Vehicle emission duty / Road tax and declaring SORN for a day

tasticz

Hi all

Currently my VED is due for renewal in August 1st 2023.

Road tax will be as follows:

6 months - £99 + £195
12 months - £180 + £390

My additional rate charge comes to end in end of August 2023 but as I will have renewed for 6 months in 1st of August 2023, can I say declare my car SORN on 30th August so I receive refund for 5 months then on 1st of September buy a Road tax for full year which will only be £180 as car is over 5 years at that point.



Anyone know if my plan will work? I can get a years ved paid if this works out.

will the additional rate be refunded if car is declared SORN?

Is there a processing time for SORN or is it instant? I.e can I do it at night on 30th August and not drive car on 31st then redo the car tax on 1st Sept

Grey_Critic

You miss the point any refund is for any UNUSED FULL months - IF you can get a refund on the surcharge I do not know but again I would assume it would be for any UNUSED FULL months.

Good idea but DVLA are just as crafty

facade

I'm fairly sure the additional rate element won't be refunded.

dotgovuk talk about refund of VED and never mention additional rate, presumably for a reason, although they do say that you can never get the first year rate refunded, the refund is based on the second year rate (which is £180)

However, the additional rate is payable for the next 5 years after the initial huge sting in the first year, so the car has to be 6 years old to stop paying it, not 5. (technically 5 years from when it was taxed the second time, so if you bought it second hand at 3 months old it would be due until the car is 5 years & 3 months old)

The best option is probably a 6 month tax in August of  the year when it is going to hit the 5 years from the second taxing.

tasticz

Hmm I have only been able to find one similar thread in piston head forum but the answers were inconclusive.

if I get chance I’ll speak with dvla or just do it and let you all know the outcome in August

facade

Did you spot the point that additional rate has to be paid for 5 years after the first year rate has been paid, so the car is normally 6 years old when it stops, but if you bought it at 6 months old it would be 5 years and 6 months when additional rate finishes?

You said the car will be "over 5 years"- did you mean over 5 years of additional rate, or over 5 years old?

400ixl

OP seems to know when their additional rate ends.

You can check it at https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla.

To the OP, maybe switch to a monthly payment for the renewal, then cancel that in August once paid and then switch back to annual if you want to.

tasticz

400ixl said:

OP seems to know when their additional rate ends.

You can check it at https://www.gov.uk/get-vehicle-information-from-dvla.

To the OP, maybe switch to a monthly payment for the renewal, then cancel that in August once paid and then switch back to annual if you want to.

Thank you for this. I didn’t know there was a monthly option. 

Is it easy to switch between the two or do you have to ring up?

tasticz

facade said:

Did you spot the point that additional rate has to be paid for 5 years after the first year rate has been paid, so the car is normally 6 years old when it stops, but if you bought it at 6 months old it would be 5 years and 6 months when additional rate finishes?

You said the car will be "over 5 years"- did you mean over 5 years of additional rate, or over 5 years old?

Sorry for confusion. 

Additional Rate applicable until

31 August 2023

jimjames

tasticz said:

Hmm I have only been able to find one similar thread in piston head forum but the answers were inconclusive.
if I get chance I’ll speak with dvla or just do it and let you all know the outcome in August

One option would be to pay by DD and then cancel DD at the point you SORN. No refund but equally no further payments at the same level

tasticz

Hi all

just an update. I have now received the reminder to tax my vehicle and the price quoted in the letter includes amended rate which accounts for additional rate for 1x month and the normal Road tax price for 11x months

all in all, it’s automatically considered by the system and no faffing around needed

they have made it ‘fair’ without needing to faff around