Car tax issue

[Buckman]

We had a DD for paying the VED and it was started in March 2019 with first payment taken mid March and next payment 1st april and there after all payments on 1st of the month. After the payment was taken at beginning of May 2024, we cancelled the DD. About 10 days later we got email stating that car is not taxed. Going online to check tax status it shows that the car is taxed until March 2025. As far as we are concerned the vehicle is taxed until end of May 2024 as we have paid the May DD?

On clicking a link in the email it takes us to the VED gov.uk website and entering car reg and V5C ref number I get the message "You have not paid for the tax on this vehicle. You must tax immediately. Your vehicle will be taxed from 01 May 2024". I thought that the DD was taken in advance and not arrears? On the following page it states " Before you continue, the vehicle is currently taxed. There is tax due to expire on 01 March 2025 and if you continue with your application you may be charged again." I am assuming that the 1st May date is because the system thinks the car is new to us and has not taken the cancelled DD into consideration.

This is all very confusing as it seems April has disappeared and the May payment taken has not been recognised! I am sure that if stopped by the police and they check their records, the car will show up as taxed. Maybe I should wait until 1st June and then tax the car. It is the second car and not the towing vehicle.

 

[Woodentop]

I would guess that the only way you can NOT pay the tax is to put the vehicle on SORN.

Remember that if you change a vehicle the tax terminates at the time of the transfer and you loose any outstanding tax. Its another way of ripping the motorist off and possibly getting yourself a record as well!

 

[DeauxChevaux]

I am sure that if stopped by the police and they check their records, the car will show up as taxed. Maybe I should wait until 1st June and then tax the car. It is the second car and not the towing vehicle.

The Police will only check the DVLA database so beware

 

[Buckman]

It is the DVLA that gives conflicting advice. However I can prove that the tax is up to date. Not seen a policeman for weeks?

I would guess that the only way you can NOT pay the tax is to put the vehicle on SORN.

Remember that if you change a vehicle the tax terminates at the time of the transfer and you loose any outstanding tax. Its another way of ripping the motorist off and possibly getting yourself a record as well!

It is the same vehicle, just change of number plate.

 

[borderbilly]

It is the DVLA that gives conflicting advice. However I can prove that the tax is up to date. Not seen a policeman for weeks?

It is the same vehicle, just change of number plate.

Think thats your problem, change of number.

 

[Buckman]

Think thats your problem, change of number.

The problem is the conflicting statements by the DVLA. Left arm doesn't know what the left hand is doing. LOL!

 

[Raywood]

Have you checked your bank statement to show the payment was made and keep a copy to show payment if you are stopped. If it was then send a copy to Swansea, if not paid do it again.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Talk to the DVLA as they are the organisation you need to clear the problem with.

I suspect the DVLA still has you listed as owning the a vehicle with the old registration plate, and as you told them you were stopping payment for the tax but have not also indicated you no longer own the vehicle with that reg, you are still listed as owning it and as such you are liable for the tax unless you declare it sorn.

You need to talk to the DVLA to find out what steps you have missed to change the registration.

 

[Buckman]

Have you checked your bank statement to show the payment was made and keep a copy to show payment if you are stopped. If it was then send a copy to Swansea, if not paid do it again.

The April and May payments have been processed.

Talk to the DVLA as they are the organisation you need to clear the problem with.

I suspect the DVLA still has you listed as owning the a vehicle with the old registration plate, and as you told them you were stopping payment for the tax but have not also indicated you no longer own the vehicle with that reg, you are still listed as owning it and as such you are liable for the tax unless you declare it sorn.

You need to talk to the DVLA to find out what steps you have missed to change the registration.

Thanks for the advice. Have you tried phoning the DVLA as I gave up after about 25 minutes on hold? The DVLA have the new registration as the old one is no longer listed.

I have not missed any steps with change of registration and already have the documents. You cannot get the number plates unless you have the documentation.

The issue is the conflicting advice where one page states no tax and the very next page tells you that the vehicle is taxed and to cancel the application.

I have never been into personalised number plates, but this number was available. It has the initials of our first names and the initials of first names of the kids. The actual numerical number corresponds with the year our eldest daughter passed away shortly after having a Covid injection.

 

[GaryB]

When I assign my personal plate to my car (done it twice now), the tax side was done automatically, I didn't have to do anything at all, it just "happened" but there was a period (a few hours) where neither registration (original and personal) showed up on the DVLA or MIB database.

 

[GUMPY]

As far as I remember I also did nothing re the tax when I changed my number plate the tax moved over automatically to the new reg.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

I would guess that the only way you can NOT pay the tax is to put the vehicle on SORN.

Remember that if you change a vehicle the tax terminates at the time of the transfer and you loose any outstanding tax. Its another way of ripping the motorist off and possibly getting yourself a record as well!

I believe that if you sell your vehicle,any full remaining months of tax are refunded to you

 

[ProfJohnL]

As far as I remember I also did nothing re the tax when I changed my number plate the tax moved over automatically to the new reg.

How long ago was that?

 

[davyayr]

We had a DD for paying the VED and it was started in March 2019 with first payment taken mid March and next payment 1st april and there after all payments on 1st of the month. After the payment was taken at beginning of May 2024, we cancelled the DD. About 10 days later we got email stating that car is not taxed. Going online to check tax status it shows that the car is taxed until March 2025. As far as we are concerned the vehicle is taxed until end of May 2024 as we have paid the May DD?

On clicking a link in the email it takes us to the VED gov.uk website and entering car reg and V5C ref number I get the message "You have not paid for the tax on this vehicle. You must tax immediately. Your vehicle will be taxed from 01 May 2024". I thought that the DD was taken in advance and not arrears? On the following page it states " Before you continue, the vehicle is currently taxed. There is tax due to expire on 01 March 2025 and if you continue with your application you may be charged again." I am assuming that the 1st May date is because the system thinks the car is new to us and has not taken the cancelled DD into consideration.

