11 February 2003
MINISTER REMINDS PEOPLE NOT TO IGNORE MOTOR TAX REMINDERS
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and Minister of the Environment, Angela Smith, MP, has declared a campaign against tax dodgers has started successfully. More than 11,000 owners of vehicles failed to meet the new legislation last month.
Mrs Smith said: "It gives me no pleasure seeing the success of my Department’s campaign against vehicle tax dodgers and I am extremely disappointed at the number of motorists who have failed to meet this legal requirement. Our new arrangements were introduced to ensure that people who previously evaded paying motor tax will not be allowed to get away with it any more. This initiative improves the accuracy of the vehicle records and assists my staff in DVLNI combating road tax evasion. It also has a positive impact on Road Safety as it ensures that vehicles using our roads have current road worthiness certificates and are properly insured."
Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN) was introduced in Northern Ireland last December and fundamentally changed vehicle keeper responsibilities. Under this scheme when motor tax expires the vehicle’s owner must either renew the tax or tell DVLNI that the vehicle is off the road. Despite considerable publicity DVLNI is disappointed to report that over 11,000 people failed to comply with the legislation in the month of January.
Mrs Smith added: "For years, many people have ignored their motor tax renewal forms and some took a chance and continued to use the vehicle untaxed, at least for a month or two. You can no longer do this. If you ignore your tax reminder you will be committing an offence and moreover it will cost you. Furthermore, if someone is disposing of their vehicle or asking for a refund of their tax disc they must give full details to DVLNI about the new owner.
"A penalty of £25 will be imposed for failure to comply with the legislation and this rises to £45 if not paid within the specified time. Ultimately failure to pay the fine will result in the case going to court where a fine of up to £1,000 may be imposed."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
A roadside survey of unlicensed vehicles in Northern Ireland conducted in August 1999 revealed that the level of road tax evasion is running at around 10%. This equates to 79,000 unlicensed vehicles with an estimated revenue loss of £12m. This is almost three times higher than the level of evasion in G.B. (3.9% which equates to £188m).
Motorists tempted to delay their payment of vehicle excise duty when they receive a vehicle licence reminder will be caught out under SORN. Many of these motorists fall into a group known as "month skippers" and will be readily identified through SORN, as DVLNI will know if a vehicle is either taxed or declared off the road. If a vehicle has neither a valid tax disc nor a valid SORN declaration, the DVLNI will be able to trace the vehicle keeper and take necessary action to ensure compliance with the law.
All vehicles, which are licensed (including those issued with a nil licence) on or after the date of commencement of the scheme, will become liable to the SORN regulations on the expiry of their current licence; on the date a refund of licence duty is claimed; or as a result of a change of keeper (in the case of subsequent unlicensed vehicles). Vehicles which are unlicensed at the commencement of the scheme and which are caught on the public road any time afterwards will also become liable to the SORN regulations.
In short since December 2002, every vehicle in Northern Ireland which is taxed on or after that date must either be relicensed or have a declaration in force stating that it will not be used or kept on a public road. Special arrangements will apply to vehicles in Trade (see note 10).
When a tax disc expires there will no longer be the option to do nothing. The disc must be renewed or a SORN declaration made if the vehicle is being kept off the road.
If a refund of the licence duty is requested, full details of the reason for the refund will be required and a SORN declaration must be made if the reason for the refund is because the vehicle is being kept off the road.
If a vehicle is disposed of or sold, full details must be notified immediately to DVLNI.
If an unlicensed vehicle is acquired after December 2002 and it is not being relicensed, as it will be kept off the road, a SORN declaration must be made. This applies even if the previous keeper has made a SORN declaration, as a declaration does not transfer with the vehicle.
A SORN declaration is valid for up to 12 months or until the vehicle is disposed of or sold. The vehicle must be licensed if it is going to be brought back onto the road before the 12 months elapse.
While the SORN regulations state that Traders must make a SORN declaration on any unlicensed vehicle in their possession within 3 months of acquisition, a "Trade Easement" will be applied which means that Traders will not have to make a SORN declaration on vehicles in Trade, provided that DVLNI is notified immediately of disposal, and is given full details of the date and to whom the vehicle has been disposed; and, on receipt of a schedule, listing vehicles still recorded as being in a Traders possession and on which SORN has not been declared, the Trader replies immediately confirming keepership.
Further information is available in leaflets to be issued with all new-style Licence Renewal reminders, for one year from commencement of the scheme. Additional information, if required, can be obtained from Driver and Vehicle Licensing Central Office, Coleraine or from any of the 8 Local Vehicle Licensing Offices.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland (DVLNI) was launched as an Executive Agency of DOE in 1993. The Agency is responsible for licensing drivers, the registration and licensing of vehicles, and the collection and enforcement of vehicle duty (motor tax). The Agency employs 380 staff and operates from its headquarters at County Hall, Coleraine and from eight offices throughout Northern Ireland.
For further information contact Paddy Murphy DOE Press Office Tel 028 9054 0014.
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