disc History Basket Tax Disc History Earlswood Reproduction - The Tax Disc People, have been researching Tax Discs for many years. They have an interesting story to relate - there is far more to that funny round piece of paper than you might think… The familiar British Tax Disc is a circular document, displayed on all road vehicles, to prove payment of the tax for the use a public highway in the United Kingdom. The display of Tax Discs on vehicles in the United Kingdom all started back in 1921, with the implementation of the Roads and Finance Act 1920, but the whole story of taxation of road use goes back way before then. Pre- History In late medieval times, tolls or turnpikes were created for the use of a specific length of road, or even a bridge. This was a very direct form of taxation: if you used the road, you paid the toll or tax. It did not matter who you were or whether you rode or had the (relative) luxury of a coach or carriage.

Vehicular taxation did not rear its ugly head for the first time in Great Britain until 1637, when Hackney cabs were licenced. Things went quiet for nearly a century and then in 1747, all horse-drawn carriages, drawn by two or more horses attracted a similar annual tax or licence. The first tax on mechanically-propelled vehicles followed surprisingly swiftly, in 1770. However, these machines were steam-powered and crude and were never used in numbers, largely due to their inefficiency and the rough roads: the railways did away with the poor surface problem and did not look back for a considerable time. By 1861, the Locomotive Acts controlled taxation of vehicles of British roads. At this stage, the administration of the Acts was via the local county offices, a system that was to remain right up until 1974, when the DVLC was created at Swansea - now the DVLA, though it still maintains about 40 local offices. The Locomotive Act of 1865 created the infamous 4 mph speed limit and the man with the red flag!

It was around this time that the term 'keeper' came into use, rather than 'owner', a term still in use today on the modern V5C. If you owned a steam vehicle or a coach and four back then in the 1860's, then you needed to purchase an annual licence, through your local county council, valid until the December of that year. Just like the modern-day Tax Disc, if you had more than one coach, you had to buy a licence for each one in your possession. Unlike the present system, the piece of paper that you held only permitted you to use the roads of the county for which it was bought. If you had the misfortune to live right in the corner of a county, in close proximity to one or two others within your likely radius of operation, then additional licences were required for each county's roads used……… At typically two guineas a shot ( £2.10 in modern parlance ) per carriage, this was potentially a very expensive exercise!

The licence itself at this time, took the form of a certificate, printed on thin paper, rectangular in shape, that contained the address of the owner, a description of the vehicle ( eg 'carriage drawn by four horses' ), the county of issue and the amount paid. A typical Carriage Licence. Printed on very thin paper, note the December expiry date, and the term 'keep'. Though bought in August, 1889, the full annual rate of two guineas has been paid. Despite our researches, we have been unable to discover just how enforceable this was - number plates did not exist and there was no law mandating evidence of payment to be displayed. However, traffic police were, no doubt, so much a thing of the future, that it may not have been too much of a problem to evade. And so to the advent of the motor car on our roads, with the first car appearing in 1894 - a Benz as it happens, and this car probably still survives. Yes, Britain was importing cars as long ago as that!

The 1896 Locomotive and Highways Act was generally more friendly to the driver, enabling more popular light motor vehicles to be used - vehicles under 3 tons were exempted from the legislation requiring the man with the red flag, and the speed limit went up to a dizzying 14 mph! However, regulations followed on soon, reducing it back to 12mph and introducing such niceties as passing on-coming traffic on the left, and keeping to the right when overtaking. In addition, the driver was required to stop at the instruction of a police officer or any person 'in charge of a restive horse'. Prior to this, driving on a British road must have been something akin to the roads in Bombay, or even Paris today, but we digress…. I SAY DRIVER! - YOU DO HAVE A LICENCE FOR THIS CARRIAGE, I SUPPOSE… Shortly after this, by 1889 the unstoppable grasp of the Tax Man meant that virtually all vehicles on British roads were subject to an annual tax or licence.

Though an increasing number of motor and steam-powered road vehicles began to use our roads, the first legislation to refer to motor cars by name, was the Motor Car Act of 1903. This is a seminal Act, inasmuch as it introduces number plates to identify individual cars on the road as they pass, as well as specifically requiring them to be registered annually at the county offices by number. County Councils and County Borough Councils were made Registration and Licencing Authorities. The number plate incidentally, is a French invention, like the roundabout, first used in Paris in 1893. The 1903 Act sets the annual registration fee at £1 for a car and 5s ( 25p in today's money) for a motorcycle. The Act also passed the responsibility for collecting the tax from the Inland Revenue to the county councils themselves, with whom it stayed until 1974. The speed limit was also a more realistic 20 mph by then. So, we now have the basis of a modern system of controlling the motor car: a car is identifiable as it blats past you at 20mph ( just imagine what Top Gear would have been like back then.).

