Euro 4

Good morning all. I have just taxed my 2003 Symbol with 2.0 Hdi engine and paid £220. I phoned DVLA to find out why it is not registered as Euro 4 compliant (is that right?). The requirements seem to be, registered between January 2003 and 2006 and less than 3,500 Kgs which it is. The difference in tax cost is £120. After some to-ing and fro-ing the nice lady said it was registered as private/light goods and not just light goods.
I cannot find much about definition of the Euro ratings. I would have thought if the base vehicle was Euro 4 any conversion would be. Any thoughts?
Bert

Perhaps it's something to do with the use the vehicle is being put to rather than just the vehicle spec?
(no idea really)

Frank

According to the DVLA website there are different tax rates for -

Light goods vehicles registered after March 1st 2001 not over 3500kg - £215

Euro 4 light goods vehicles registered between 1st March 2003 and 31st December 2006 not over 3500kg - £135

I would query this again with the DVLA and quote from their website...

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The rates shown have not been updated to the new rates after the budget. There is a tool on the website to find out your rate and in the choices there is no mention of private/light goods only light goods or cars. Under cars the only Peugeot vans listed are Expert and Partner, therefore I read that as the Boxer is light goods.

Hi Bertb,

Checking the DVLA website ..... It seems there is not a "Euro 4 private / light goods" .... only a ..... "Euro 4 light goods" ..... so it looks (to me anyway) that the car CO2 rules apply

Good luck,

Brian

I suppose the other question we should ask is - what tax rate was it last year? Lets face it the tax rates never go down.

Deckie and Paulmold. Yes to both of you! That's the point I got to. See my reply to Boxerman. I will wait to see if anyone is actually paying the lower, light goods rate before going further. If the first registration decides the tax class all Symbols should be in the same class.
Deckie, the car rules don't apply as far as I can see because there are no emissions on the V5! Would there be if it was a Euro 4 engine?
Thanks for your comments.
Bert
Paul, it was £215 last year. Same tax class, private/light goods.

bertb wrote: See my reply to Boxerman.

Am I missing something here? what reply was that Bert?

Frank

It seems from the DVLA road fund tax lists the taxation is as shown on the V5C. So has anyone got theirs handy and can check the 'taxation class' entry? Mine is PRIVATE/LIGHT GOODS PLG. From the DVLA site it should read EURO 4 LIGHT GOODS VEHICLE to be in the lower tax bracket (I think!). There is some confusion with registration dates and vehicle class. Not to mention the numbers the DVLA give to the various classes I.E. TC36/TC11 etc.

Sorry Frank, I sent you a reply first thing but it,s disappeared! And it was so concise and well argued!!! NOT.
It was expanding on my conversation with the DVLA, Birmingham. Ref their website out of date. Quite pleasant though. I am surprised this business with road fund tax has not come up before-or I can't find it. Next move I think is to chat with AS?
Bert

Bert - I may be wrong but I have always believed that the engines in 2002 - 2006 vans were Euro 3. The engines in the "new model" 2007 - 2011 are Euro 4 and the very latest engines are Euro 5.
What makes you think that your engine is Euro 4?

squip

Hi Squip. In the absence of any other information I have based my thoughts on the DVLA site details, vehicle first registered after Jan 2003 etc and less than 3500Kg. I cannot find any way of deciding the class of engine. These days the manufacturer highlights this in their advertising but I have assumed that in the absence of any Euro number the vehicle was outside the Euro regulations. Where is the information re Euro rating in the vehicle paperwork, V5? If I input my reg. number into the DVLA tax calculator I get the same information as on the V5. Using the same logic that persuades me to pay £211 rather than £237 for insurance I would rather pay £140 than £220 for road fund tax......Especially if all it needs is a phone call or form filled in.
Bert

Bert,
This is an interesting puzzle because whatever your engine is, mine will be the same. And if there is money to be saved then I'm for it.
The following website [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] says that for light commercial vehicles > 3500kg the Euro 4 standard was effective from Jan 2006. But this does not prove that our engines were not built Euro 4 in advance of the requirement.

squip

That was my thinking. I think the Euro 4 bit may be a blind alley but the DVLA's answer that it's the private/light goods registration that decides the tax class may be worth following. Why would a builder using a Boxer 290 pay less than a private non commercial user? 'cos they do' will probably be the answer!
Just off on our travels so responses may be a bit random or non existent for a few days.....

Just found this on another forum where the same/similar question was asked....

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Paulmold wrote:Just found this on another forum where the same/similar question was asked....

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Well found, Paul

Good luck to anyone sorting that lot out

Brian

Thanks Paul. Just had a look at that site. Still not very clear. The DVLA only refer to private light goods TC11 on their website in connection with cars first registered before 2001. That would put the VED as £220 (£225 now)
Further down the list is light goods, TC39. That is what I have paid and, friends, the start of my search for The Truth! It would help if DVLA used the tax class, TC11 etc, consistently. It's not on the V5 or the V11. My eye was attracted to the next tax class, TC36.
I now think that unless the V5 states that the vehicle is Euro 4 type approved it's not. And at the moment PLG is probably the cheapest VED option.
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Thanks for everyones suggestions and comments.
Bert