Your old tax disc could be worth more than £1,000

If you’re one of those drivers who keeps a vast history folder of every service record, invoice and tax disc associated with your car, then you could be in luck…

Far from being worthless bits of paper, old tax discs can sell for surprising amounts on the internet – with particularly rare examples fetching more than £1,000.

Tax discs were scrapped in 2014, when a new and non-transferable system of vehicle excise duty came into force. The system is now completely online, which has made the old paper tax disc obsolete.

Yet, like stamps or foreign banknotes, the colours and regional differences of tax discs mean they’ve always been collectible – and being obsolete now makes them even more desirable.

Tax discs from the 1920s can command vast sums on popular auction sites such as eBay – one recently sold for a whopping £1,225, having been placed online with a £100 starting price.

A pair of discs from 1921 and 1924 recently fetched £860, while a job lot of 1920s items was listed for £599.

Discs from 1921 are among the most sought after, as this was the first year the paper certificate was introduced.

It’s not just vintage tax discs that command high prices, either. A set of 12 discs from the same Honda Accord are currently listed for £719, while a run of tax discs from 2003 that contained a barcode can fetch more than £100 each.

For serial collectors, job lots can be particularly exciting. The most expensive example currently listed is advertised for £4,950, although this collection does include 2,396 individual discs – making them a slightly more palatable £2.07 each.

So if you’ve a file full of old paperwork, see if there are any old tax discs lurking there – they could fetch you some serious cash!