Why can't I tax a car online?

Bug One · 10 Apr 2020 at 15:19

Hi all,

Got an odd one. My wife has never been able to tax her car online. It's not anything out of the ordinary - just a 2014 Peugeot 2008 HDi.

When we try to tax it online, we get the message.

Unable to use service

'Unfortunately, because of the tax class of the vehicle or recent changes to the vehicle record, you are currently unable to apply for vehicle tax or make SORN using this service.'

We've owned the car since 2017, no changes to the registered keeper. It's MOT'd (January) and insured.

I've taxed both my cars online without issue.

Bug One · 10 Apr 2020 at 15:20

PS - we've got the vehicle tax reminder, with the 16 digit reference number - which is what we're using.

Dis86 · 10 Apr 2020 at 15:21

This is O C U K. You want the D V L A.

Bug One · 10 Apr 2020 at 15:42

Dis86 said:
This is O C U K. You want the D V L A.

They're don't work weekends. Will give them a call Monday.

I just wondered if this is a known thing - of a real oddity.

snapdragon69 · 10 Apr 2020 at 17:50

Call Tuesday, they will be closed on Monday (Bank Holiday).

ShiWarrior · 10 Apr 2020 at 18:26

that's a weird one

don't you do it by Direct Debit ?

theone8181 · 10 Apr 2020 at 19:33

I had an issue taxing my current car inline, as the previous owner was disabled (seriously, I think they didn't have to pay tax) and the online system would let me pay (which is stupid as I had to borrow another car to get to the post office, although it sorted itself out when I first taxed it).

ezekial · 11 Apr 2020 at 07:39

I have never heard of anything like this.

Phil W · 11 Apr 2020 at 16:08

Happened to me once, are you within a month of MOT being due?

/Edit - doesn't seem so! Odd.

ShiWarrior · 11 Apr 2020 at 16:12

maybe because they've extended it ? (actually no its MOT isnt it ?) maybe because of this ?

Nasher · 11 Apr 2020 at 16:14

Could be a server down at their end. I'd guess the message is because there is no link between the site and their database, so it can't find the car details. But just a guess

Tee Hee Johnson · 11 Apr 2020 at 16:18

theone8181 said:
I had an issue taxing my current car inline, as the previous owner was disabled (seriously, I think they didn't have to pay tax) and the online system would let me pay (which is stupid as I had to borrow another car to get to the post office, although it sorted itself out when I first taxed it).

This happened to me also, couldn't do it online, had to visit a post office.

ajgoodfellow · 15 Apr 2020 at 16:19

theone8181 said:
I had an issue taxing my current car inline, as the previous owner was disabled (seriously, I think they didn't have to pay tax) and the online system would let me pay (which is stupid as I had to borrow another car to get to the post office, although it sorted itself out when I first taxed it).

I had a similar thing years ago - the previous owner was disabled and the supplying dealer needed to go to a local DVLA office to get the tax class changed before he could tax it in the normal way and sell it to me (I'm not disabled). This was way back in 2008.

Semple · 15 Apr 2020 at 16:23

It worked yesterday for me when i taxed mine.

Try using the reference number on your logbook rather than your reminder letter, see if that makes any difference?

Rroff · 15 Apr 2020 at 16:26

Gonna make the assumption that previously it was taxed differently (exemption like disabled as mentioned above) to the class of the vehicle and it can't just be changed over.

theone8181 · 15 Apr 2020 at 19:41

ajgoodfellow said:
I had a similar thing years ago - the previous owner was disabled and the supplying dealer needed to go to a local DVLA office to get the tax class changed before he could tax it in the normal way and sell it to me (I'm not disabled). This was way back in 2008.

My issue was the dealer drove it too my house then took the courtesy car I'd borrowed back. I'd of been stuck as the post office is about 3 miles away and I had 2 young kids at the time.

ajgoodfellow · 16 Apr 2020 at 08:57

theone8181 said:
My issue was the dealer drove it too my house then took the courtesy car I'd borrowed back. I'd of been stuck as the post office is about 3 miles away and I had 2 young kids at the time.

That's a real pain - only made worse by the fact that in the new system the dealer can't tax it for you

tom_e · 16 Apr 2020 at 09:26

ajgoodfellow said:
That's a real pain - only made worse by the fact that in the new system the dealer can't tax it for you

Yes they can, they just fill in your details which they'll have anyway in the same way you'd go and tax it online.

ajgoodfellow · 16 Apr 2020 at 13:09

tom_e said:
Yes they can, they just fill in your details which they'll have anyway in the same way you'd go and tax it online.

I didn't know that. The dealers we bought our last used cars from (my wife and I) after the system change said they couldn't tax it - we had to use the dealer's computer to tax them ourselves.

tom_e · 16 Apr 2020 at 13:22

ajgoodfellow said:
I didn't know that. The dealers we bought our last used cars from (my wife and I) after the system change said they couldn't tax it - we had to use the dealer's computer to tax them ourselves.

Seems like a common misconception.
https://www.parkers.co.uk/car-buying/2015/car-tax-top-five-myths-explained/

If you think about it the only thing that changes is who's card details go in at the end.