Tax Challenges Pose Historical Obstacles for Enthusiasts

Struggling Classic Car Owners Hit Roadblocks with VED Exemption

Fasten your seatbelts, fellow petrol heads! If you own an early '85 classic, you might be dealing with a bumpy ride when trying to get your wheels exempt from VED.

Here’s the thing: According to the 40-year rolling exemption rule, cars made or first registered before January 1 more than 40 years ago are eligible for VED exemption. That means those classic rides registered in '84 are supposed to be sweet ВЭД-free. But, let's face it—the real world isn't always that simple.

Take the case of Graham Pearson, who's got a shiny Mini 25 LE from early 1985. He hit the jackpot by securing a registration date that, in theory, should’ve scored him some VED exemption. However, his attempts to swap his vehicle to the historic tax class at the local post office were penalized by a flat “no.” Apparently, the DVLA wasn't satisfied with just the registration date and wanted proof of the year of manufacture. And here's the catch—you'd think having a registration date in the correct window would be enough evidence, wouldn't you?

Now, buckle up for Gavin Bushby's tale. Gavin's clockwork Talbot Salora was registered on January 2, '85—another case that, in theory, should be treated like a '84 car. Alas, post office staff couldn't change the tax class, and after a torturous 30 minutes on hold to the DVLA, our Talbot-loving friend was told the impossible—it was unable to be taxed.

You'll want to brace yourself for their convoluted encounters with the DVLA. Seems the organization didn't possess the cars' build dates, so they assumed the defaults were the actual build years. Graham and Gavin were instructed to obtain proof of the year of manufacture in the form of a stamped document from the manufacturer and send it to the DVLA. Cut to the confusion chaser: The computers were calling the shots, and DVLA staff were just along for the ride.

Fast forward a bit, and both Graham and Gavin sent their V5 to the DVLA to correct the situation. A spokesperson from the organization shared: “In these two cases, since no proof of date of manufacture was provided, the dates defaulted to December '85. Our colleagues have now corrected the records, and new V5Cs will be issued to allow your readers to tax their vehicles in the historic tax class at their neighborhood post office.”

Exciting resolution, right? Not so fast. Both of our enthusiasts received their new V5C, but the VED-exemption magic never happened. "I've now got to once again go down to a Post Office with the V5 signed (again) and another V112!" said Gavin. After 25 days, our Talbot-loving friend was still waiting for progress. Poor Graham faced the same roadblock. After drafting a letter to the DVLA, complete with an email from British Motor Industry Heritage Trust verifying the build date, he's still waiting to see if his efforts paid off.

So, what's the takeaway here? Well, it looks like if you think the age of your vehicle shown in the DVLA records is wrong, basic documents from a club won't cut it. You'll need a dating certificate from the manufacturer or factory record or from the appropriate "Glass's Check Book" to change the date, but even that might not be enough.

Have you faced challenges with getting your vehicle into the historic tax class? Spill the beans and send us a missive at [email protected]. Let's help each other navigate this bumpy road and keep our classic beauties on the legal side of the asphalt.

Extra Fuel:If you're looking into the classic car scene, here are some quick facts that might help you in your journey:

While the DVLA assumes vehicles registered between January 1 and January 7 more than 40 years ago were made in the previous year, this isn’t always accurate.
Proof of a vehicle's build date can be hard to come by as the DVLA might not have records or may have inaccurate information in its system.
Owners must provide an extract from the manufacturer or factory record or from the appropriate "Glass's Check Book" that specifically links to the vehicle's original identity to change the vehicle's date of manufacture.

Despite the 40-year rolling exemption rule, classic car owners may encounter difficulties when trying to get their vehicles taxed in the historic tax class. In some cases, owners like Graham Pearson and Gavin Bushby were required to provide a stamped document from the vehicle's manufacturer, detailing the exact year of manufacture, to correct the DVLA's records. Even with this documentation, some owners may still face roadblocks in obtaining VED exemption.