The AA mentions what the keen-eyed observer will have realised when the removal of the paper tax disc was first announced.
The AA said the new system will mean that in some circumstances the government will now get “double money”.
Because, you see, as has always been the case, when you surrender unused tax, you will only get full months. Part months are not refunded. Now, when people buy a second-hand vehicle, the old keeper must cancel the tax and get back the remaining full months. The new keeper must tax for the complete month in which it is purchased. So, yes, the DVLA pick up tax on the vehicle twice in that month.
The DVLA said it was always the case that car-sellers were only credited for each whole month that the disc was not used.
Yes. However, now the new keeper is coughing up in the same month as well. Previously, the tax transferred, so in most cases it was not surrendered. Certainly I’ve taxed vehicles in the past as selling them with a long tax and MoT was a bonus that oiled the wheels of the sale. Can’t do that now. And you can be sure that in most cases people will drive home before they get around to taxing it. This, technically is illegal, but the tax for it during that period will eventually have been paid twice over.
However the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) said it would not bring in much additional revenue.
Well, they would say that, wouldn’t they? How many vehicles change hands in the UK each year? And the DVLA will be getting a cut on each one. Not much additional revenue my arse. This will run into millions.
Bloody silly idea. What could be simpler than a bit of paper stuck to the windscreen?
They reckon it saves money, but what about the cost of all those phone calls by the police and wardens to check vehicles? My guess is that they just won’t bother. My advice? Keep a copy of the confirmation email in the car to prove you paid when the “computa says no”
And the double month’s tax is a stealth tax worthy of Gordon Brown.
And another thing – not everybody has a mobile phone or a computer. Mrs D doesn’t for a start. Won’t entertain the damn things.
And while we’re on a roll, have you tried opening a bank account or transacting on a bank account without a mobile. My bank doesn’t allow payments without texting a code to my mobile to confirm it. Watch my lips – WE DON’T ALL HAVE MOBILES!!!!!
Imbeciles are running this country…. That’s it! I’m off for a lie down in a dark room.
Sorry to contradict but it’s taxed at least 3 times when taken from earned income – as it generally is. Then of course there is fuel duty wich taxes you twice (VAT on duty) more should you wish to actually use the vehicle and sales taxes when you buy it. So let’s be more accurate, your car is taxed 7 times.
Well, yes, if you’re going to get all pedantic… 😉
What we are talking about here as you well realise is VED being paid twice on the same vehicle in the same month. So this is an extra tax take on top of those you mention.
Yeah, I know – just reminding us of the bigger picture.
If only the DVLA had a few computers around which could calculate the exact daily cost of VED for refunds and new owners, eh? Sheesh.
As opposed to crashing as soon as the system goes live…
They don’t even need such computers. All thery have to do is make all tax renewals and cancellations start and end at complete months as they do now – so they would cancel and refund from the last day of the month containing the vehicle sale.
It strikes me that there may be a legal argument here – having paid for the balance of the month surely the car is legally taxed for the entirety of the month irrespective of their chosen policy to cancel it on the sale date?
I think you’ll find, DP, that DVLA computers can only count up to twelve. Upgrading to a computer system that can count up to 365 and calculate leap years would mean putting up road tax to fund it. And those nice chaps there just want to save us money.
Just been stung. Bought a taxed vehicle online on Monday and can’t collect it until Sunday – tax has to be surrendered. Vehicle has to be trailered away or taxed.
The DVLA won’t know until they receive the tax disc, so if I drove it home it can’t be flagged up as not taxed on camera recognition. I’ll bet they have the software to back track and issue the fine though, even if they claim to only be able to work in full months.
How many people will bother to reclaim just a month or two of tax? This scam will raise millions.
On the plus side, although I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere, the offence of ‘failing to display’ must have been repealed. Or not, so that means…………………….
Simply just another way to fleece us with scams that if applied in the private sector would have the company owners in court for theft.
Lying thieving scumbags.
What I am interested to understand is that in a new technological age where computers are now used to adminster the tax almost completely, and where we are no longer constrained by the limitations of the date printed on the disc, that this “spanish practice” has managed to survive at all and that you cannot just tax a car pro rata from the day you buy it to the day you sell it and get refunds to the correct number of full DAYS
I would be interested to hear a defence of this either from DVLA or indeed from the Transport Minister. Because it really does sound like a policy intended to unfairly charge tax for “services” which are not even rendered.
Anybody care to comment? Bueller? Bueller?…. Bueller?