DVLA Tax Refund Backdating

Lucius45

Hello,

Just over 6 weeks ago I sold my car to a dealership and the guy there told me he would do the ownership transfer online "so I get the tax back". Waited the 6 weeks for refund but nothing from the DVLA...

When I called them, they said that the car was still registered to me, so obviously the numpty hadn't done it. The DVLA also said that they can only process refunds from the date that they are notified, so I will be losing a month or two of refund here.

Obviously I'm at fault for not doing it myself straight away, and yes it's only a couple of months but what really irks me is looking online, DVLA have allowed someone else to tax the car, so they've made extra money from having 2 people paying tax for the car for that month or so.

Considered complaining but they'll probably play the "it's your responsibility to inform us immediately" card.

Anyone else had similar problems? Surely the system should refund tax to the previous owner when the new owner taxes. Just seems like another way for them to rip us off!

Thanks

Car_54

Lucius45 wrote: »

DVLA have allowed someone else to tax the car, so they've made extra money from having 2 people paying tax for the car for that month or so.

Looking online you would have seen that the car was taxed. Which it was - by you.


No-one else could have taxed it, without a change of keeper having been processed. It sounds as if the car hasn't found a new owner yet.

Aylesbury_Duck

Lucius45 wrote: »

Hello,

Just over 6 weeks ago I sold my car to a dealership and the guy there told me he would do the ownership transfer online "so I get the tax back". Waited the 6 weeks for refund but nothing from the DVLA...

When I called them, they said that the car was still registered to me, so obviously the numpty hadn't done it. The DVLA also said that they can only process refunds from the date that they are notified, so I will be losing a month or two of refund here.

Obviously I'm at fault for not doing it myself straight away, and yes it's only a couple of months but what really irks me is looking online, DVLA have allowed someone else to tax the car, so they've made extra money from having 2 people paying tax for the car for that month or so.

Considered complaining but they'll probably play the "it's your responsibility to inform us immediately" card.

Anyone else had similar problems? Surely the system should refund tax to the previous owner when the new owner taxes. Just seems like another way for them to rip us off!

Thanks

Straight from their site:

You must tell DVLA that your vehicle has been sold or transferred to someone else

There’s no other way to cancel your vehicle tax.

Lucius45

Looking online you would have seen that the car was taxed. Which it was - by you.


No-one else could have taxed it, without a change of keeper having been processed. It sounds as if the car hasn't found a new owner yet.

When I sold the car it was taxed until March 2019, when I look now it is until June 2019, so someone else must have taxed for 6 months in December 2018 - I didn't do this.

It's definitely possible to tax before the change of keeper is processed - this is exactly what the code in the New Keeper slip (Section 10) of the log book is for.

Straight from their site:

You must tell DVLA that your vehicle has been sold or transferred to someone else

There’s no other way to cancel your vehicle tax.

I understand that, but what I don't get is why when I tell them it can't be backdated to the sale date?

Aylesbury_Duck

The refund is calculated from the date DVLA gets your information. Those are the rules. I don't know why they don't backdate but does it matter? They don't do it. The onus is on you to supply them with timely information with the incentive of maximising your refund if you do so.

Marvel1

Take it up with the dealer who said they would but didn't to make up the shortfall.

You’ll automatically get a refund cheque for any full months left on your vehicle tax. The refund is calculated from the date!DVLA!gets your information. The cheque is sent to the name and address on the vehicle log book.

Lucius45

Agree, more fool me that I should have done it myself straight away, though I still don't think the rules are fair. I can't think of any other industry that does this - council tax, even phone and energy companies have the ability to backdate refunds etc if they occur in the past.

Only conclusion I can reach with the DVLA is it's set up to fleece people (in exactly the same way if I par for tax on the 31st January I pay for an entire month but only get 1 day of tax).

droopsnoot

Lucius45 wrote: »

I can't think of any other industry that does this - council tax, even phone and energy companies have the ability to backdate refunds etc if they occur in the past.

But the issue here is that you (or your agent, in this case the dealer) hasn't followed the correct procedure. Very few organisations will backdate refunds or payments when it is not their fault.

Lucius45 wrote: »

Only conclusion I can reach with the DVLA is it's set up to fleece people (in exactly the same way if I par for tax on the 31st January I pay for an entire month but only get 1 day of tax).

Not this old chestnut again. It's not done to deliberately "fleece" people out of money.

Aylesbury_Duck

Lucius45 wrote: »

Only conclusion I can reach with the DVLA is it's set up to fleece people (in exactly the same way if I par for tax on the 31st January I pay for an entire month but only get 1 day of tax).

You can believe what you want. I'm sure they won't mind.

Lucius45

That still doesn't answer the questions of why it couldn't be backdated. Just because it is their policy that doesn't make it fair - supposing their rules included "if your birthday is on the 1st Jan you aren't entitled to any refunds" - would you just shrug your shoulders and say "oh that's the procedure then"? There is a point at which rules become unreasonable and in my mind this one is on the wrong side of that line.

Not this old chestnut again. It's not done to deliberately "fleece" people out of money.

Deliberately or not, the system is designed such that they can only ever make extra money, and never lose it - only we can. It's conveniently weighted entirely in their favour, and the fact DVLA got around 65k complaints last year alone doesn't really give them much credibility to be reasonable with the public.

AdrianC

Lucius45 wrote: »

When I sold the car it was taxed until March 2019, when I look now it is until June 2019, so someone else must have taxed for 6 months in December 2018 - I didn't do this.

You're quids in, then.

When you sold it, you'd have had three months refund.
Now, you'll get five months refund!

Or it's not still in your name...