Latest news with #gov.uk
Daily Record
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
DVLA licence warning for motorists who have been driving for more than 10 years
The DVLA has issued a reminder to drivers that it may be time to renew their driving licence. Here's everything you need to know about renewing your driving licence Motorists are being urged by the DVLA to check if their driving licences need renewing. The agency took to social media platform X to remind drivers: "Due to renew your driving licence? Do it online. It's easy, quick and secure to renew on With photocard driving licences requiring renewal every decade, those who gained a full licence in 2015 or before should verify if theirs is up for renewal. Ahead of a licence's expiration, the DVLA dispatches reminder letters. Applications for renewal can be made on for individuals in England, Scotland, and Wales, with a fee of £14. Payment methods accepted include MasterCard, Visa, Electron, or Delta debit/credit cards. Northern Ireland residents must use the NI direct website for their renewals. The validity of the new licence commences from the approval date of the application, not the expiry date of the existing licence. Online applicants usually receive their new document within one week, reports Lancs Live. Post-application, the old photocard licence must be sent to the DVLA, with the specific address provided upon completion of the process. Alternatively, licence renewal can be done at the Post Office for £21.50. This requires bringing the reminder letter and current licence; without a reminder letter, only the photocard licence is needed. Alternatively, you can apply by post. To do this, you'll need a 'D1 pack' of forms which you can obtain from a Post Office that deals with DVLA photocard renewals or vehicle tax. When completing the forms, you must include a recent printed passport-style photo, your current photocard licence if you have one, and a cheque or postal order for £17, made payable to the DVLA. You will need to send your completed application to: DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1DH. If you apply at the Post Office or by post, you should receive your driving licence within three weeks. However, this may take longer if your medical or personal details need to be verified. You can continue driving while you wait for your new licence to arrive. Last week, we told how around two million drivers could be slapped with hefty fines and penalty points for not keeping their driving licences up to date, according to recent analysis. The warning came from car experts at who cautioned that a simple DVLA oversight could leave motorists facing fines of up to £1,000 and potential disqualification. Recent findings by reveal that approximately 6% of UK drivers continue to drive with expired licences, putting them in danger of breaching DVLA rules. An expired licence isn't just an administrative blunder - it could lead to serious legal repercussions for those who choose to ignore it. "This isn't a trivial matter. A valid driving licence is a legal requirement, and driving without one leaves motorists exposed to fines and even invalidates their insurance," explained a spokesperson from
Edinburgh Live
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Edinburgh Live
DVLA issues urgent driving licence warning to anyone who passed test before 2016
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The DVLA is reminding UK motorists to check their driving licence expiration dates, signposting that renewal can be swiftly managed online. On social media platform X, the DVLA posted: "Due to renew your driving licence? Do it online. It's easy, quick and secure to renew on Remember, photocard driving licences must be renewed every 10 years, so if your full licence was issued in 2015 or earlier, it's time to see if an update is due. READ MORE - EastEnders' Molly Rainford has a very famous dad and fans are only just realising READ MORE - Gary Lineker's true nature perfectly summed up by refugee who stayed at his home Reminder letters are typically sent by the DVLA prior to a licence's expiry date. You can renew your documentation at for those residing in England, Scotland, and Wales, a service that incurs a fee of approximately £14, payable via MasterCard, Visa, Electron, or Delta debit and credit cards. Meanwhile, drivers in Northern Ireland should use the NI direct website for their renewals, as reported by Lancs Live. Beware, roaming the roads with an outdated licence could lead to fines of up to £1,000, penalty points, or even invalidate your insurance, reports the Mirror. (Image: GETTY) (Image: GETTY) (Image: GETTY) It's important to note that the validity of your new licence starts from when your application is approved, not from the expiry date of your current licence. If your licence has lapsed, best practise would be to refrain from driving until your renewal application is finalised. According to MSE, if your licence expires while your renewal is being processed you should be able to continue driving if you meet certain requirements, like not being disqualified from driving. Online applicants typically receive their new licences within a week. You will need to send your current photocard back to the DVLA, with specific address details provided when you complete your application. Alternatively, some might opt for renewing in person at the Post Office, which will set you back £21.50. For this method, you will have to bring along your reminder letter and current licence, or if you are missing a reminder letter, the photocard alone will suffice for servicing at the Post Office. You can also apply by post. To do this, you will need a 'D1 pack' of forms which you can obtain from any Post Office that deals with DVLA photocard renewals or vehicle tax. When completing the forms, you must include a recent printed passport-style photo, your current photocard licence if you have one, and a cheque or postal order for £17, made payable to the DVLA. You will need to send your completed application to:. DVLA. Swansea. SA99 1DH. If you apply at the Post Office or by post, you should receive your driving licence within three weeks. However, this may take longer if your medical or personal details need to be verified. You can continue driving while you wait for your new licence to arrive.
