Tax + MOT exemption... I'm confused!

So the official government stance on tax and MOT exemption is as follows:

"You can apply to stop paying for vehicle tax from 1 April 2024 if your vehicle was built before 1 January 1984. You must tax your vehicle even if you do not have to pay."

Now does this mean that anything after 1984 will no longer be able to apply for tax and MOT exemption, for instance I have a 1985 Land Rover 90, and I always expected to have it tax exempt when it reaches 40 years old, is this no longer the case or does the government statement update on a yearly basis?

Everywhere I look I can't find anything to suggest the 40 years tax exemption will continue past 1984?

Thank you all!

I would assume that the Gov will update their info on the 1st January 2025 to indicate the qualifying date then being 1985. They are not likely to tell you in advance in case things change.

Iirc it has to be over 40 years old, and is to do with the month registered, so you might have to go 40yrs and 4 mths for example?

You still have to tax it even when it becomes foc, can be done online and literally takes a minute or two.

It's updated yearly.

It's also based on the build date, rather than the registration date (which matters for some ex mod stuff, like my 101) but you have to prove it in the right way then...

You still have to apply for tax each year (which, I assume, checks the insurance database) but the charge is just £0.

Its a bit of a rats nest for many, there are a lot of folk who have the V5 which differs from the actual build date, I am in a group and many folk had several attempts at before the DVLA succumbed. So bottom line its worth trying again if its entitled and they knock it back.

Local post office wasn't the best choice for my form as the Indian chap running it didn't have a clue and was still convinced I owed £273 tax at the end but we got there in the end when the owner popped over and explained it.

It isn’t that difficult.
There are two separate parts MOT and road fund license both based on the vehicle registration date.

MOT
The vehicle becomes exempt from needing an MOT when the vehicle has passed 40 years since registration date. Simple! It has the proviso that the vehicle hasn’t been radically modified in the past 30 years. It also takes into account vehicles not new when first registered by using the declared manufacture date on the V5 for example on ex-military or previously registered abroad.

Road Tax
The vehicle needs to have been registered 40 years ago by the first of January*, then in the April the road tax has zero cost. So if registered anytime in 1984, the zero cost isn’t effective until April 2025.
This again has the proviso using the declared manufacture date for ex-mil etc.
There are a few anomalies but these have to be argued out individually with dvla. Good luck on that!
* there are rumours that if a vehicle was registered 1st/2nd January they assume it was built the previous year and this can be discussed directly with dvla.

I went up to our local PO and handed the V5's over for the GT6 and the Mini.
All I had to do, was fill in part of it with 'Historic vehicle' and he taxed them there and then.
A week later, the new V5's returned and the new tax category was Historic vehicle.
Really easy.