Vehicle excise duty (license) when abroad

[Marbles]

The French do not now have 'vehicle tax discs'. They did away with this requirement some years ago. Question is...when a British registered vehicle is kept abroad for a period of some months....could be 11 months.....is it necessary to have the vehicle tax disc displayed or can the vehicle be declared SORN (as it is not on a British road and British law does not apply to French roads. ). The vehicle is MOT'd and insured. I have asked the DVLA and their 'young' respondant, after asking somebody else, said " the vehicle must be taxed or the French police will take the vehicle and crush it!!??. well they would say that...wouldn't they!. I believe there may be some EU law that imposes national law on a vehicle wherever it is in the EU but I want to know what that law is!!. Anyone know??

[pauln90]

If you plan to stay in France for 11 months then you will be considered resident and you will have to register the car and obtain French number plates.In which case whether it has a British VEL will be irrelevant

See here

http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?sub channel_id=22&story_id=905

[kempie]

As a general rule, your vehicle should be registered and taxed in the country where you have your normal residence. If you plan to move your car with you to a different Member State and live there for more than 6 months of the year, you will have to register it in your host country. Once registered in the host country (this may include a registration tax) the car will be under the local tax regime and not that of the UK. If the stay is for less than 6 months (or whatever relevant criteria defines "normally resident" for the case in point) the car should remain registered in the UK and is therefore subject to VED.

http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/citizens /travelling/before-departure/index.html#20172_ 9
http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l31038.ht m
http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l31004.ht m

[Ethel]

You can only drive a UK registered car in France for six months at a time - and it must be UK legal.

[Marbles]

Not sure if I am doin this correct....I am the author and want to correct an incorrect assumption. Whilst the (old) car is in France for an extended period, I live and am based in UK. This is my fiscal base and home. The car is old so VATand purchase tax should not be a prob.