Can't Tax Car

throwaway7483929

I bought my car new in 2018 and have only had one logbook for it. I've been paying my tax by DD ever since. I was chatting to a colleague before about car tax and how much it costs, and I logged onto my bank to check and noticed I haven't had a DD this month for my car tax.

Check the reg on the DVLA website, and it says it's been untaxed since 01/12/23. Previously it's just renewed, and I hadn't changed my bank account. The DD comes out on payday so there's no chance it would have bounced.

So I get my logbook and go to tax it - DVLA website says the V5C number is invalid. I don't know why my car tax hasn't renewed, or why my logbook is invalid and I can't get through to them on the phones and now I'm stressed and don't know what to do  :'(

Username03725

Did DVLA attempt to collect the payment and it failed, or is there no evidence of them trying?

Whichever you could try phoning DVLA to see what's going on, or perhaps drop into a Post Office and try there - at least you'll be able to speak to someone who has a clue. Assuming of course Post Offices still handle VED.

throwaway7483929

Username03725 said:

Did DVLA attempt to collect the payment and it failed, or is there no evidence of them trying?

Whichever you could try phoning DVLA to see what's going on, or perhaps drop into a Post Office and try there - at least you'll be able to speak to someone who has a clue. Assuming of course Post Offices still handle VED.

It doesn't look like they've even tried to collect it, I've got emails from the years prior with the DD renewal and I haven't had one for 2023. I think I'm going to have to pop into a Post Office because I can't get through to DVLA anywhere.

baser999

Username03725 said:

Did DVLA attempt to collect the payment and it failed, or is there no evidence of them trying?

Whichever you could try phoning DVLA to see what's going on, or perhaps drop into a Post Office and try there - at least you'll be able to speak to someone who has a clue. Assuming of course Post Offices still handle VED.

‘Someone who has a clue’. If our local PO are typical of all their staff I’d not hold your breathe since it’s pretty much all they can do to charge the proper amount for postage. We regularly post cards and parcels to Switzerland (that little unheard of country in Europe) but they always insist on looking up Swaziland on their charts 🤔 Not much difference there

p00hsticks

Username03725 said:

Did DVLA attempt to collect the payment and it failed, or is there no evidence of them trying?

Whichever you could try phoning DVLA to see what's going on,

or use their webchat service, which I used this morning (after being told it would be over ten minutes wait for them to deal with my call on the phone). It has the added bonus of you beinf able to save the chat before you close it so you have a written record of what they say. 
GOV.UK - DVLA Webchat 

Mildly_Miffed

Put the reg into https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/
Scroll down to the bottom, and look at the issue date of the most recent V5C.

Now look at the issue date on the V5C you have.

Is the postal address on the V5C you have still correct? Could anybody intercept your post?

sevenhills

throwaway7483929 said:

I bought my car new in 2018 and have only had one logbook for it. I've been paying my tax by DD ever since. I was chatting to a colleague before about car tax and how much it costs, and I logged onto my bank to check and noticed I haven't had a DD this month for my car tax.

A new car will need its first MOT test after 3 years, has it been MOTed?

eskbanker

sevenhills said:

throwaway7483929 said:

I bought my car new in 2018 and have only had one logbook for it. I've been paying my tax by DD ever since. I was chatting to a colleague before about car tax and how much it costs, and I logged onto my bank to check and noticed I haven't had a DD this month for my car tax.

A new car will need its first MOT test after 3 years, has it been MOTed?

Surely if that was an issue affecting renewal, it would have been made apparent in 2022 or 2023?

Mr.Generous

eskbanker said:

sevenhills said:

throwaway7483929 said:

I bought my car new in 2018 and have only had one logbook for it. I've been paying my tax by DD ever since. I was chatting to a colleague before about car tax and how much it costs, and I logged onto my bank to check and noticed I haven't had a DD this month for my car tax.

A new car will need its first MOT test after 3 years, has it been MOTed?

Surely if that was an issue affecting renewal, it would have been made apparent in 2022 or 2023?

That had me wondering, 2018 - 2024 three years. Lockdown didn't count?

sevenhills

Mr.Generous said:

That had me wondering, 2018 - 2024 three years. Lockdown didn't count?

They did extend MOTs, 6-12 months?

I friend tried to MOT her car, MOT 2 weeks left, she did it at her local Post Office and they said no MOT, she did it successfully a week later.

I think it was inputted incorrectly.

Kim_13

The Post Office won’t have a clue what to do when the details on the V5C don’t work for them either. 

That the car has been untaxed since December suggests that a new logbook was issued at that time - is this the case according to the Car Tax check site? Obviously you haven’t done anything to prompt the issue of one so there will be something to get to the bottom of if so - but having bought the car new you will be able to prove that you were sold that car with that plate. If crooks have somehow applied your plate to another car, DVLA will need to reverse it.