DVLA Response to UK Vehicle Excise Duty Evaders living or working outside the UK

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Dear Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency,

DVLA states that UK registered vehicles must have a current VED and MOT when taken to Europe for a period of less than 12 months.

My question relates to the common practice of UK dual home owners, expats, and seasonal workers, applying to SORN a UK plated vehicle, whilst using it on the roads in Europe for protracted periods of time. I have reported a number of these vehicles through the online process during the past year but with no response, and so far my FOI requests to DVLA as to how you investigate and take action against offenders following such online reports have met with obscufation.

So my question is: "How does DVLA respond to reports of VED Evasion (received though your online reporting system) in instances where the UK registered evader is using the vehicle outside the UK?"

Iain James

FOI FOI, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Dear Mr James,

Outside of the terms of The Freedom of Information Act 2000. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) online service is for the UK public to notify vehicles that may be unlicensed in the UK. A report of notifications received via this service is sent to the DVLA’s national wheel clamping contractor, and vehicles seen on the UK roads can be clamped and impounded from this information.

The DVLA operates a comprehensive package of measures to tackle VED evasion which will not be immediately visible to members of the public. These range from the vehicle record with reminder letters and penalties sent to the registered keepers UK address and possible court prosecutions for any unlicensed vehicles.

It is the registered keepers responsibility to be correctly registered and licensed, have an MoT and insurance in their home country, and make sure they cover their legal requirements when using a UK registered vehicle abroad. It would be for the foreign authorities to oversee any discrepancies of a UK vehicle keeper while travelling in another EU member state.

Regards,

Freedom of Information Team
Data Sharing & Protection Group | Strategy, Policy and Communications Group | C2 | DVLA | Swansea | SA6 7JL
Twitter: @dvlagovuk

We can always spot an untaxed car. Tax it or lose it.
Rydym wastad yn llwyddo i ddod o hyd i gar heb dreth. Trethwch ef neu byddwch yn ei golli.
Go to/Ewch i www.gov.uk/vehicletax

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Dear FOI,

From the reply, it is clear that DVLA takes no action against this form of VED evasion, which is widespread amongst UK residents using vehicles in Europe either as seasonal workers, second home owners, or even expatriates (especially in Spain) and either declaring them SORN, or just never paying VED. It is disappointing that even when reported to DVLA (with photographic evidence) that there cannot be some form of enforcement via fixed penalty notices served at the the owners UK registered address.

Yours sincerely,

Iain James

Mr Williams left an annotation ()

It would seem that DVLA are saying that using a UK car on another country's roads whilst SORN or without an MOT does not break any UK law - those laws apply to use on UK highways only.

FOI FOI, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Dear Mr James,

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) online service is for the UK public to notify vehicles that may be unlicensed in the UK. A report of notifications received via this service is sent to the DVLA’s national wheel clamping contractor, and vehicles seen on the UK roads can be clamped and impounded from this information.

The DVLA operates a comprehensive package of measures to tackle VED evasion which will not be immediately visible to members of the public. These range from the vehicle record with reminder letters and penalties sent to the registered keepers UK address and possible court prosecutions for any unlicensed vehicles.

It is the registered keepers responsibility to be correctly registered and licensed, have an MoT and insurance in their home country, and make sure they cover their legal requirements when using a UK registered vehicle abroad. It would be for the foreign authorities to oversee any discrepancies of a UK vehicle keeper while travelling in another EU member state.

Regards,

David A Morgan
Freedom of Information Team
Data Sharing & Protection Group | Strategy, Policy and Communications Group | C2 | DVLA | Swansea | SA6 7JL
Twitter: @dvlagovuk

We can always spot an untaxed car. Tax it or lose it.
Rydym wastad yn llwyddo i ddod o hyd i gar heb dreth. Trethwch ef neu byddwch yn ei golli.
Go to/Ewch i www.gov.uk/vehicletax

show quoted sections