Just found out my car has not been taxed for the last 18 months!!!

Not_tight_just_careful

So,

Last week I received a letter from the DVLA alerting me to the fact my VW T5 was untaxed!
To my utter disbelief (as I always set up Direct Debits when I buy cars so I can forget about them and not worry) I went online to check. Sure enough the tax on my T5 seemed to have expired on 1/5/2018 (18 months ago!)

So at this point I am questioning my very sanity! I look at all my bank statements which show the DVLA payments for our other 2 cars but not the one in question, or no payments which I can see having left my account for this vehicle after the initial 12 month period.

Phoned the DVLA who confirm that its untaxed but can also see that there is a DD in place which hasn't been taken! Operator advised that I tax it right away which I do that evening. Whilst taxing the vehicle online, I receive 2 separate warnings on-screen that there is already a DD in place for this vehicle and by setting up another i may be charged twice! It is at this point if I had any hair, I would be pulling it out!

I am basically now looking at a large tax-bill 18 months x £50 (annual cost of my vehicle is £598 a year!) plus at least an £80 fine for non-payment (this is all yet to be confirmed, but I am waiting for it)

Now, if there is a failing on my part it is because I had not continued to monitor my bank account after the initial 12 months for the payment coming out. There are however a number of serious failings at the DVLA!

1. Why did the DD simply not roll-over and continue to take the payments after 12 months as its supposed to?

2. Why has it taken the DVLA 18 months to tell inform me I have an untaxed vehicle?

3. How the hell have I not been caught by an ANPR camera or a mobile police unit during this time? I've been to airports, on the M25 and M5 countless times of the last 18 months!

To round-off, I am under no illusion that I will be required to pay the 18 months of back-tax as I don't expect to get away with this. It's basically money I should have and indeed thought I was already paying.

I will however strongly refute any other fines or penalties which they try to impose and I ultimately do not see this as my fault!

Just interested to hear others thoughts and experiences.