Having noted the registration number, the police or any other authority could locate the owner very simply. Not surprisingly fines for driving unlicensed vehicles, speeding and reckless driving all increased as it became possible to identify the culprits. It should be said though, that the amount of such offending behaviour, especially speeding was rising with ever greater numbers of more efficient cars. Back to top The RAC Rating Cometh….. The Government did not leave things there. The Finance Acts of 1909 and 1910 introduced a sliding form of annual duty on cars, based on a notional horsepower rating - the notorious RAC rating. These Acts also stipulated that the money raised from vehicular taxation should be 'hypothecated' for road maintenance and construction. ie money raised from roads should be spent on roads, sadly no longer the case, as we all know. From then on through the Great War, motor vehicle use continued to expand. This had an increasing adverse effect on the condition of Britain's roads, which led in 1919, to a Royal Commission being set up to review the situation and make appropriate recommendations. This Commission was the parent of the Road Traffic Acts of 1919 and 1920.

The passing of the 1920 Act greatly tidied up what was at the time an extremely confusing situation, and we must remember that motoring was still a relatively 'new' method of transport then. The horse had been around for a very long time and was being replaced at a frightening rate by the internal combustion engine. Prior to this Act being passed, various forms of taxation had been implemented with reference to 'Locomotives', number of wheels etc, appearing in both the 1888 and 1896 Acts. As we know, the Motor car Act, 1903 led to measures designed to identify vehicles and licence (tax!) them annually. The 1908 Finance Act introduced a 3d. per gallon tax on petroleum spirit. The Finance Act of 1910 introduced the hated 'Horsepower' rating. Unfortunately, this formula did not take account of the length of an engine's stroke, and in order to keep the horsepower figure as low as possible, long-stroke engines with small diameter piston areas were the order of the day.

The RAC formula was expressed thus:- HP = (D2 x n)/2.5 Where D2 = the diameter squared of the pistons and n = the number of cylinders. There were three constant assumptions lying behind this formula. These never change, despite the actual statistics for a given engine. The notional pressure within the engine's cylinders was presumed always to be 90lbs per square inch. The engine was always presumed to be 75% efficient and the mean speed of the pistons always 1000 feet/minute. This presumption led almost invariably to the resulting figure being very low. An example: the Singer 9 has an RAC rating of 9 horse-power. Its actual BHP figure is around 31. It was this that led to the common habit amongst British car manufacturers of calling their cars the '16/60' or something similar- ie RAC rating of 16 hp but actually the engine produced 60 bhp. Squared and over-squared high compression engines took many years to evolve as a result of this ruling!

The trade guides of the period, as used by second-hand dealers, all listed the RAC rating for each model, as a car that was expensive to tax, would be less easy to sell. Curiously, one of the first cars intended for the masses, the Austin 7, was rated at 7.8 hp, which rounded up to 8 for taxation, should really have been known as the Austin 8. The Treasury did not let the motorist get off lightly, having chosen to use this formula. OK, a Singer 9 may only be rated at a third of its actual power but the boys from Whitehall then levied a whopping £1 per horse-power on it! Remember, only back in 1903, it was just a £1 for the whole year for the whole car, not just one measly RAC horse! However, there was at least, an accepted method of determining an engine's size for annual taxation purposes, with an initial rule of thumb being that one horsepower would cost £1, the rating being rounded up to the next complete horsepower during the calculation, regardless.

Back to top The Tax Disc is Born This is the story of the Tax Disc, and it is here that our hero makes his entrance. The Acts of 1919 and 20, laid down the specifications for the first Tax Discs and exactly how they should be displayed - by using a holder that shall be circular. It was defined as proof of payment of the Road Fund Licence and thus the Tax Disc as we know it today was born. For the years the years 1921 and 1922, Tax Discs were by today's standards quite basic: plain grey paper, black ink with simple instructions on the reverse - sometimes even advertisements - and no perforations. The very first design of Tax Disc issued, printed very simply in black on thick grey paper. Note again the December expiry, four national symbols on the surround, and minimal anti-fraud devices. Life itself must indeed have seemed simpler in those days - until you tried to fit the disc into the holder. Some cut round them with scissors whilst others preferred to just fold over the edges repeatedly until it could be crammed in.

Presumably, the Acts stipulated that they should be round because the holders were more easily produced in circular form, but why were they not perforated from the start? 1923 saw the introduction of colour. Background intaglio printing - very fine, repetitive security printing behind the basic design, similar to a bank note - together with an over-printed broad green band also appeared this year. The first coloured Tax Disc from 1923. The plain green background is, in fact, security print. Note the wording 'Amount paid (if different from the Annual Rate of Duty above) If only two month's tax was bought then the amount is entered here. The intaglio print read: 'Road Fund Licence'. This was done, as the first two Tax Discs were too easy to forge. In addition, the selection of a colour for each year enabled the enforcing agencies to quickly identify those with out of date Tax Discs. At this time, all Tax Discs purchased during a year expired on the last day in December. So, if one was caught driving with a grey Tax Disc in 1923, instead of a green one, you were nicked!

As previously mentioned, the Tax Discs all expired within the year of issue. A Tax Disc purchased in March 1923 could not carry 12 month's rate of duty: the maximum would have been nine months. The annual rate of duty payable for that given vehicle would always be shown on the Tax Disc, but the actual amount paid would be written on the counterfoil, at the bottom, and thus hidden from view when in the holder. This system of December 31st expiries was to remain for many years and cause enormous problems at the issuing offices as they struggled to cope with the task of renewing so many licences in a short time over Christmas and the New Year as they all expired simultaneously. Introduced at the same time as the 'annual' Tax Disc, was the quarterly Disc. As its name implies, these were only issued for three months or part thereof. Their design was similar to the annual but with a solid background colour of light green, light blue, dark blue, buff, pink, yellow, orange or grey, with no intaglio print. Over this solid colour was either black or red print, of a similar basic design to the annual Tax Disc.

