Quick road tax question please

[elanski]

I'm new to this game so please excuse my ignorance.

I understand classic cars built in or before 1972 are tax exempt. Has this year been the same cut off point since they introduced the rule or does it move every year so its always x years less than the current year (that would seem fair to me)

I'm thinking of buying a 73 car but wonder if it will aquire free tax status at some point or whether I will always be stuck taxing it and miss out for the sake of one year.

Thanks

[andyelan]

Hi There

The tax exemption used to move on year be year but it dosn't anymore so if you buy a '73 car you will be required to pay road tax (that is unless the rules are changed which I would think is unlikly given the current economic situation). Given a choice though, I would always go for the better car irrespective of the road tax situation. Currently I believe bargins can be had on post '73 cars

Andy

[types26/36]

From the DVLA website

[john.p.clegg]

Glenn

You are right ,cars built before 1973 are exempt,yours may have been built before 1973,even though it was registered after....others on here will let you know more facts about this...

John

[RichC]

....so if you can prove it was manufactured before 1st jan '73 , even though it may have been registered early 1973 , the car will qualify for historic status .
RichC

[trw99]

Correct and the information as to year and month of manufacture is easily accessed from the VIN.

Tim

[bcmc33]

You don't say what car you're interested in buying. If it's a Sprint then it will be tax free. If it's a +2 then you will need will need to check the VIN for the manufacture date.
e.g. When the VIN starts with 7212 it means the car was produced in Dec 1972 and will be tax exempt, when it starts with 73 it is not tax exempt.

[elanski]

Thanks. There is a chance then that 73 registered cars might have been built the preceeding year and be tax exempt. Might be lucky then although I am looking at the plus2 130's so could go either way as I think they were built across 72 and 73. Will find out when I see the VIN.

[Robbie693]

I think, off the top of my head, that the S130 was introduced in '71 and production ceased in '74.

Mine was registered in Jan 1973, but built in December '72 so still qualifies for tax exemption

Good luck with the search

Robbie

[alaric]

Mine was built in Oct '72 and registered in Feb '73 - Robbie's must have been a nicer color. I my car ever finds it's way back onto the road it should qualify for tax exemption. It says clearly in the VIN - mine's 72100968L - so it came off the line in Oct 72.

Sean.

[pereirac]

I always though my Sprint was a 1973 model as it was registered in 1973 but I got a letter from Lotus showing that the car was actually built in 1972. That was enough to convince the DVLA to classify the car as a 'historic vehicle' and therefore free tax!

[kstrutt11]

As someone who bought his april 73 +2 A year before Gordon Brown revoked the rolling exemption thinking I would only have to tax it for one more year, I am all to aware (around ?2000's worth) of this!


Kevin