No road tax on foreign cars

With vastly increased income from fuel taxes and duties there should be no need for the burocracy involving the levy of 'Road Tax' unless the Government of the day would be prepared to spend that income on the improvement of ALL transport infrastructures ; Police have access to both MoT and Insurance databases via numberplate recognition systems - which are far more important than the 'Tax Disk' - see the comments attached to the following Downing Street Petition (mentions foreign vehicles as well as other unfairness associated with Vehicle Excise Duty ('Road Tax') - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/RoadTaxAbolition/

I had written to my MP, Lynne Featherstone about this issue and she wrote to Stephen Ladyman at the DFT about this issue. He replied to say that the Government were doing
some research etc (2004) but not heard any more.

Suggested that they needed a campaign to make foreign drivers aware that after 6 months
they needed to get a UK License plate and pay UK Road Tax. Have not seen any advice at
any of the ports.

Also suggested that perhaps all Foreign vehicles on UK Roads need to buy a tax disc, like
the one needed in Switzerland, to show when the 6 month period started. Therefore, any vehicle
seen without a tax disc older than 6 months would be clamped until the owner took action.

The same way that a UK registered vehicle could be clamped, towed away and destroyed should
also apply to Foreign vehicles in the UK for longer than 6 months. However, its like everything we
can expect from Labour, none of the ministers seem to be doing their jobs.

There is an EU wide agreement which allows vehicles from one member state to be used in another as long as it is insured, but this is only for 6 months. After that the vehicle is treated
as an import and you are required in any EU state to register the vehicle and follow the same
rules as locals.

I think the people that seem to think its fair need to do some research before the attack someone for pointing out something that is unfair to local people in the UK. Otherwise, we
should all be able to tax and insure a vehicle any where in the EU, where it would be cheapest
for us.

If I move to Czech republic, after having my vehicle in their country for 6 months I would be
required to regsiter my vehicle there and display a Czech license plate, have the car taxed
and insured. The reason that lots of these people like the lack of checks in the UK is that they
avoid having to pay the same as UK registered vehciles.

Do you own a car ? Do you pay your taxes? Do you abide by the law? Continue doing just that. Let others do as they see fit. Nuff said.

how sad are you? get a job, a woman and make some friends. basically get a life dude!
saying that foreigners do not contribute to the UK economy is absurd! and that proves you are one not to be considered at all. actually I am waisting my time already here .... hehehe you saddo!

David is right, all foreign cars are covered by Europe wide insurance. They also pay road tax and pass MOTs in the countries where they are registered. Therefore they are not free riders. Registering a foreign car in the UK is fairly complicated, and nobody seems to know how to do it, most likely because they do not really care.

I would agree with spikimike, the easiest solution would be to adopt the Swiss model: just tax all foreign vehicles at ports, that should be not too difficult. It would make it easy for drivers and bring revenue to DVLA. Britain being an island, there can't be that many points of entry. If that has not yet been done, that's because of lack of political will, of whatever colour (Labour or Tory, Karl), due to the economic interests involved. Unlike Switzerland, which is mostly a through destination of commercial and leisure traffic, the UK is often the final one, and charging all traffic entering the country would have repercussions on businesses and thus on the economy as a whole. Moreover, if you charge French motorists coming in, they will probably retaliate, charging British drivers on shopping sprees to Calais (cheap booze and smokes anyone?)

As for accidents and other violations, the police could track the culprits if they wanted, at least for more serious offenses. It would only take time, hence they do not bother. However, due to increasing cross border traffic, a new EU database is being introduced, which will allow police forces to exchange information on motorists across Europe easily and quickly.

You can not buy abroad because you dont reside there. that means you dont have any address abroad to register such vehicle. and if you had one you WOULD PAY ROAD TAX,INSURANCE AND MOT in that particular country. so what would that save you?? clever...

If a foreigner happens to bump you on the road. The best advice is to photo him and his car. Chances are he is not covered to be on the road.

If you get the police involved, tell them people or you are injured. If you fail to do so, they won't come to the scene.

Photo as in the camera on your phone if it has one.

My problem is exactly as described below. I can not bring and register a car here when it is leased in a different country. Any solutions appart of taking the car each 6 months outside of UK?
Petře, vyřešil jsi to nějak? avalanche@tiscali.cz

I have just come to UK and I'm looking for information about road tax. And be sure, you are not right in all cases. Cars from European countries are insured and most likely road tax is payied in their home country (as my case is - Czech Republic).
I can agree with opinion here for long stays. However if I do not pay for my car in my country next year (nobody asks where I am staying), I can expect really "fat" fine because my car is registered and expected to pay for it every year (aprox. 200 - 300 GBP/year).
You are not the only people to pay taxes :-). And if you go abroad, you do not need to pay any tax more (except motorway fee in CR - 30 GBP/year :-).
I like government!

I have just come to UK and I'm looking for information about road tax. And be sure, you are not right in all cases. Cars from European countries are insured and most likely road tax is payied in their home country (as my case is - Czech Republic).
I can agree with opinion here for long stays. However if I do not pay for my car in my country next year (nobody asks where I am staying), I can expect really "fat" fine because my car is registered and expected to pay for it every year (aprox. 200 - 300 GBP/year).
You are not the only people to pay taxes :-). And if you go abroad, you do not need to pay any tax more (except motorway fee in CR - 30 GBP/year :-).
I like government!

Use the following web-site to report untaxed vehicles (anonimously):-
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/UntaxedVehicle
These people are laughing at us - no wonder they can afford to undercut our wage levels.
They are raping this country.
Get rid.

Really, thinking that foreign cars do not need insurance, MOT, or pay taxes, is ridiculous, so if you have a accident with them and it is their fault you might end up paying for it and there os nothing you can do about it. All UK cars are comtrolled by the DVLA and if you don't pay your tax they will come and fine you or even crash your car, once again if you are a foriegner you ahve more right's then a British person, this is not fair we should inform a national newspaper about this go even inform or local MP's to find out how thay will deal with this.
In Switzerland every car or lorry entering Switzerland must have a motorway tax disc, so why can't we do the same at all ports where they enter this country just think of all the tax will come into this country.