Four quarterly Tax Discs, each with a different solid background colour unlike the annual Tax Disc. Note that the design is virtually the same as the 1921 annual Tax Disc. Though known as 'quarterly', they weren't quite. The second, third and fourth quarterly licences all expired when you would expect: 30th June, 31st September, and 31st December. However, the first quarterly always expired on the 24th March. Why? Because many more impoverished drivers laid their cars up for winter and put them back on the road for a run at Easter ( which can come early some years) and so would have to fork out for another quarter's licence. Starting with 1923, various colour changes took place thenceforth for every year's licence until the present day. The coloured bar started out as vertical in 1923 and remained that way until 1932 when it became a horizontal bar. By 1935, it became a cross.

1935 was also significant because the rate of duty was reduced to fifteen shillings per horsepower, probably due to the fact that the government wished to encourage the motor industry and the tax take would be larger overall if there were more cars on the roads. Back to top Everyone's after My Little Perforations! The first Tax Disc that was perforated was for 1938. By then, the yearly coloured stripe was diagonal. Note that the perforations cut into the design unlike some later designs. A major innovation in 1938 was the introduction of perforations around the outside of the printed circle, making the Tax Disc much easier to fit into its holder. It is curious that this had not been done earlier though some older Tax Discs had been rouletted. In addition the wording of the intaglio print was changed from 'Road Fund Licence' to 'Mechanically Propelled Vehicle Licence'. The perforations lasted only until 1942, not reappearing until 1952. The precise reason for this is unknown but it is thought likely that the equipment was destroyed during bombing raids.

Just before WW2, an entirely new Tax Disc appeared, both in annual and quarterly forms: the Farmer's Disc. The first years of these had a totally different design, including a large outline 'F'. They intended solely for the use of agricultural vehicles, both tractors and goods. From the start in 1921, the four symbols of the United Kingdom, the Thistle, Shamrock, Daffodil and Rose, appeared on the face of the Tax Disc, as well as the corners of the counterfoil. These symbols lasted as a feature of the Tax Disc until 1951, when they were removed to make way for a bolder expiry date. The dreaded RAC rating lasted until 1947. In 1948, a flat rate of duty for all cars was introduced, at £10 per year, though goods vehicles and Hackneys - that is buses as well as taxi cabs, had complicated rates of duty as they do to this day. The 'HP' box still remained as part of the design of the Tax Disc and was sometimes filled out that way, but more often showed engine capacity as 'cc', hand-written.

The last of the 'old design' Tax Discs, that looked very similar to the original '21 Disc, appeared in 1956. It was followed for four years by a totally different design that totally lacked the United Kingdom symbols and no longer had a box for 'colour'. It featured two solid bands of colour at the top and bottom of the Disc. The farmer's version included a large outline 'F' on the left, filled in with the colour for the year. All Tax Discs were still expiring no later than December 31st each year. The short-lived design of the late fifties, very different from previous Tax Discs. Still with December expiries only, the four national symbols have been deleted, the intaglio print is restricted to the Disc and appears over a contrasting background colour in two segments. Back to top The Modern Era Begins Big changes to all aspects of the Tax Disc and its administration occurred in 1961. In a major effort to make life harder for the forger, a new design consisting of various circular vignettes and bands of solid colour, plus a half-tone background was launched. ( Figure 7 ) Artwork, however was not the only big change.

Monthly taxation was finally introduced to get away from the bottleneck of the December 31st expiry. From January onwards in 1961, one could buy twelve month's car tax at any time, the Tax Disc you received having January, February, March etc of the following year as the expiry. In addition, the quarterly Tax Disc disappeared totally as a separate design and four-monthly taxation replaced it. However, the Tax Disc design allowed the issuing clerk to write in '4 months' on to a standard design Disc. The farmer's Disc still survived these changes but was simply hand-stamped with a black 'F' on the left of the Tax Disc. This well-known design accompanied many big changes -annual taxation from any month in the year being the most significant. This is the second year of this design - the infamous Guinness Disc. The attempt to beat the forgers proved to be a little off target. The years of 1961 and 1962 were to the less scrupulous, relatively easy to 'amend' to their own advantage - Guinness bottle labels being used to evade payment!

Consequently, in 1963, an additional expiry date, printed in a light tint on the lower half of the disc was added and quickly put an end to this practice. This defined the design of the Tax Disc for the next fifteen years until May 1978. During this time, the Tax Disc continued to change colour with each year ( not monthly, as many believe), in the sequence blue, brown, green, and red. In response to the supposedly widespread fraud allowed by the Guinness Tax Disc of '62, the expiry date was duplicated in the toned area of the design from 1963 onwards. During the postal strikes that occurred between 1971-75, there were 'emergency' Tax Discs in either pink or yellow, hand-stamped and hand-written. Another seismic shift in Tax Disc history was brought in by the government in 1974 - the advent of the DLVC or Driving Licence and Vehicle Centre, known to all now as 'Swansea'. This new national system of driver and vehicle registration, computer-based, took on all the responsibilities previously the domain of the County Licencing Offices.