This is all very confusing as it seems April has disappeared and the May payment taken has not been recognised! I am sure that if stopped by the police and they check their records, the car will show up as taxed. Maybe I should wait until 1st June and then tax the car. It is the second car and not the towing vehicle.

The problem is that you stopped the DD.
Had you just swapped the number after you got the paperwork showing change, it would be fine.

We had a DD for paying the VED and it was started in March 2019 with first payment taken mid March and next payment 1st april and there after all payments on 1st of the month. After the payment was taken at beginning of May 2024, we cancelled the DD. About 10 days later we got email stating that car is not taxed. Going online to check tax status it shows that the car is taxed until March 2025. As far as we are concerned the vehicle is taxed until end of May 2024 as we have paid the May DD?

On clicking a link in the email it takes us to the VED gov.uk website and entering car reg and V5C ref number I get the message "You have not paid for the tax on this vehicle. You must tax immediately. Your vehicle will be taxed from 01 May 2024". I thought that the DD was taken in advance and not arrears? On the following page it states " Before you continue, the vehicle is currently taxed. There is tax due to expire on 01 March 2025 and if you continue with your application you may be charged again." I am assuming that the 1st May date is because the system thinks the car is new to us and has not taken the cancelled DD into consideration.

This is all very confusing as it seems April has disappeared and the May payment taken has not been recognised! I am sure that if stopped by the police and they check their records, the car will show up as taxed. Maybe I should wait until 1st June and then tax the car. It is the second car and not the towing vehicle.

The problem is that you cancelled the DD, I’m assuming as you were changing plate.
Once you get the paperwork that allows you to swap the plate the DVLA system does the rest.
It has done that but as you cancelled the DD, so it hasn’t got a payment schedule in place.
DD is paid in arrears.

 

[Buckman]

The problem is that you stopped the DD.
Had you just swapped the number after you got the paperwork showing change, it would be fine.
The problem is that you cancelled the DD, I’m assuming as you were changing plate.
Once you get the paperwork that allows you to swap the plate the DVLA system does the rest.
It has done that but as you cancelled the DD, so it hasn’t got a payment schedule in place.
DD is paid in arrears.

I waited for the new paperwork and only then cancelled about a week after getting the new reg number and the notice refers to the current registration number.

If I pay today for the year, I pay twice for month of May as payments are taken in advance.

As said it is the conflicting advice on the taxation that is confusing with one page telling you to VED and the next page telling you that you have already paid the VED. As far as I am concerned the vehicle is taxed until end of May as no payments have been missed.

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-direct-debit/cancelling

 

[GUMPY]

How long ago was that?

12 months ago when I changed cars.

 

[Gafferbill]

......the car tax and the MOT status get transferred automatically by the DVLA with a change of car registration.
The car's insurer has to be notified and this may incur an administration fee.
The car's current tax status can be checked online at anytime.

 

[Buckman]

......the car tax and the MOT status get transferred automatically by the DVLA with a change of car registration.
The car's insurer has to be notified and this may incur an administration fee.
The car's current tax status can be checked online at anytime.

Done all that and tax is showing to March 2025 although DD cancelled about 2 - 3 weeks ago, but after May DD had been paid?

 

[GUMPY]

The car's insurer has to be notified and this may incur an administration fee.

This caught me last time. DVLA were slow to update the database and the insurance co wanted £50 extra plus admin because they couldn't find the reg number on the database.
I cancelled because it was within 14 days and went somewhere else who could find the reg and were cheaper so a win win.

 

[Buckman]

This caught me last time. DVLA were slow to update the database and the insurance co wanted £50 extra plus admin because they couldn't find the reg number on the database.
I cancelled because it was within 14 days and went somewhere else who could find the reg and were cheaper so a win win.

Our current insurer for the car I had to do it Online and Online is not geared for change of registration only. Charge was £25 and another £19 for the change. Even the £25 is ridiculous considering you are doing it all Online. They did contact me to inform me that the £19 was taken in error and would be refunded.

 

[davyayr]

Done all that and tax is showing to March 2025 although DD cancelled about 2 - 3 weeks ago, but after May DD had been paid?

That’s the problem. You cancelled the DD. You didn’t need to do that.
The DVLA system does it all.
It checks to see if the vehicle with chassis number 123456 etc is taxed. The reg number is attached to the chassis number of the vehicle. Reg number can change. Chassis number never changes.
It’ll sort itself out.

 

[Buckman]

That’s the problem. You cancelled the DD. You didn’t need to do that.
The DVLA system does it all.
It checks to see if the vehicle with chassis number 123456 etc is taxed. The reg number is attached to the chassis number of the vehicle. Reg number can change. Chassis number never changes.
It’ll sort itself out.

We were going to cancel the DD anyway change of number or not. Mainly to reduce number of DDs on account.

 

[GaryB]

I think it's the DD cancellation that has tripped you up as others said. Ignoring the actual registration number, the DVLA "thinks" that you have had a car that has missed a month of tax between the cancellation of the DD on the old number and setting it up for the new. TRY ringing them, sometimes (not always!) you get through to someone helpful.

 

[Dustydog]

I can see how this confusion has arisen .PPP on the; part of the DVLA , whom I understand are still not running a fully office based staff according to the press. Whoops if out of order I will withdraw this onservation.
The fact is you have a cast iron audit trail. Demonstrable evidence the correct amount of duty has been paid for,the vehicle . I’d relax and enjoy polishing your new plate🤪
My personal plate is now on its sixth vehicle and bar the extortionate transfer fee all has worked well.