The Historic Vehicle taxation class is now a ‘rolling’ system once again, meaning that a vehicle that’s 40 or more years old can be reclassified as ‘historic’ and eligible for free car tax (VED). In this instance, it applies to the vehicle’s production date rather than the date of first registration – an important point to bear in mind if you can prove that your particular car sat unregistered for a year or two before hitting the road for the first time.

The rolling system updates occur each April. For example, April 2019 saw all vehicles built prior to 1 January, 1979, become eligible for Historic Vehicle car tax. April 2020 will see it update to pre-1980 vehicles and so on. If your classic is eligible to be reclassified as a Historic Vehicle, go to Section 7 of your V5C and complete the Tax Class section, altering it to ‘historic’. Then sign and date the bottom of that page and take your V5C along to a VED-issuing Post Office, complete with a completed V10 car tax application form and your MoT certificate. The Post Office will issue your car tax free of charge (as a Historic Vehicle) and will send your V5C to the DVLA. You’ll then receive a replacement V5C in the post, plus a cheque for any unexpired (previously paid for) VED.