Car tax dodgers appear in court

Seven people have been convicted and fined for evading the new car tax rules introduced in January this year.

Fines totalling £8,000 were imposed under the new Continuous Registration rules in Belfast Magistrates’ Court earlier this month in relation to the offences which were committed in the first three months of the year.

Brendan Magee, Chief Executive of DVLNI, warned motorists who failed to keep their car tax up to date that they would pay the penalty.

"DVLNI has been running a major communications campaign to inform motorists of the new car tax rules introduced in January 2004," he said.

“Motorists should keep their vehicle tax up to date in order to avoid a £1000 fine. The government is determined to cut the number of untaxed vehicles on the road. Motorists who have failed to pay their vehicle tax are detected from DVLNI’s database. It is the responsibility of the registered keeper to license the vehicle.”

Mr Magee warned that the keeper of a vehicle must advise DVLNI if it has been sold, scrapped, stolen or exported, otherwise they would remain liable for the vehicle tax.

(MB/GMCG)