Paper tax discs are being abolished from October 1, 2014. Here, Stephen Johnson, sub-postmaster at Anlaby Post Office, answers the questions most frequently asked by his customers.Q. How do I register my car for tax? I've heard I will need to, otherwise I'll be fined.A. If your vehicle is taxed at present then you won't need to do anything at all until your tax is due to expire. You will still receive a V11 reminder from the DVLA and you can still pay for your disc at Post Office branches by cash, cheque, debit or credit card, or online at www.gov.uk/tax-disc. The only difference is you won't be issued with a disc.Q. I've read I could be fined £1000 if I display a tax disc after 1st October, is this true?A. No. There is no longer a legal requirement to display a disc from October 1 onwards but if your disc is still in date, there is no need to remove it. If you sell your car, however, then you need to inform the DVLA immediately as otherwise you could face a fine. The DVLA will cancel your tax disc and refund any duty remaining. Q. How will the police know that my car is taxed without a disc?A. The police and other agencies use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that are linked to the DVLA databases. These cameras can issue an alert for vehicles without an MOT, tax or insurance.Q. What do I need to be able to tax my vehicle?A. Your vehicle must be insured and either have a valid MOT certificate or be exempt from requiring one. If you're renewing at the Post Office, we only need your V11 tax reminder form or your V5C registration document (log book) to be able to renew your tax.Q. I've just bought a car, what do I do?A. Your new car will need to be taxed before you can drive it. You can do this at the Post Office with either the V5C registration document, or the V5C part 2 New Keepers Supplement. Further information about registering a newly purchased vehicle is also available at www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration.
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