Late October every year I take the Caterham off the road for the winter, return the tax for a refund and SORN the car. Used to have to do it posting the disc a few days before the end of the month which normally mean't before the last weekend and that would then be glorious weather but I would be unable to use the car since I had no tax disc.

Now with the new system I can wait until the last minute, hope for nice weather and SORN the car on-line which results in a automatic refund of the remaining tax. If I wanted I could then tax the car again the next day and continuing using it.

But you cannot state the day you want the SORN to commence, it starts when you submit the form. All she needs to do is go on-line on the last day, she can do that from anywhere.

But if she's not using the car what is the problem with ite SORN'd a while before.

Edited by skidpan on 23/09/2015 at 11:18

Apart from the V5C number, what other information is required? Could I do it on behalf on my daughter?

From memory V5C number is all you need, reg might be required but don't think so.

Anyone can do it, the PC does not check your gender.

As a follow up - WHAT A FARCE THIS NEW SYSTEM IS.

We declared SORN online on the last day of the month - easy and effective immediately, no option to forward date it. It maybe even takes effect for the whole day, as it says effective on date but no time. Good job we hadnt used the car that day as only a few minutes earlier we passed a speed trap/APNR van in my other car.

Next day, 1st of the month, did the change of ownership online, again easy and emails received to confirm. Checked tax status and it now says vehicle untaxed.

Then the problem starts.

Tried to tax the car online and it comes up with a cryptic message. "Successful transaction - as there is a successful transaction you cannot blah blah blah, but you can go to post office that deals with road tax/sorn with your insurance/mot blah blah..." WTF? Decided to try later (several times) in case its a slow computer update type thing, but no, same error. Next day, same thing. So tried to tax by phone, same thing....

Eventually I phoned DVLA and waited the obligatory 10 minutes only to be told, ah yes, there is a successful transaction (SORN and/or change of ownership?) and this locks the computer for 5 DAYS!!!! But you can go to a post office with insurance/mot certificate blah,blah.

Wait a minute...Nearest post office is 6 miles away, I dont have a "mot certificate" as its stored electronically and my daughter didnt give the scrap of paper. What if this was my only car? Would I have to walk/bus 6 miles x 2? What if had needed the car as soon as I had bought it?

This looks like a deliberate ploy to punish people trying to avoid the double road tax sting. Also I note they chatge £2.50 for use of a credit card. One law for them and another for retailers who are not allowed to charge extra for credit cards. Hypocrites.

The whole road tax reshuffle is a disgrace. No wonder the UK is becoming the laughing stock of the world.

Edited by brum on 02/10/2015 at 11:23

<If the card providers charge a retailer more for CC transactions than Debit cards (and I think that's universally the case) retailer not passing on that cost absorbs it in profit/margin. Less profit but still a sale.>

One reason why any locally owned business I pay is either cash or debit card.

Edited by SlidingPillar on 02/10/2015 at 21:54

Credit card suppliers usually charge the retailer between 2 & 5% of the value of the transaction-on a debit card 8p!

Government may have cut a different deal but above puts £2.50 in context. I ask again, why should the taxpayer subsidise people who choose to pay by CC.

If you're short of readies the Direct Debit option is a cheaper solution.

I followed the correct procedure as you have outlined. SORN using the V5C ref no on the front. Then next day transfer of ownership on line, followed by attempts to retax on line using 12 digit ref no on V5C/2 part. Also attempted by phone and even talking to a real person.

From your experience I can only assume the problem is caused by straddling month end / new month start or maybe the online change of ownership.

DVLA told me that the computer locks things for 5 days before it will accept any new transaction.

Alternatively IIRC it gives you the option of taxing it during the owner change procedure.

No such option appeared.

To tax a car on-line during the ownership change over you use the document reference number from Section 10 of the V5C i.e the section handed to you by the seller. It has an extra digit at the beginning which will allow you to tax the car. Using the Doc number off the front will not work.

Done this twice now in the past 12 months with no issues whatsoever.

Yes....<heaves a big sigh>..... as I have already pointed out, thats exactly what I did, and it didnt work, because of a "sucessful transaction" (which is something that happened previously that blocks me for 5 days.

Please, no more tellimg me I'm doing it wrong - I'm not an apple owner.

DVLA told me - COMPUTER SAYS NO.