Business Mayor
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Parents of teens reminded of HMRC child benefit rule
HMRC is sending out 1.5 million letters to parents of 16 to 19 -year olds reminding them they need to act by the end of August if they want their child benefit payments to continue in September. Parents can continue receiving child benefit payments if their child is staying in education or training but unless they request an extension payments will automatically stop on 31 August on or after a child's 16th birthday. HMRC said last year 870,000 parents extended their Child Benefit, with most doing so using the online service. Between May and July, letters will be sent to parents reminding them to go online to confirm if their teenager is staying in full time education or approved training after they finish their GCSEs to continue receiving their Child Benefit. Parents can extend their claim quickly and easily via the HMRC app or online on The letters also contain a handy QR code which takes parents straight to the digital service on Child Benefit is currently worth £26.05 per week – or £1,354.60 a year – for the eldest or only child and £17.25 per week – or £897 a year – for each additional child. Myrtle Lloyd, director general for customer services at HMRC, said: 'Child Benefit is an important boost to families. As soon as you know what your teenager is planning to do, extend your claim in minutes to guarantee your payments continue in September. Simply go to or the HMRC app to confirm today.' If either the claimant or their partner has an individual income of between £60,000 and £80,000, the higher earner will be subject to the High Income Child Benefit Charge, which means the amount of child benefit will reduce. The online child benefit tax calculator provides an estimate of how much benefit they will receive, and what the charge may be. From this summer, as part of the government's Plan for Change, families will have the option to use a new digital service to pay the charge directly through their PAYE tax code instead of filing a Self Assessment tax return. Families who have previously opted out of child benefit payments can opt back in and restart their payments quickly and easily online or via the HMRC app. Parents are being remindd they cannot claim child benefit if their child is taking a course that is part of a job contract. READ SOURCE
Scottish Sun
01-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Thousands of workers to be hit with £10 a day fees from today – how to avoid being fined
THOUSANDS of workers will be hit by a £10 a dine fine from today. If you missed the self assessment tax return deadline on 31 January – and got hit with the initial £100 fine – extra charges have started to kick in. Advertisement 1 An estimated 1.1million customers missed the deadline, according to HMRC Credit: Alamy The penalty will be added from May 1 for a period of 90 days, meaning you could end up with a whopping bill of £900. After that, more fines will be added – either 5% of the tax you owe for 2024/25 or £300, whichever's bigger. And if you still haven't sorted it after 12 months, you'll face another charge of 5% or £300, whichever's higher. An estimated 1.1million customers missed the deadline, according to HMRC. Advertisement To avoid racking up more fines, it's best to file your self assessment tax return as soon as you can. Do I need to file a tax return? Self assessment is the system HMRC uses to collect income tax for some workers. For most employees, tax is automatically taken out of their wages, pensions, or savings through PAYE. But if you've got other types of income or are self-employed, you'll need to report it by filing a tax return. Advertisement You'll need to send in a self assessment tax return if any of the following apply: You made over £1,000 from self-employment. You earned more than £2,500 from renting out property. You or your partner got High Income Child Benefit, and one of you had an annual income of over £50,000. You received more than £2,500 in untaxed income, like tips or commission. You're a director of a limited company. You're a shareholder. You're an employee claiming expenses over £2,500. You have an annual income of more than £100,000. Easy Income Boosters Money Making Tips You Need to Know How do I submit a tax return? Before you can complete and submit your tax return, you must have a so-called unique taxpayer reference (UTR) and activation code from HMRC. This can take a while to receive, so if it's the first time you're completing a self-assessment, register online immediately and ask HMRC for advice. To sign in or register, visit Advertisement If you've already signed up for self-assessment, you can find your UTR in relevant letters and emails from HMRC. HMRC accepts your payment on the date you make it, not when it reaches its account - including on weekends. The deadline for filing your self-assessment tax return by post is October 31. If you miss the deadline by up to three months, you will be charged a £100 penalty. Advertisement If you miss the deadline by over three months, you will be charged more. But don't worry. You can complete your tax return online if you don't send your paper form on time. The deadline for this was January 31, 2024. If you need to change your tax return after filing it, you can do so within 12 months of the original deadline. Advertisement Filling in your tax return can seem daunting, but with our step-by-step guide, you'll have it sorted quickly.
