For all the international members...

[Beemer323]

Just a quick question, can someone please give a simple explanation about MOT and tax?

Cheers, Doug.

[Chris-W]

MOT: The annual condition, emissions and safety test which is required for cars 3yrs old and over. Without which a car can not be taxed.

Tax: annual excise duty amount, charged per vehicle. Chargeable amount varies according to vehicle type. If a vehicle is not taxed it must be declared as such (SORN - statutory off road notice).

[munky30]

mot - Yearly test done on uk cars to make sure they are safe and roadworthy. It doesnt work.

Tax - money we pay to the government so we can use our cars on their roads. In exchange they are supposed to spend it on maintaining good quality road surfaces. They don't do this, preferring to spend it all on speed cameras and champagne for their christmas party.

[choppa7]

love a bit of bubbly at the shareholders meeeting

The above is true though

[JohnnyThunders]

love a bit of bubbly at the shareholders meeeting

[choppa7]

thats the pic I was looking for

[bam2002]

So then are you taxed on the value of the car or the year / weight?

Then does that include the tag / Plate or is that another fee..?

Im trying to comapre to here in the US.
I pay taxes on the car when I buy it. Then have to buy a tag every year.

In florida I am lucky: they go by car weight, so its about $35 for a tag. Then I need to get insurance to drive the car on the roads. For cars that are over 20 years old and are driven less than 3,000 miles a year I also can get "collectors" insurance. So its only about $ 220 a year for insurance.

Also for motorcycles here, the tags are $14 per year and if you have the bike paid for you dont have to have insurance.

I am just wondering how this compares. From what I have heard its more expensive over there to have a car on the roads.

Barry

[Rosc0PColtrane]

When you buy a car brand new over here, you pay VAT (value added tax at 17.5%), similar to your sales tax. The car is regstered for identity purposes. Our fuel is in excess of $10 a gallon, due to taxes. Annually, we pay road tax or vehicle excise duty, as it's properly known. Cars over a certain age pay a flat rate of about $380 per year. Cars under a certain age are banded according to co2 emissions. 4x4's are charged a premium on top of the $380.

IIRC, your annual registration is similar to our road tax, although, I understand in some states, a road tax is also levvied.

I'm 29 drive a 2 litre cabby, have 3 penalty points on my licence for speeding and pay about $640 for annual insurance. Younger drivers can pay between $1,000 to $4,000 for annual insurance.

The price of petrol (gas) is also a huge disparity. I understand Americans are unhappy at gas being 3 bucks a gallon? IIRC the US gallon is also larger than the UK galllon......

However, we have less toll roads than you.

[Jesus325iTouring]

Tax here is done by engine cubic capacity,once yearly fee.

The tags as you call them,here are purely for identification of the car,nothing else.

Basically we need...

MOT,the checks as previously mentioned,once a year,

Tax,again payable once a year,

And insurance yearly,to get insurance you must have the above two.

[mrLEE30]

tax .... what is this?? never heard of such a thing , here you buy a car and drive...simple... oil pays for the rest

[Brianmoooore]

All E30s fall into the same class and pay the same amount of tax.