From this point, the Counties ceased to have any responsibility to keep records of drivers or vehicles, or for the issuing of Tax Discs. Swansea and its 81 regional offices took over entirely. Starting in 1977, a new 'digital' style Tax Disc design arrived. This showed the entire expiry date in large print on a coloured band, repeated in toned colour lower on the Disc. ie 31:3:77 This was the first 'Swansea Disc'. These lasted until August 1987, during which time the four-month Tax Disc was abolished due to administration costs, this being replaced with the six-month option that we have today. In 1983, the Welsh bi-lingual Tax Discs appear. The Farmer's Disc was abolished during this time too. The first of the 'wavy line' designs begin in September 1987, again yet another round in the eternal battle with the forgers - instead of a straight toned band, we now have thin parallel wavy lines with the expiry date superimposed. This developed further in 1993, with a return to the larger month and year format, dropping the day from the design.

By this stage, there was also an HGV Tax Disc. This had slightly different shading in the design, and featured 'HGV' embossed into the top edge of the disc. The 'wavy line' design came in during 1977, and survived, with a variety of changes, until October, 2003. The one illustrated is one of the last before the big change was made then. Note the elliptical perforations at the edge and in the body of the Tax Disc and the embossing along to top. By 2001, the design has become even more complex, on water-marked paper. 'DVLA' is now embossed repetitively across the top of the Disc. By this stage, the Government has introduced variable rates of taxation according to the capacity of a car's engine, so we are now almost full circle again with different cars attracting different amounts of duty as in 1921, where we came in. However, still the tussle with the forgers goes on apace, and in October, 2003, star-shaped perforations, gold foils, bar codes and holograms have all been added.

By popular demand from the driving public, the day of expiry has been re-introduced too. The strange thing is that we at Earlswood Reproductions have been producing legal copies of Tax Discs, albeit up to 1992, and yet we have never been shown one of the forgeries that the Government is so worried about! And we do get to see a lot of Tax Discs…. Up to date with the design launched in October 2003.Apart from the two star perforations, the Tax Disc has acquired a bar code ( readable from the roadside)j, foil, and holograms which pixelate coarsely when scanned. Back to top Reproduction Tax Discs If you have been intrigued by this article and wish to dress your vehicle correctly, Earlswood Reproduction has been supplying facsimile Tax Discs under an HMSO licence from 1995 to 2008 when the responsibility for issueing the licence passed to the DVLA. We use the original tax tables and statutes to a complete customer's facsimile disc with all the correct details. It shows the duty payable for a full year's use of the road when the vehicle was new.

A comparatively simple task for motor cars but more complex for agricultural and commercial vehicles or showman's engines etc. where the various weights of vehicle and nature of the tyres etc has to be considered. As described above, your Tax Disc may also show quite a lot of other information as well, depending on the year. We also supply a range of suitable period Tax Disc Holders. It is entirely legal to display a reproduction Tax Disc whilst driving on a British road, provided that a current Tax Disc is also displayed. This is so for tax-exempt vehicles also - you may not need to pay for a current Tax Disc but you must display one on the road. For American readers, you may freely display your reproduction Tax Disc on your car in the USA and use it on the road. To correctly position it, the Tax Disc should be mounted in a holder and located on the inside of the windscreen, readable from the outside, or for early vehicles, the holder should be attached to the left-hand forward side of the body. The Tax Disc should be placed on the inside lower left-hand corner of the screen for a right-hand drive car. For left-hand drive cars, the right-hand lower corner, or right-hand side of the body would possibly be more suitable.

Earlswood Reproduction can supply a variety of suitable holders to suit the varying eras of motoring. Car tax disc to be axed after 93 years - BBC News BBC News Car tax disc to be axed after 93 years 5 December 2013 From the section UK Politics comments Read more about sharing. Close share panel The tax disc to show motorists have paid vehicle excise duty is to be replaced with an electronic system, Chancellor George Osborne has announced in his Autumn Statement. The disc was introduced in 1921 but officials say it is no longer needed with the DVLA and police now relying on an electronic register. The new system will allow people to pay the charge by monthly direct debit. The Treasury said it showed government was moving "into the modern age". It would also make "dealing with government more hassle free", a spokesman added. At present, motorists are able to choose whether they pay VED in twelve or six month instalments. Analysis By Richard WestcottBBC transport correspondent Frankly, this change won't make a great deal of difference to most drivers, apart from removing a little bit of admin from their lives.

(Yes, I do know that some people have a sentimental attachment to that small disc in the window that is usually a bit torn from trying to remove it from its perforations). Just like now, you'll still be able to buy it online and at the Post Office, you just won't get a physical disc. You'll still get a reminder in the post a few weeks before it runs out. And you'll be able to check how long you've got left online too. For the first time you'll also be able to pay by direct debit, for an extra 5% administration fee. The fact is that the majority of tax evaders are caught using police cameras that automatically check your number plate, rather than someone actually looking in your window. Around 44m tax discs were issued last year. It's thought around a 800,000 people were caught driving without paying. The latter option costs 10% extra each year, but this is expected to be cut to 5%. The new option of paying by monthly direct debit is also expected to cost 5% more than paying for a full year in one go. The changes are expected to come into effect in October 2014.

