Claiming Road Tax

In the UK when you buy car you must tax it. Either use the New Keeper Supplement part of the logbook by going online or by phoning the automated phone service– which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

From November 1 drivers will be offered Direct Debit – either annually, six monthly or monthly (for 12 months tax).

When you sell your scrap or used car, if there’s still some road tax left on your car, DVLA will refund any complete months that remain. You can get a refund for each full month left to run on the tax at the time you apply for a refund.

The cost of a six month licence includes a 10 percent handling charge which DVLA do not include when they work out your refund.

How To Apply For A Refund

To get a refund you’ll need:

  • a completed form V14 ‘refund/SORN application’
  • the tax disc
  • to send the form and disc to Refund Section, DVLA, Swansea SA99 1AL

If you take your vehicle off the road, when you remove the tax disc, you’ll also need to make a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) on the V14 refund form, as the vehicle will no longer be taxed.

To get a refund you’ll need:

  • a completed form V33 ‘Refund application where no licence disc is surrendered’
  • to send the form to Refund Section, DVLA, Swansea SA99 1AL

The car tax refund will be automatically triggered when either:

  • you notify DVLA of the sale using the yellow section 9 of your registration certificate (V5C/3); or
  • the recycling centre issues your Certificate of Destruction

Vehicle Has Been Stolen

Since most vehicles are recovered within a few days of theft, wait at least seven days before applying for a refund. If the tax disc is not recovered, you’ll need to provide details of the theft and crime reference number given by the police on the V33 form. If the tax disc is found after a refund has been paid, you must return the disc with a covering letter to Refund Section, DVLA, Swansea SA99 1AL.

One common reason for an application for a road tax refund being rejected is that the details on your application do not exactly match your log book (also known as your V5C) and if your name has changed since you have not provided the proper documentation to demonstrate this.

If your vehicle has been stolen and you are applying for the refund too soon then, as mentioned above, this may result in your application rejected. Also, if you are having your vehicle’s registration number transferred then this needs to take place before the tax refund can be processed.

Be aware that a refund cannot be backdated and is not payable for tax that has expired or which expires in less than on complete month, also the refund refund is payable in cases when the tax surrendered is void because the cheque used in payment has been subsequently dishonoured

Make sure not to apply for a refund if your vehicle is in the process of having its registration number transferred or retained

be aware of the car tax refund scam, it has been reported that criminals are emailing people pretending to be from the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and offering to pay the car tax refund.

These emails ask recipients for their bank details, as well as other information, such as internet banking passwords and log-ins, so the car tax ‘refund’ can be processed. In fact, the fraudsters plan to use this information to empty their victims’ bank accounts.

Even if you have contacted them about your car tax refund and are expecting an email in return, make sure you keep your wits about you; the DVLA says it would never ask licence holders to send in bank details via email.