We may not need them, but a recent survey from Clearway Car Finance found that more than half of cars in the UK still display a tax disc.
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On 1 October 2014, the paper tax disc was abolished as the DVLA moved car tax records and payments online, saving a whopping £10 million per year!! Just to make clear, you still need car tax; it’s just that you no longer get a paper disc to display.
With the tax disc being on every car in the UK since 1921, it seems strange to see them without one but that actually isn’t the case.
A Clearway survey found that over half of drivers still proudly display the paper tax disc on their windscreens, suggesting that drivers are in no rush to get rid of it.
And it’s not just a case of forgetting to remove it. One-in-two said having the disc remain in place is a timely reminder when it needs to be renewed, and 8% left it there because it would just look odd without one.
Whatever the reason, with the paper tax disc no longer needed, another group of people has been hitting the headlines – velologists.
What’s a velologist?
A velologist, or velology, is the study and collection of vehicle tax discs—yes, that really is a thing!!
This isn’t new, either. Since the end of tax discs, Velology has become much more popular.
But why is velology getting popular?
Well, it’s simple – it’s all about the money.
Although we had to spend a fair bit of cash out to buy one of these little circles of paper, they now have a resale value due to the fact that they are no longer being made.
How can you make money from tax discs?
Again, this is an easy one.
You just need to sell them to a collector. The thing you need to consider is whether you want to make some money immediately or if you can hang onto them for a while in the hope their value will go up.
The survey showed that 48% of people simply threw the tax disc away when it ran out, but a third chose to hang on to it as a keepsake. This means there are fewer tax discs in existence, and the ones remaining could get a good financial return.
One of the best places to sell your item at the moment is eBay, where I’ve seen tax discs sell for £320 (and more!) – that’s a nice bit of cash for a small circle of paper!
But while some are selling well, the market is inundated with people trying to make a quick buck.
Right now, it may be best to hang onto what you have, maybe buy a few cheaper ones from eBay, and then sell them in a few years when the hype has cooled off.
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Steve says
I still have mine going back years. I never threw them out, just slid the new one over the top. People pay for the weirdest things.
Emma Tustian says
I guess people buy anything. Like Steve, I’ve got a few stashed behind the existing one. Glad when my windscreen got replaced the other week that they restuck on the tax discs!
Bek B says
I’ve got a pile of these still in my car. What an interesting thought, I shall have to look into this more. Thanks! :-)
Ricky Willis says
Let me know how you get on
It may be worth saving them if you can and cashing them in when they’re antiques! :)
Mrs mcmahon says
I have a full set of the last 12 months before the got squashed. All off different cars throughout the last year
Tracey says
I have 10 car road tax disc from 2006 and 10 motor bike tax disc from 2004 one is stil attached to the paper and the receipt 2012 and 2 still in there holders
Naomi Willis says
Wow! Have you looked into how much money you’d make from your old tax discs? Or are you going to hang onto them?