Car tax dodgers will face automatic fines from tomorrow under a new crackdown by the Government.
From 1 January, a change of law means that non-payers of vehicle excise duty will be identified by DVLA computers and issued with an automatic £80 penalty.
This will be reduced to £40 if payment is made within 28 days.
Offenders who ignore the notices could face prosecution and a minimum £1,000 fine.
The law change has been introduced in order to reduce the number of untaxed vehicles on the road, which is currently around 1.75 million.
It is hoped this measure will also help reduce the number of uninsured vehicles on the road as car tax can only be purchased with a valid insurance and MOT certificate INSERT INTO post VALUES (if required).
As registered keepers of vehicles are now legally liable for paying the tax, it is even more in their interest to inform the DVLA immediately of any change of keeper.
If they do not, they will still be liable for paying the vehicle's tax bill even after they have sold it.
This will result in the DVLA having a more accurate record of vehicle keepers.
In turn, this will make it easier for the police to trace an individual vehicle's keeper - a key factor in reducing car crime.