In the 2012 Budget , the government announced its intention to bring in a direct debit system for paying VED and said it would seek the views of motoring groups on the merits of such a change. It also said it would "consider whether to reform VED over the medium term". A spokesman for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) said the body received approximately 160,000 reports from members of the public of potentially untaxed vehicles last year. 200,000 drivers in all were spotted having not paid VED last year, by the public or by the authorities - or by both, he added. The DVLA also took action against 600,000 drivers whose non-compliance was revealed by analysis of its records, he said. Origin of car tax: Commons in 1888 Chancellor George Goschen: Apart from the Carriage Tax, which is a tax mainly on the more luxurious carriages - carriages, used for pleasure - there is at present no tax on any other vehicles, however much they may destroy the roads. We propose to put a duty of £1 a-year upon every vehicle exceeding 10 cwt.

in weight, a very moderate limit to take. Members will acknowledge that the principle that all those who use the roads should pay for them, and should pay in some proportion to the wear and tear that they cause, is just. But I have not yet exhausted the subject. We propose, also, to put a very small Wheel Tax upon every vehicle. Colonel Nolan, MP for Galway North: Not on carts? Chancellor Goschen: Yes. We propose a duty of 2s. 6d. per wheel upon all carts over 2 cwt. Colonel Nolan: Oh! "Evasion is estimated at 0.6% - the second lowest figure ever," he concluded. On Twitter, presenter of BBC Radio 4's Money Box Paul Lewis wondered how prospective buyers of second-hand cars would know in future when the vehicle excise duty paid would expire. "How will people tell if [a] vehicle's been abandoned?" he added. After the demise of the paper disc, the Telegraph's Steve Hawkes said, enforcing the digital system would entail greater use of surveillance cameras. "More personal data lodged and presumably sold on then," he commented .

Vehicle tax was introduced in the 1888 Budget and the system of excise duty applying specifically to motor vehicles was introduced with the Roads Act 1920, with the tax disc appearing the following year. Car tax disc changes: Five facts you never knew about your (almost obsolete) tax disc | The Independent Home News Car tax disc changes: Five facts you never knew about your (almost obsolete) tax disc As we prepare to look back on them with whimsical nostalgia, here are five things about tax discs you’ll probably wish you had known all those years Tuesday 30 September 2014 14:59 BST Click to follow The Independent Online More than 90 years of car history are coming to an end with the abolition of the paper car-tax disc Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire On Wednesday, more than 90 years of motoring history will come to an end as car owners are no longer required to display vehicle tax discs . Road users are being warned to be aware of what the changes mean for them – and failure to take note could see you hit with a fine of up to £1,000 pounds.

But the tax disc is a little more than just a receipt to show you’ve paid your dues – as is shown by the number of people who’ve said they are going to “really miss” them when they are gone. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the almost-obsolete little piece of paper – and why you shouldn’t throw yours away just yet. 1. Your tax disc could be worth up to £1000 If your tax disc is in good condition and its colour hasn’t faded, you may want to consider holding onto it in a safe place. Just renewed my car tax. Well fair thee well Tax Disc - I'll miss you.... — Stephen Wood (@woodzmeister) September 28, 2014 “Velologists” – that’s tax disc collectors – are on the lookout for pristine examples of the last ever discs. In particular, a run of very recent emergency-issue, non-perforated discs – produced in the last month or two when supplies of special perforated paper ran low – could appreciate significantly in value. The most expensive disc ever sold is one of the first, from December 1921, and went for £810.30.

One expert told the Telegraph that a pristine example of such a disc could sell for £1,000. At the moment, your disc is not likely to go for anywhere near that much. But velologists predict that the market for novelty, rare and vintage discs will boom now that millions of drivers have nothing to put in their windscreen holders. So watch this space. 2. Replacement tax discs cost drivers up to £7 million a year It seems that many of us are set to benefit from the change to an all-digital system for vehicle tax – because we’re so forgetful and careless. According to new figures released by the DVLA, in the three years from 2011 more than one million duplicate tax discs have been ordered after originals were lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed. @chashallett Yes, I am going to miss the old tax disc hugely. It acts as a visual reminder. I will make my own using pens and paper. — Jonny Smith (@Carpervert) September 30, 2014 Replacements cost £7 each - though officials say the fee is waived in some circumstances.

Alan Mason, director of the IT services company Ricoh UK that obtained the figures from the Government, said scrapping tax discs “has the potential to save time and money”, and represents a “significant milestone in the journey towards digital by default”. 3. It pays to go vintage As well as generally looking fantastic, classic cars that are more than 40 years old are actually exempt from vehicle tax altogether. Just renewed my car tax online it took less than two minutes, gunna miss the tax disc. — Neil Nottingham (@NelMaNo) September 28, 2014 The exemption originally applied to any vehicle over 25 years old on the basis that they would be incapable of racking up much mileage. It was frozen in 1997 as the longevity of cars improved – and now only applies to vehicles built before 1 January 1974. The DVLA has always insisted that these so-called “historic vehicles” still need to be “taxed” – that is, registered and displaying a “nil value” tax disc. Even though tax discs are being scrapped, historic vehicles will need to be registered so they show up in police systems.

