[wraymond]

So changing the protocol results in a change of behaviour? Don’t think so! All that changes is more attempts to get around it by subversive means. When did any rise in duty, that’s the level of the tax or the method of collection and charging, stop anyone driving or inhibit their use of the roads? I don’t remember any changes in density of road traffic to date other than continual crowding and charges have continually risen.

Tolls anyone? Try crossing at Dartford without prepayment, a letter arrives in a couple of days! The same could if necessary happen anywhere where ANPR operates.

Further, the reluctance to repair damaged roads, especially those under Council responsibility, is a matter of sometime/never. As ever, taxes are the only thing certain so they have to be managed. It’s a question of understanding the rules and using them to advantage.

It was thought that the abolition of the tax disc would enable tax dodgers to get away with it. The advent of publicly available info online put paid to that, good thing too. Just time your changes to best advantage. I’ve used SORN twice now and avoided duplicate charges, just a question of timing. It is not a hypothecated tax, in spite of the title, so is used across total government expenditure and as usual liable to pressing conditional grab.