ROAD TAX CHEATS TO BE PRESSED FOR PAYMENT - this warning was given by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency at Swansea at the launch of the National Wheelclamping Scheme against road tax cheats.A two week publicity campaign was designed to encourage motorists to check that their vehicles are taxed and to warn evaders that from Monday 18 August, wheelclamping contractors would seek out road tax cheats and wheelclamp their vehicles. This enforcement activity covered the whole of London initially and will quickly spread nation-wide. During the pilot scheme held in five London Boroughs last year almost 60% of vehicles impounded were disposed of mainly by crushing .
DVLA is taking a hard line against road tax cheats. Motorists without current tax discs on their vehicles will find it more trouble than its worth. Clamping contractors will patrol the streets and, upon authorisation from DVLA, clamp vehicles they find which are not taxed. The release penalties are high, £68 to remove the clamp and a valid tax disc will need to be shown to recover the vehicle. If one cannot be produced, a £100 surety will have to be paid for a car or motorcycle and up to £500 for any other vehicle. The surety payment is forfeit if a valid tax disc is not produced within two weeks. If a tax disc is still not purchased, then the vehicle may be clamped again and again.....
Vehicles will be towed away and impounded if not claimed within 24 hours. The release fee will then increase to £135 and there will be storage charges of £12 per day. A valid tax disc or surety payment will still be required. Vehicles that are not reclaimed within five weeks will be disposed of by crushing or selling at auction. In addition, owners of unlicensed vehicles could be prosecuted with fines of up to £1,000 and convicted offenders will have to pay the back tax from the date the vehicle was last licensed, together with costs.
The Head of Enforcement for DVLA added a cautionary warning"If a clamped unlicensed vehicle is left in a pound for five weeks it will cost over £600 to have it released - a high price to pay when a tax disc costs £82.50 for six months or £150 for twelve months.
We are determined to clamp down hard on this irresponsible group who evade paying their road tax. Law abiding motorists have nothing to fear but road tax cheats should beware as they could end up carless and penniless.
Honest motorists who regularly pay their road tax are fed up with seeing this hard core continually get away with dodging it. DVLA would be failing in its duty if it did not protect the honest motorist".
...the above information was taken from the DVLA site at http://www.open.gov.uk/dvla/whatsnew.htm It is not a really recent news release, but it gives you an idea of what the road tax is and what penalties might be expected for non-payment.