13 laws you didn't know you were breaking 13 laws you didn't know you were breaking 1/13 1. Salmon handling It's illegal to handle salmon in suspicious circumstances, according to the Salmon Act of 1986. While this is clearly related to selling fish gained through illicit means, the law is oddly broad in its wording Thomas D Mangelsen/The Masters of Nature Photography/Natural History Museum 2/13 2. Unattended alarms It is an offence under a provision of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to leave your property with a burglar alarm activated unless you have named a “key-holder” responsible for shutting it off if you are away 20th Century Fox 3/13 3. Queue jumping Shoppers queue in the early morning outside Selfridges department store in central London in search of a bargain in the post Christmas Boxing Day sales 4/13 4.

Lane hogging Last year the roads safety minister Stephen Hammond warned that drivers who hogged the middle lane of motorways, drove while using their mobile phones or tailgated other road users faced on the spot fines and three points on their licence 5/13 5. Mat shaking Many rules brought in by the Metropolitan Police Act 1839 have since been repealed or revised by newer laws. One which hasn’t, however, makes it illegal to beat or shake any carpet rug or mat in any street in the Metropolitan Police District Getty Images 6/13 6. Washing lines Also under the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, it is illegal to erect a washing line across any “thoroughfares” in the city AFP/Getty 7/13 7. Door knocking Seen by many as a harmless (if annoying) children’s game, knocking on someone’s door and running away is actually illegal under the 1839 law. It makes it an offence to 'wilfully and wantonly disturb any inhabitant by pulling or ringing any door-bell or knocking at any door without lawful excuse' YouTube/CBS 8/13 8.

Singing in the street Again under the Metropolitan Police Act 1839, it is illegal to “sing any profane, indecent, or obscene song or ballad” in the street. Bad news for stag parties and football fans, then YouTube/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 9/13 9. Being drunk in the pub This often-cited law strictly-speaking actually makes it illegal for the owner or manager of a licensed premises to “permit drunkenness or other disorderly conduct” – meaning it is not an offence to be that drunk person yourself. It is, however, illegal to buy a drink for someone who is drunk 10/13 10. Bad references It is sometimes said that it is illegal for an employer to give a bad reference – meaning many will simply decline to provide one. Though this isn’t strictly the case, a false bad reference is considered libellous – so employers need to be prepared to back up their words in court 11/13 11. TV licences The law states that you don’t need a TV licence if you use your TV only to watch DVDs, play video games or use ‘catch-up’ services.

But if you stream anything live at the time it is broadcast – even if it is on a laptop and you don’t own a TV at all – you’re breaking the law 12/13 12. Horn misuse The police are very clear on this –according to their explanation of the rules, “a horn should only be used when warning someone of danger, not to indicate your annoyance at a manner of driving” Rex Features 13/13 13. Tax discs As of 1 October, it will be illegal to 'transfer' car tax when buying a second-hand vehicle.

Anyone who fails to immediately tell the DVLA when they sell their car could face fines of up to £1,000 Getty Images Car tax discs end in six weeks but half the country has no idea - Telegraph Road and rail transport Car tax discs end in six weeks but half the country has no idea Tax discs will be abolished on October 1 but of those aware change is ahead, half do not know the exact date Windscreen tax discs will be scrapped from October 1 Photo: Alamy By Keith Perry 8:50AM BST 26 Aug 2014 Paper tax discs will vanish from cars in less than six weeks - but half of drivers are still unaware of the new rules. The windscreen tax discs will be scrapped from October 1 and replaced by electronic records where police cameras will check number plates to catch owners who have not paid. However, a survey found that 50 per cent of drivers are still ignorant about when the changes take effect. Nearly a third of them said they will not even try to find out what the new rules are, according to the poll by price comparison website money.co.uk . The poll found that 6 per cent of motorists believe that the changes are not coming into force until next year.

Related Articles Death of 'car tax disc' as DVLA records digitised 14 Dec 2012 Almost a third of those polled said they will wait for instructions from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. However, the comparison website claims that the DVLA has not yet started adding warnings to tax renewal reminders. Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief of money.co.uk, said: “Changes to the vehicle tax system are no bad thing and we fully welcome the introduction of direct debit payments, particularly for consumers who may be struggling to keep up with the soaring cost of driving. “It will also help to eliminate the problem of people who genuinely forget to renew their tax and end up being stung with a hefty fine. “However, I suspect the new system may experience some teething problems so drivers really need to make sure they're on top of their game.” The move away from paper discs, after 93 years, is designed to offer motorists more flexible payment options and make it harder for people to evade taxing their cars. Estimates show that the changes could save the taxpayer £10million a year. Car owners will still need to have paid vehicle tax to drive on the roads.

But under the new system, the tax will no longer be automatically transferred with a car when it is sold. Sellers are expected to tell the DVLA straight away of the change of ownership or face £1,000 fines. Shane Teskey, from vehicle history check website hpicheck.com, told the Mail: “Those who fail to inform the DVLA, could be fined and they will still be liable for any speeding or parking fines and vehicle tax for a car they don't even own any more.” Around 53 per cent of drivers said they would use the new option of paying by direct debit, according to the survey. Those choosing to spread the cost by paying twice a year or monthly will incur a 5 per cent additional charge. However this is half of the 10 per cent surcharge currently applied to six-month tax discs, used by 23 per cent of drivers. Motorists can also pay annually with no extra cost under the new system. The scrapping of the tax disc has been well documented, and the change was officially announced in last year's Autumn Statement. Automatic number plate recognition cameras will spot motorists who have not paid the tax.

