RAC urges government crackdown on untaxed foreign vehicles

[gmb45]

The government is being urged to clamp down on untaxed foreign vehicles after the RAC warned they were costing the UK millions of pounds a year.

About 60,000 foreign vehicles are registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) every year.


However, the RAC said an estimated 15,000 others are not, which it said amounts to about ?3m per year in uncollected tax.


The government said it would shortly announce plans to combat the problem.

The DVLA was unable to verify how many foreign vehicles coming into the UK are not registered, but did not contest the RAC's figures.

The RAC's head of external affairs Pete Williams said the situation was "beyond belief".

Under current regulations foreign vehicles visiting the country must be registered with the DVLA once they have been in the UK for six months.

After that time vehicles must be taxed, insured and undergo an MOT, if older than three years.


High priority
But despite the UK Border Force gathering details of every non-UK vehicle entering and leaving the country, the information was not then used by the DVLA to check foreign vehicles, the RAC said.


Some untaxed cars may also not have a valid MOT certificate or have valid insurance, the motoring group added.


"Given the prevalence of technology such as automatic number plate recognition, it is beyond belief that in the 21st century two important government agencies - namely the UK Border Force and DVLA - are not already sharing information," the RAC's Pete Williams said.


He added: "We understand that DVLA, the UK Border Force and the police are looking at how data can be used to identify foreign-registered vehicles that have been in the UK for longer than six months, so we urge the government to make finding an effective solution a high priority."


A spokesman for the Department for Transport said it was aware of the issue and that discussions were "on-going across government" on how to improve the flow of information

among agencies to tackle the problem.

The government will shortly announce "firm plans" to improve information sharing, he added.
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BBC News - RAC urges government crackdown on untaxed foreign vehicles

[gmb45]

"Some untaxed cars may also not have a valid MOT certificate or have valid insurance, the motoring group added."

some ? biggest majority i bet ffs, and them that do have an mot will prob have come from a country that just kicks the tyres and your done, like greece their mots are every 2 years ffs, and their mots are a joke, like i said kick they tyres and it passes, if we get caught with out insurance car is impounded, there should be a big clamp down on these foreign cars flouting the laws, but this is the uk if we did the pc brigade would prob be up in arms crying racism etc, some one has to die in this country before something is done.

[GastonJ]

While that may well be the case, the government also created a problem by exempting cars made before 1960 from having an MOT as well. Means you can go find a car in a barn, and if the engine starts drive it wherever you want to, no checks needed at all - would you say they'd all be safe?

The likely outcome is that they will get rid of tax discs and add the cost to fuel, that way everyone pays. Long as everyone pays them money safety will be a secondary matter, it's being able to collect tax that this government puts first.

[gmb45]

The likely outcome is that they will get rid of tax discs and add the cost to fuel, that way everyone pays. Long as everyone pays them money safety will be a secondary matter, it's being able to collect tax that this government puts first.

tru dat init.

[Kalipo]

Not posible to police.. cars enter.. cars leave. and come back... they need to find other ways to stop this.. trackers etc..

Maybe the posibility that all cars staying more than say 3 weeks should be fitted with an electronic tax disk.. be it temporary or perm..

Same system as america.. even germany doesnt allow plates to stay on a car leaving the country!!

[GastonJ]

Not posible to police.. cars enter.. cars leave. and come back... they need to find other ways to stop this.. trackers etc..

Maybe the posibility that all cars staying more than say 3 weeks should be fitted with an electronic tax disk.. be it temporary or perm..

Same system as america.. even germany doesnt allow plates to stay on a car leaving the country!!

The cost of them not paying tax is about ?3 million a year, the government will probably go for your idea only if

1) Admin of the tags cost ?300 million a year
2) The contract is awarded to a company they own, have shares in or their mates have shares in

[Meat-Head]

Same system as america.. even germany doesnt allow plates to stay on a car leaving the country!!

Can you explan more plplease ...

charge them ?1000000000 non refundable entry fee

redux they usf outt the country fir one day you can come back 6 months .


most are not forgein there fellow European who are welcome to leave Ingland as soon as they can.

[super jumbe]

All foreign cars coming to uk must have valid green card Insurance which means they have paid the taxes in advance, when we cross the channel and go to France, any eu country we also need a green card and car insurance how can any one pay road tax on a transit journeys??

[Meat-Head]

Green card? What green card?

[super jumbe]

Green card? What green card?

The green card

The confusion boils down to history, as British drivers have historically needed a document, called a Green Card, as proof of their insurance overseas. With the advent of the single market in the early nineties some EU countries agreed that tourists need not travel with their green card documentation, but that was not universally applied across Europe.

The countries that do require a Green Card are: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Iran, Israel, Moldova, Morocco, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.

The countries that don't require a Green Card are: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Here, your UK insurance certificate should suffice.

However, even tourists travelling off-the-beaten track in France and Italy can experience difficulties if they don’t have a Green Card, despite the fact that these are both countries where, in theory, you do not need one. So you may consider it advisable to carry a Green Card simply to avoid any inconvenience.

The card itself is free. It simply states that you have cover to drive in the UK and that cover, under EU law, entitles you to drive within Europe with cover. But the cover is basic - the minimum third party cover required by the country you’re visiting.

[ifred]

I've got a green card (American Express card) "thank you sir that will do nicely"

We can drive more than 100 miles without being recorded by like 300 CCTV cameras APR cameras ect
They can't catch them Gast's right its an old boys money scheme?
If they bring their car into the UK why not bail bond say a ?1000 quid on their credit card until they official leave the UK with no convictions no working illegally etc
(Sure that will thin it down somewhat)!
Bit like when you hire a car on holiday hire company hold you Credit card number as a deposit.
Maybe Meaty can built a roadside crusher ....sort of on the spot crushing

[M T Glass]

While that may well be the case, the government also created a problem by exempting cars made before 1960 from having an MOT as well. Means you can go find a car in a barn, and if the engine starts drive it wherever you want to, no checks needed at all - would you say they'd all be safe?

The likely outcome is that they will get rid of tax discs and add the cost to fuel, that way everyone pays. Long as everyone pays them money safety will be a secondary matter, it's being able to collect tax that this government puts first.

I know that this post doesn't affect me (not resident in UK) but as my Country seems to only copy moneymaking laws from other regions then whatever happens in UK may soon follow in Ireland.
That said, then there is the argument that "Why should I pay road tax (I don't have a car) if I want to buy petrol to run my lawnmower?
I'm not arguing but just putting this up for possible discussion.

[GastonJ]

Well since road and fuel duty/tax is all about so called 'green taxation' the argument could also follow that by using your lawnmower that you should be taxed for burning fossil fuels. Best fossils to burn would be those in the palace of westminster.....

[Meat-Head]

Mt mate, I often thought that about the mower, but as a cyclist would be more than happy fir tax to be in fuel.

?225/year to tax own car, dud 2800 miles I think last year, if that

[ifred]

Well since road and fuel duty/tax is all about so called 'green taxation' the argument could also follow that by using your lawnmower that you should be taxed for burning fossil fuels. Best fossils to burn would be those in the palace of westminster.....

I suppose you expect him to cut his lawn with a cow.....aren't they greater produces of environmental harmful gasses