DVLA vehicle tax refund - exports (12 months or more)

willwac

I exported a car in my name abroad - permanently and to myself. I am moving abroad - and it works out to be reasonable so long as the customs operations in the country haven't lied to me. The procedure for claiming back the car tax from DVLA is written on the government website as:

You automatically get a vehicle tax refund by cheque for any full months remianing when you tell DVLA that your car [etc.] has been:
-sold/transferred
-scrapped
-exported
-SORN'ed

from: gov.uk/vehicle-tax-refund (new users can't post links, but the world wide web shouldn't be necessary anyway)

The car was taken to Southampton docks for export on 29th June and I then filled out the export slip on the V5C, with the date of export filled in as 29th June, and sent it off the DVLA with a 2nd class stamp on 1st July.

Now my understanding was that DVLA will automatically issue the refund based on the date of the declared export, which is why I assumed it asks for it. And that if I post the letter two days later then there won't be any penalty. This car cost a lot to tax; it was in the £505/yr band which is £42.08/mo.

I received a cheque which refunded me for the tax excluding the month of July, i.e. £42.08 short.

I call up DVLA and Carys tells me that it's "procedure" that they issue the refund based on the when they receive the notification i.e. the slip thing you have to send. I tell her I think that would be a reasonable procedure if it were explained in some form of writing either on their website or if it were written on the back of the slip as part of the V5C - which it isn't. She says I can complain in writing, and she recommends I send in a letter.
"Is that freepost?" I ask.
To which she says "No, it's not I'm afraid."
"Well it will cost me over 50p to send in another letter."
"We do have an online submission system if you'd prefer?"
"I think I would prefer that."
"Which method would you prefer?"
"The one which doesn't cost me anything."
"Online?"
"Yes please."
"But do you have access to the internet?"
Wow. I wish I had recorded that.

I'd love to know if anyone who sees this knows what the case is with SORNs if you give notification by post - do they issue refunds from the date that you tell them it is off the road, or from the date that the envelope is post-marked or from the date they receive the notification?

Regardless of this, does it not seem unfair that they would issue a refund for export based on the date of "receiving the notification" since this is not explained in writing anywhere (as far as I am aware)?

I'd also like to know if I can be upset for myself for posting the export slip two days later - would DVLA look at the post-mark on the envelope for the date of posting to get the date? And would they keep proof of this? Or, as Carys claimed, would it be the date that DVLA received the notification that they use? In which case I can feel less annoyed with myself.

Either way, had I known, I think I could have easily filled out a SORN online and then I would have been fine not sending the export slip in a rush or by courier. Is this the best procedure for exports?

Also, how can DVLA argue that they're being reasonable? I try hard to put myself in the position of others to try and sympathise but I see no way how it is fair or just for DVLA to behave like this.

I will of course update this when I hear back from DVLA, which will be by post within two weeks from now according to Carys. Any thoughts in the meantime that may quell my frustration?

custardy

£500 tax and you scrimped on the postage?
Seriously. It has always been my understanding its full months from when the DVLA get notification.

willwac

I think it's fair to say it's an unfair assumption I "scrimped" on the postage. I see no need to pay extra for unnecessary services, and the only reason I can afford certain things is because I am careful with my money. Yes, the car tax is expensive I feel it doesn't help the forums if I start divulging on my personal lifestyle or situations; will it really benefit if I told you my income? whether I eat out or not? which electricity company I choose? what I give to charity? what I do with my free time? or whether I drink alcohol or not?
I can say it is not conventional for someone who pays £505/yr on car tax. I only got the car to export and had it for a month and a half before exporting.

My point is exactly that. I don't think the DVLA should work on insiders' knowledge of what some people's understandings have always been. Should the current procedure, which is fairly simple by the sounds of things, not be written down and made publicly available? Please note that my admission that the procedure is simple, is not me saying that it is either logical or fair.

custardy

willwac wrote: »

I think it's fair to say it's an unfair assumption I "scrimped" on the postage. I see no need to pay extra for unnecessary services, and the only reason I can afford certain things is because I am careful with my money. Yes, the car tax is expensive I feel it doesn't help the forums if I start divulging on my personal lifestyle or situations; will it really benefit if I told you my income? whether I eat out or not? which electricity company I choose? what I give to charity? what I do with my free time? or whether I drink alcohol or not?
I can say it is not conventional for someone who pays £505/yr on car tax. I only got the car to export and had it for a month and a half before exporting.

My point is exactly that. I don't think the DVLA should work on insiders' knowledge of what some people's understandings have always been. Should the current procedure, which is fairly simple by the sounds of things, not be written down and made publicly available? Please note that my admission that the procedure is simple, is not me saying that it is either logical or fair.

Um, keep them untwisted petal.
You used the cheapest service available and waited 2 days to post.Using a next day service at £6ish could have netted you £36.
I neither asked or care about your income.

Since you seem to want to go toe to toe.

You automatically get a vehicle tax refund by cheque for any full months remaining when you tell DVLA that your car, motorbike, lorry, bus or other vehicle has been:

So when you inform them,not when you fill in the form.

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-refund

willwac

Precisely, I will get the refund "when I tell DVLA".
I did not expect the refund when I filled in the form.
However, the time the refund is issued is a different matter.

forgotmyname

Your could have SORN'd it online and got a cheque back within a week for tyhe full amount.

I was under the impression that they take the day of posting the letter to be the date of the SORN, you posted it on the 1st of July so you lose July.

Iceweasel

It's very simple really - you would have received a refund for July if you had posted it in June.

The postmark is what they go on.

Posting on the 1st of a month is the same as posting on the last day of the month - you get no refund for that month.

But never mind - you didn't pay any VAT or Car Tax - just don't bring it back to the UK within 6 months.

I'm not sure if that's 6 months form the end of July or from the 1st of July.

Personal Exports is a very muddled business.

willwac

Thanks forgotmyname and Iceweasel,
That's really annoying I missed it by a day. To me it seems like they are trying to hide something when it would be one very simple plain English sentence on their website that explains how the refund process works.
It cost a £1,200 to export the £12,000 car (it was bought used, private sale, so no car tax/VAT anyway) - I won't be bringing it back anytime soon! And I plan to sell the car there eventually where the particular model is in high demand and overpriced.

I still think I have decent enough grounds to continue complaining to DVLA, it does seem to be a thing which isn't written anywhere, other than on forums!

AdrianC

Iceweasel wrote: »

The postmark is what they go on.

Yup. Always was. I've posted one on New Year's Eve in Morocco before - and had a refund for January.

When the V14 was needed to get a tax refund, normally, it said on it...
"To get a refund for each full calendar month left on the tax disc, you must post this filled-in form to us before the first day of the month you want the refund from."
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-a-refund-of-vehicle-tax-or-return-of-a-nil-value-tax-disc

Export's never been particularly well described on the V5C. I'd have SORNed it online first, then send the V5C back, I think