The Sun
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Thousands of workers to be hit with £10 a day fees from today – how to avoid being fined
THOUSANDS of workers will be hit by a £10 a dine fine from today. If you missed the self assessment tax return deadline on 31 January – and got hit with the initial £100 fine – extra charges have started to kick in. 1 The penalty will be added from May 1 for a period of 90 days, meaning you could end up with a whopping bill of £900. After that, more fines will be added – either 5% of the tax you owe for 2024/25 or £300, whichever's bigger. And if you still haven't sorted it after 12 months, you'll face another charge of 5% or £300, whichever's higher. An estimated 1.1million customers missed the deadline, according to HMRC. To avoid racking up more fines, it's best to file your self assessment tax return as soon as you can. Do I need to file a tax return? Self assessment is the system HMRC uses to collect income tax for some workers. For most employees, tax is automatically taken out of their wages, pensions, or savings through PAYE. But if you've got other types of income or are self-employed, you'll need to report it by filing a tax return. You'll need to send in a self assessment tax return if any of the following apply: You made over £1,000 from self-employment. You earned more than £2,500 from renting out property. You or your partner got High Income Child Benefit, and one of you had an annual income of over £50,000. You received more than £2,500 in untaxed income, like tips or commission. You're a director of a limited company. You're a shareholder. You're an employee claiming expenses over £2,500. You have an annual income of more than £100,000. Easy Income Boosters Money Making Tips You Need to Know How do I submit a tax return? Before you can complete and submit your tax return, you must have a so-called unique taxpayer reference (UTR) and activation code from HMRC. This can take a while to receive, so if it's the first time you're completing a self-assessment, register online immediately and ask HMRC for advice. To sign in or register, visit If you've already signed up for self-assessment, you can find your UTR in relevant letters and emails from HMRC. HMRC accepts your payment on the date you make it, not when it reaches its account - including on weekends. The deadline for filing your self-assessment tax return by post is October 31. If you miss the deadline by up to three months, you will be charged a £100 penalty. If you miss the deadline by over three months, you will be charged more. But don't worry. You can complete your tax return online if you don't send your paper form on time. The deadline for this was January 31, 2024. If you need to change your tax return after filing it, you can do so within 12 months of the original deadline. Filling in your tax return can seem daunting, but with our step-by-step guide, you'll have it sorted quickly. Self assessment tax return penalties YOU'LL get a penalty if you need to complete a tax return and you send your return late or pay your tax bill late. If you register after October 5 and do not pay all of your tax bill by January 31, you'll get a 'failure to notify' penalty. This penalty is based on the amount still left to pay and you'll receive it within 12 months after HMRC receive your self assessment tax return. If you send your tax return late, you'll get the following late filing penalties: An initial £100 penalty After three months, additional daily penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900 After six months, a further penalty of 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater After 12 months, another 5% or £300 charge, whichever is greater To avoid racking up more fines, it's best to file your self assessment tax return as soon as you can.
