"New" DVLA tax rules - have they made a mistake?

energy

energy

energy

Associate
Joined
22 Oct 2002
Posts
1,302
Location
Chingford
I bought a new car a few weeks back. Day insured it, drove it to my mates house and parked it on his driveway till I get rid of the Mondeo.

As soon as I got the logbook back in my name I logged into the DVLA site and declared it SORN so that I'm not liable for insuring and taxing it while it's off the road.

As I did this, the DVLA system told me that I would be refunded the remaining tax on the car. I thought it must be a mistake and thought nothing of it, completing the SORN process.

Today I come home to find a cheque for two hundred odd quid in my name with the car's reg number on it.

Am I missing something or did DVLA just mess up in my favour?
 
I guess the car was taxed a whole year up front. And when you did the SORN that ment "refund to the owner"
If the original owner had planned to get the tax back looks like he's out of luck as hes no longer the registered owner.
 
You are supposed to sorn a car now before selling it, you can't transfer tax to the new owner. Obviously the previous owner didn't bother.
 
Hyper said:
You are supposed to sorn a car now before selling it, you can't transfer tax to the new owner. Obviously the previous owner didn't bother.
Click to expand...

There's no need for the seller to declare SORN. The remaining tax is supposed to be automatically refunded to the old owner when the change of ownership is processed. Clearly something has gone awry with the process here.
 
Indeed the previous tax disc on it ran out end April. I bought the car on the 3rd of May.

I have a £265 refund. I thought the refund and cheque were automatically issued to the seller once the V5 with the new owner's details had been received by the DVLA.

Oh well, not often the DVLA mess up in one's favour! :D
 
kaiowas said:
There's no need for the seller to declare SORN. The remaining tax is supposed to be automatically refunded to the old owner when the change of ownership is processed. Clearly something has gone awry with the process here.
Click to expand...

thats exactly how it works. got my cheque for 200 odd quid in about 2 weeks.
 
That's odd, is the refund usually sent when the the seller sends off the log book?
Maybe he had a direct debit going on and forgot to cancel it?
 
Burnsy2023 said:
Did you tax it to drive it after you bought it?
Click to expand...

I was thinking this - all cars come with no tax when purchased so you have to tax the car on the day of purchase (well legally you should anyway).

When I recently sold my last daily after changing the V5 over I got a cheque through the post (as the seller) a couple of weeks later.
 
My old man had something similar, sold a untaxed car, the guy purchased tax when he bought the car, and as usual, the V5 was sent off with the new keepers name etc etc.

2 weeks later my dad got a cheque for £190 odd squid (12 mo tax for the car). DVLA havent been in touch to ask for the money back, and that was 3 months ago!

The system still has bugs, it should update instantly, but someone cant still buy a car and drive it away without taxing it, and it still shows as taxed until the new V5 is processed, submission of the V5 should be electronic, as shoudl application of another.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
Did you tax it to drive it after you bought it?
Click to expand...

No, I couldn't since it was already showing as taxed on the DVLA site.

They keep changing things and all I think they end up doing is making it harder for honest people to do things right, meanwhile for the scumbags it's business as usual.
 
Technically it's still taxed until the DVLA receive the V5, so drive it home and it'll show as taxed on the system for any cameras etc
 
Last edited:
nicRob said:
Technically it's still taxed until the DVLA receive the V5, so drive it home and it'll show as taxed on the system for any cameras etc
Click to expand...

Indeed, that's why I didn't worry about it and drove the half hour home.

Gotta say though, gone are the days 9-10 years ago when dayinsure was £20! Was shocked to get a £60 quote from every site, most of which is due to the E4 post code which seems to be like a disease for insurance companies
 
Spoke too soon yesterday, the old man phoned me to say he's had a letter from DVLA asking for their money back lol.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom