Are we all tax-dodging villians?

[TheDonUK]

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7200066.stm

It seems the BBC would paint us to be.

Those figure seem suspect to me, and the whole article smacks of anti biker predjudice.

Some choice quotes:

"Large parts of the biking community are cocking a snook at the law." - What does that even mean??

"It was also physically difficult for the police to detain motorcyclists as they can easily turn round and drive off, the report said."

As to the tax question, for the third time in nearly as many years i have had my tax disc stolen while parking in london. I got to the point where i kept it in my wallet, but then i brought a new bike and thought; well its on there now... Stolen

a year ago or so when dispatching i was sitting on the bike in hanover square (near regent street), when some thai looking lady walked up to a bike and started fiddling with the tax disc holder, im sitting there thinking that ninja isnt yours love, so i ask her what shes doing, she claims its her bike, i ask where her helmet is and if i should call the police to help her with the problem she seems to be having, she leaves quickly making excuses... the point is, the problem with displaying tax on bike is that it is not beyond the reach of petty theifs

I dont understand why you can just turn a tax disc in and get an instant refund of the remaining month(s), surely this just encourages petty theft. As tax disc's have reg numbers why not require log books to claim a refund?

I digress, I am legally taxed but the disc was stolen, i believe i have to pay a replacement fee to get a new one... Thank you DVLA for stealing some more of my ever evaporating money and and big shout out to the BBC for remaining neutral....

[chris-red]

[TheDonUK]

I agree, the problem is that as i was reminded last week by a policeman it is an offence to fail to display a valid tax disc...

Maybe the legislation needs an overhaul inline with technological advancements

I was just a bit taken-aback by the way that article was written, almost painted the DVLA as some sort of samurai defending their honor with what is invariably going to be a banzai charge of 10-20 police standing by the side of the road stopping bikers for whatever...

[Ste]

40% of bikers are untaxed and pretty much all getting away with it. Bollocks to renewing the tax on mine this year then, thanks BBC.

[doggone]

Seems likely that there are always a lot of bikes not taxed because they really aren't on the road ,
It depends how they are generating this stat - known bike registrations which aren't taxed or sorned, or ar they actually catching bikes without tax on the road?

[and]

...

[Itchy]

probably a figure picked out of the air of includes SORN, but hey lets not let the truth get in the way of a good story eh?.

you go somewhere like RS , Gaz's old place , Rivi barn bikes in the back they have 100s of broken bikes , all registered as SORN or scrapped, I bet those contribute to the figures heavily especially as many riders put their bikes away for the winter.

But I reckon they include mini motos, battery powered bikes etc

you know the usual New Labour tricks , ie the anti ID card thing on their own website , they had an enourmous number of anti ID card comments, Zanulabour combined ALL the anti ID card comments into one comment so that virtually 100% of the comments were pro ID card.

As said Zanulabour wants to get rid of us , since ANPR is difficult to use on us we pay less road tax and use less fuel for similar journies , we get put into cars , we burn more fuel pay more for parts and servicing and get taxed more, and are easy targets for congestion charge policies.
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[Itchy]

[MarJay]

I think its more likely people who have bikes in their garages/sheds who just don't send off the SORN each year.

40% does seem very high, I'd have aimed it more around 10%. Perhaps we need a poll for this?
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[and]

...

[Itchy]

Bah don't get me started on the SORN law, tax on forgetfulness..
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[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

I'm taxed, but not displayed, there's nowhere to put it and it looks rubbish, and I've had them nicked before.

It lives under my seat.
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[MarJay]

[Kris]

I think the tax comment could be justified and believe it can be attributed to two main points (if found correct):

1. Project bikes or bikes sitting in garages.

2. Loons with no documents at all.

Personally I don't blame either group if it is the case.

But... we all know what the BBC is like for telling the truth don't we people..

https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/breakfast/2277706.stm
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[MarJay]

[killa]

[stinkwheel]

Well, I'm contributing at least two of those bikes. My old Jawa and my T500 are untaxed (and non-running I should add).

I have not declared SORN on them because frankly, the DVLA can go fuck themselves sideways with regard to that particular piece of legislation. It is stupid and I refuse to participate in it.
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[Kris]

[pa_broon74]

This is a shot across the bows, it seems to me they're aiming to target off-road bikes in an effort to raise more revenue. You know what this lot are like...

Ministers or committee chairmen make a sweeping statement in order to test the water for some draconian new law or campaign to increase the flow of money going into government coffers.

No doubt some rat-faced civil servant was aware of the massive increase in people getting into dirt biking and motocross and saw an opportunity.

I look foward to hearing them attempt to justify taxing vehicles that will never use the public highway which is what we are told the VED is for.


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Didn't catch anything.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[Kris]

[headlamp]

I think that if the 'public accounts committee' were to do some basic analysis they'd see that the figure was siginifiancatly less. A lot of people have 'spare bikes', possibly haven't declared write-offs, pay no attention to SORN (stupid law anyway!) etc. and they have failed to take these into account - stupid prats!

Now some idiot politician or pressure group will use this to have another 'go' at the motorcycling fraternity!
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Using a mobile phone while driving a car should be made a capital offence!

[m0l0t0v]

4 bikes in my household, 1 taxed, the other 3 don't have tax and haven't been declared as Sorn'd...

W00T! I'm a criminal me
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[iooi]

Rather than read the Bbc doctored piece read the https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmpubacc/5r/227.pdf
Seems its all based on a very small sample......

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]