VRT question

Traumadoc

What happens if you buy a car that is in one band for emissions and then modify it, slap on a turbo, change the cpu etc.

Say you buy a 520 d and you swap the engine for a 4 lit petrol one
could they come after you for the VRT owed as well as road tax changes?

-Chris-

Nope. VRT payable is calculated at the time of first registration in the state. Anything you do to it after that is none of their business.

peasant

Now I wouldn't be so sure of that.
If you swap the engine for a bigger one, don't you have to inform the motor tax people about that?
What is to prevent them from "ratting you out" to the VRT and going after you for a re-registration.

I guess we will find out as soon as the first garage sets up a nice engine swap business

Traumadoc

I wonder have the greens thought of this eventuality?

-Chris-

peasant wrote: »

I guess we will find out as soon as the first garage sets up a nice engine swap business

Let's take that one to the Dragon's Den :D

unkel

Traumadoc wrote: »

could they come after you for the VRT owed as well as road tax changes?

VR(registration)T is to do with the vehicle as is when it is registered. So any change after it is registered is irrelevant. But motor tax is based on emissions or engine size. A change there impacts on the tax due...

Traumadoc

So if you change the cpu, or the exhaust will they come after you??

-Chris-

If you pulled out the seats and lightened the car and replaced the engine with a smaller capacity, would they come after you with a big fat refund cheque?

I think Unkel's right, your road tax would be reassessed, but I think the VRT is frozen in time.