Quick! Renew your road tax today!

klint

If your car tax runs out at the end of March, renew it today, the 11th, to avoid paying an increased tax after tomorrow's Budget.

I always thought you had to wait until the 15th before renewing the tax. However, when I tried to renew online, the DVLA website told me "please try again from the 11th of the month." Well, it's now just after midnight, it's the 11th, I tried it, and it still tells me to try again on the 11th. I will try during business hours and see if it works. Tomorrow may be too late. Who knows how much it will cost to tax the car from tomorrow (well, I mean, apart from Alistair...)

natalie1974

klint wrote: »

If your car tax runs out at the end of March, renew it today, the 11th, to avoid paying an increased tax after tomorrow's Budget.

I always thought you had to wait until the 15th before renewing the tax. However, when I tried to renew online, the DVLA website told me "please try again from the 11th of the month." Well, it's now just after midnight, it's the 11th, I tried it, and it still tells me to try again on the 11th. I will try during business hours and see if it works. Tomorrow may be too late. Who knows how much it will cost to tax the car from tomorrow (well, I mean, apart from Alistair...)

You saying that we had the reminders turn up through the post on Saturday and they said not before the 15th on there but I taxed OH's van online at about 9.30pm tonight (Monday) and it went through ok and his tax runs out at the end of march . Try again now as I had no problems

jackieb

Thank you for the reminder! I'm off to try it just now.

Edit: Just worked fine for me. It also said on my reminder that the earliest I could apply for a tax disc is the 15th of March, but it's went through. Thanks again - you probably saved me a few £s.

klint

It worked! The reason it didn't work before was because the DVLA had sent me the wrong 16-digit reference number. I found an email in my inbox this morning apologizing for sending me the wrong number before, and this email included the correct reference number. So, I'm kind of happy, but slightly worried about DVLA's computer systems. If they can't manage to send the correct reference number to the correct person, I wonder what other data problems they may have. By the way, I haven't received a reminder through the post yet.

Cardelia

Maybe I'm being slightly naive about this, but surely any road fund changes in the new budget only apply to cars which will be taxed in the 2008/9 financial year? I've not received a reminder notice through the post yet, but I would imagine it has been sent out already with the 2007 tax band prices on it, so surely the DVLA can't change the cost for the 2007/8 financial year just because the tax for the next financial year has gone up?

Somerset

I'm not sure how it works with car tax, but I got caught out with my TV licence last year I think. Got the renewal stating one price but when I went to pay, it had gone up in the Budget and I had to pay the increased price. Apparently it's a ''at the time of printing this is correct'' get-out.

natalie1974

Cardelia wrote: »

Maybe I'm being slightly naive about this, but surely any road fund changes in the new budget only apply to cars which will be taxed in the 2008/9 financial year? I've not received a reminder notice through the post yet, but I would imagine it has been sent out already with the 2007 tax band prices on it, so surely the DVLA can't change the cost for the 2007/8 financial year just because the tax for the next financial year has gone up?

I think it comes into effect the day of the budget . I remember last year we taxed online for OH's van and my car was up at the same time (end of March) but my MOT ran out at the same time so I tried to tax mine online and it wouldn't let me as my MOT was ending within 2 weeks . I MOT'd mine that weekend and then went online on the Saturday and taxed mine and it had gone up already from the Tuesday (when I had taxed OH's) from £112.50 ish to £115

jackieb

I'm pretty sure it goes up from the day of the budget too. I'm sure I missed getting it early a previous year and was charged the new amount - regardless of what the amount was on the reminder.

pulliptears

Mine is due end of March, but it tells me when I try and renew that I will basically lose a month's tax as if I pay today it will expire end of Feb 09 rather than end of March 09.

Wig

pulliptears wrote: »

Mine is due end of March, but it tells me when I try and renew that I will basically lose a month's tax as if I pay today it will expire end of Feb 09 rather than end of March 09.

I think you have it right, and those above who have renewed already have actually paid twice for March.

Crabman

Wig wrote: »

I think you have it right, and those above who have renewed already have actually paid twice for March.

Uh-oh... I renewed online today (before seeing this thread) :eek:

I saved each stage as a PDF and this is what it said at the confirmation page, looks fine to me:

12 Months at a duty of: £115.00
Licence Start Date: 01 04 2008