More than 1.7billion tax discs have been issued since 1921. Last year, the DVLA issued 42.2million of them. Could your car tax disc be worth £1,000? - Telegraph Could your car tax disc be worth £1,000? Paper tax discs, which end in October, could become highly sought-after Tony Hill owns a disc for every year since they were first issued in 1921 Photo: Jay Williams Comments Paper tax discs will be worthless from October 2015 – but for a few British drivers they could be an unexpected money spinner. The rarest paper discs can be traded for hundreds of pounds each by enthusiastic collectors, sometimes known as “velologists”. The priciest disc recorded is from December 1921 (picture, left, from britishtaxdiscs.co.uk) and sold for £810.30. According one collector, a pristine example of the disc could sell for up to £1,000.

But after 93 years of adorning windscreens, on October 1 2014 discs will start to be replaced by electronic records that will use police cameras to check number plates and catch owners who have not paid. Discs issued before then will remain valid until they expire, and motorists do not need to act until their disc is due for renewal. For more details see telegraph.co.uk/money. Related Articles DVLA about to ‘run out’ of tax disc paper 27 Aug 2014 However, motorists shouldn’t rip up their old disc when the new system is introduced. Modern discs are set to increase in value, collectors predicted, with new emergency-issue non‑perforated disks likely to fetch the most. 'Keep those discs about to expire' Tony Hill, who has a disc for every year since they were first issued in 1921, said that in 10 years’ time the discs would have increased in value – but that thanks to the scale of production most discs would not be worth more than a few pounds. Mr Hill, author of Trade and Collect Tax Discs, advised motorists to hold on to their old disks and keep them pristine.

“As a dealer I am really looking for the perfect disc,” he said. “Keep those discs that are about to expire in good condition – they could be worth a few quid.” VIDEO: Backlash over DVLA's public information film Tax discs issued between now and when the discs are abolished in October will be printed without perforations, so motorists will have to cut them out themselves. This limited stock of emergency discs is tipped by collectors to accrue the most value. Motorists already sell old discs through auction websites. Two vintage discs from a black cab in 1955 were listed on eBay for £55. The disc cost the original motorist £3 and eight shillings. 'Unusual' discs the highest value Stephen Challis of britishtaxdiscs.co.uk predicted that the new electronic system would increase the desirability of these older discs. “All the talk about tax discs ending has generated even more interest, which is great,” he said. “People are saying that all of a sudden they’ve got a vacancy in their windscreen and want to fill the spare space with a rare disc.” Mr Challis said the biggest money spinners were discs with a typographical error or those issued for a rare vehicle.

“What gets people most excited is a speciality disc,” he said. There are several unusual discs that demand the highest prices, Mr Challis said. One example is the emergency disc issued during the 1971 postal strike. These rare finds were issued by local taxation authorities as temporary licences. In 1954 the Government reprinted tax discs using new artwork – but printed “1953” on them by mistake. Instead of recalling them, it printed a black rectangle over the “3”. More recently, the DVLA automatically sent out discs dated “30 March” as opposed to the end of the month on the 31st. “Even modern day ones like this become very interesting for people,” Mr Challis said. Tax discs abolished in weeks but half of UK drivers oblivious to new rules | Daily Mail Online comments End of an era: Tax discs will no longer be issued from October 1 Tax discs are set to be abolished in less than six weeks’ time, but half of all UK drivers are completely oblivious to the changes, according to a new study. From October 1 the traditional tax disc will vanish, after 93 years on our windscreens.

Car owners still need to have paid vehicle tax to drive or keep a vehicle on the road: now police cameras will automatically check a car’s number plate to establish if this has been paid. But of those who are aware of the changes, as many as 50 per cent do not know the exact date, six per cent think it’s next year and 32 per cent will not even try to find out what the changes are, according to the survey from comparison website money.co.uk. Almost a third of those polled said they will await instructions from the Driving Vehicle and Licensing Agency, although the comparison website claims the DVLA has yet to start adding warnings to tax renewal reminders. Motorists will need to be aware of impending tax disc changes or face a £1,000 fine as well as potential penalty charges against a car they no longer own, experts have warned. The move away from paper discs will save motorists money on postage and will offer more flexible payment options - and it will also make it harder for tax dodgers to drive untaxed. Estimates show the changes will save the taxpayer £10million every year, This is Money reported earlier this month .

The new rules mean that used car sellers must inform the DVLA of any change of ownership immediately. HPI provider hpicheck.com, has warned those caught unaware could face fines and charges. Meanwhile used car buyers must watch out as any outstanding vehicle tax will no longer be transferred to the new owner; instead those selling will be able to claw it back. More... Compare car finance costs with a smart loan search The DVLA said it is important to notify it straight away of a change to ownership, otherwise the registered keeper could still be liable for the vehicle. This means that those who sell their car need to get forms filled in and sent off straight away rather than leaving them sitting around. Failure to do so can also result in a £1,000 fine.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras enforcing road tax, pictured here being used by DVLA teams, will be used to ensure tax discs are valid under the new digital system Shane Teskey, senior consumer services manager at hpicheck.com, added: ‘Sellers who fail to inform the DVLA, could be fined and they will still be liable for any speeding or parking fines and vehicle tax for a car they don’t even own any more.' SEARCH FOR CHEAPER CAR INSURANCE IN MINUTES The new rules will mean drivers have the option to pay by direct debit, which 53 per cent of drivers said they would opt for, according to money.co.uk. Although the tax can be paid annually with no extra cost, those choosing to spread the cost by paying twice a year or monthly will incur a five per cent additional charge. This is half of the ten per cent surcharge that is currently applied to six-month tax discs, used by 23 per cent of drivers, the study found Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief of money.co.uk, said: 'Changes to the vehicle tax system are no bad thing and we fully welcome the introduction of direct debit payments, particularly for consumers who may be struggling to keep up with the soaring cost of driving.

'It will also help to eliminate the problem of people who genuinely forget to renew their tax and end up being stung with a hefty fine. 'However, I suspect the new system may experience some teething problems so drivers really need to make sure they’re on top of their game.’ Over 1.7billion tax discs have been issued since 1921 – if they were put in a line, they would go around the world three times. Last year, the DVLA issued 42.2million tax discs weighing over 72 tonnes – that’s heavier than a Challenger 2 tank. Tax Disc - History ﻿ classic tax discs old tax discs replica tax discs historic tax discs novelty tax discs aged tax discs British tax discs reproduction tax discs authentic tax discs new (old) classic tax discs In Great Britain we have had a little coloured jewel in the bottom corner of our windscreens since the January of 1921. This was when the tax disc was born. The earliest discs came on uncoloured paper (1921 – 1922), but it wasn’t long before it was realised that the constabulary needed an easier way to spot untaxed vehicles from a distance.

So, in 1923 a vertical green stripe appeared and ever since colour has been the tax discs main identifying feature. The user friendliness we enjoy with modern cars was absent in the early days of motoring. Many vehicles had to be hand cranked from the front to start them, but this was only after an array of levers and knobs had been tweaked to set the choke, advance and retard the ignition and so forth. You may even have had to “tickle” the carburettor to get things moving. Starting a vehicle was almost turned into an art form. Even something as basic as petrol could have been purchased from some pretty strange places. This oddly included chemists and coach houses, but soon it was virtually wherever storage tanks could be placed. Many early trucks were petrol powered and if the company had several trucks then they more than likely stored fuel and sold some of it on to motorists at marked up prices thereby becoming the prototypes of early petrol stations. If you’re of a certain age you will probably remember the many independent petrol pumps that sat in front of haulage company premises In the early days most businesses were closed on Sundays (Sabbath) under the province of the Lord’s Day observance.

Because of this the use of jerry cans was quite common when you travelled any distance on that day. The RAC and AA also carried small quantities of fuel; enough to likely get you to the next town after they’d got you up and running again. You even got a compulsory salute from these smartly suited mobile mechanics, bless ‘em. (Ah! Those were the days…) The tax discs’ colour swathe (vertical, horizontal, diagonal or cross) changed yearly, but the discs always expired in December. Needless to say this caused a flood of work in Post Offices across the country in January each year when most people came to renew. Remember, daily car usage was not that common in those days and many pleasure drivers would wait until after the harshness of winter to use their vehicles. In the absence of antifreeze back then radiators had to be emptied if frost was expected. They would have to be refilled again before use. Most cars of the day also required grease points to be attended to before an outward journey of any great length was undertaken and you’d possibly even have to do them again before the end of the journey. Early cars were taxed on their Horse Power (HP) not Brake Horse Power (BHP).

Working out the HP involved measuring across the top of the piston, multiplying by the number of cylinders and then having a mathematical formula applied. What this did was to restrict “over square” engine development as most engines became long stroke. This kept the piston diameter as narrow as possible enabling you to pay less tax. This was pretty much standardised at £1 per HP from 1921 to 1948. Continued… Vehicle excise duty | Car tax band | AA £140 Historic vehicle exemption Cars built more than 40 years ago will be automatically exempt from paying car tax, from 1 January 2017. At the moment, it’s up to registered keepers to apply for car tax based on historic class. Go to DVLA leaflet INF34 for more details. Car tax or road tax? Cars started being taxed in 1920 as local councils had to start registering all vehicles. It was called Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and was based on horsepower. Tax discs were later introduced in 1921. This new tax was initially used for building and maintaining roads.

As it was paid directly into the ‘road fund’ it was known as the Road Fund Licence or road tax. In 1936, road works were being paid for by government grants. As the road fund wasn’t needed any more, it was abolished in 1955. So while it might have been right to refer to it as road tax or the Road Fund Licence before 1936, this hasn’t been the case since. End of the road for the tax disc One of the biggest changes in DVLA history was the abolition of the 93-year-old tax disc, on 1 October 2014. Also, the DVLA now issues automatic refunds on car tax – for any full months left – to the registered keeper when a vehicle is sold, scrapped or a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) is made. In the past, you could transfer car tax from your old vehicle to the new one.

Question: In which year were car tax discs launched in the UK?
Answer: 1921