cash in road tax?

[KD]

hi all, simple question when not using your mh for a few months normally over winter do you surrender you road tax. declare your vehicle to be off road or is it maybe more trouble then it is worth.

 

dean

[michele]

Personally I don't bother to much trouble back & forth and we would not know if and when we may need it.

[Cattwg]

Hi K&D

The short answer is yes. Anything over one month must be worth it. It's simple to do - just one form. We always did it in the days when we could only use our 'van for eight months of the year.

One thing to remember - only complete months can be reclaimed so your tax disc must reach Swansea before the 1st of the first month being reclaimed. And of course the 'van must be parked off the road!

Regards Cattwg. :-)

[Hymer C 9.]

We keep our taxed, saves messing around, and we may get some good weather in the winter and be able to use it, as it seems as if the seasons has got its self muddled up at the moment. Carol.

 

 

[Mike Parke]

Not often!! I do not see the point in paying out a lot of 'hard earned' cash on a m'home which will not be used for a lenght of time. If it is always 'taxed' it is in a position to be used 'at the drop of a hat'. We use ours as often as possible even though I work 12hrs shifts on a rotating basis and Cherry works 'normal office hours'. If I do not use it at least twice a month I start getting withdrawal symptons!!

Regrds, Mike & Cherry.

[Guest caraprof]

I can't believe that someone can be so tight as to claim back road tax if their 'van is not likely to be used for a month!

I'm sorry, but my time is too valuable to bugger around with all that nonsense for a few quid!

If they go abroad for a month I wonder if they do the same with their TV licence?

[Thai Bry]

Agree with caraprof, just not worth the hassle unless you are laying your vehicle up for more than at least 6 months. Then the question to be beged is why have an expensive vehicle laid up on your driveway if you're only going to use it for a short period of time. You will still have to insure it for the full year anyway to cover yourself against theft, so might as well use it.

Thai

[fred grant]

if you dont use it regularly you will end up forking out to replace rusty brakes, rottin tyres, and mechanical compononts, and will need gas appliences servicing more often etc. keep it taxed and running every few weeks, also run all the appiences on gas for an hour etc. saves money in the long run so keep it taxed. i knows as i has tried it both ways. you can spend your life filling in forms. i rather do something beter with my rare spare time.

 

fred the teach

[W3526602]

Hi,

 

You can tax it on line, but if there has been a gap, only from 00.01hrs of the month that you want it to run from....not two days prior.

 

If you are going to apply for a refund, always tax it for a full year. Taxing twice a year costs you 10% extra, but refunds are based on the 12 month rate.

 

Remember that you must declare SORN at the same time. Have DVLA implemented my suggestion that there should be room to declare SORN on the refund application (V14?)? They are trying/going to introduce a scheme that allowes them to assume that you are driving your unSORNed car if the insurance expires as well. Fine will be £60 (£100) but no penalty points...I think.

 

Its not just your camper. If we go abroad for a long period, we cash in the tax on my wife's SAAB. My 1957 Land Rover is tax exempt. Two months is worth about £30 on the SAAB, probably more for a lot of cars. At one time it was possible for VERY heavy lorries to be taxed for 7 days at a time, if they were only going to be used occasionally.

 

Always take a photo copy of your refund appllcation...or at least "diarise" it. We have met a couple of "short" refunds.

 

602

[davenewellhome]

Although we don't get the opportunity to use our 'van as often as we'd like (it hasn't been out since Newbury show in May) we do keep it taxed and ready to roll so that if we do get an unexpected opportunity we don't have to mess around going to the post office etc.

 

D.

[Steve OReilly]

We have six vehicles that require tax (and others bought abroad that the DVLA has no knowledge of) and the most we can use at any one time is two. When we go away in the motorhome it is usually for more than one month and is therefore worth cashing in the tax for the vehicles left behind - either because the refund is worth having or because it causes extra work for the DVLA. I resent having to notify this Government agency of the contents of my garage and while declaring SORN remains free I continue to make work for the DVLA. Incidentally, the DVLA published a consultation document about a year ago which suggested charging a fee for SORN and this is likely to happen within a few years.

 

The process of cashing in the tax disc is easy. Download a V14 form and guidance to complete it from the DVLA website - www.dvla.gov.uk - and save it on your computer. Print a copy and attach tax disc before posting to the DVLA. They will send you the rebate followed by a letter acknowledging that the vehicle is SORNed. (They have never objected to the V14 being printed out on a black and white printer even though the original V14 is a coloured document). When you wish to re-tax the vehicle go to the DVLA website and enter the document reference number from your V5C. As long as the vehicle has current MOT and insurance you'll receive the new tax disc by first class post. If you keep the vehicle SORNed for more than 12 months you can also renew the SORN via the internet.

 

The irony of my reply is that the motorhome is the only vehicle which has never had the tax cashed in nor been SORNed. It is used too often.

 

Steve

[Brian Kirby]

K&D - 2007-07-16 7:54 PM hi all, simple question when not using your mh for a few months normally over winter do you surrender you road tax. declare your vehicle to be off road or is it maybe more trouble then it is worth. dean

In case it got lost among the other replies, Fred had the "correct" answer.  You need to use your van at least once per month, to prevent damage to tyres from standing still, and excessive build up of corrosion on unused brake drums or discs.

If you can store it under cover in dry conditions, and can guarantee to put it away dry, keeping it with all wheels raised off the ground for the duration, fine SORN it.  Otherwise leave it taxed and keep driving it around.  To do otherwise will be more (expensive!) trouble than it is worth.

[dogmad]

I have to agree with most of the other replies. We keep ours taxed even though during the winter months of Nov, Jan, Feb we might only take it out once per month, even that's better than nothing.

 

Also, we've had occasion (more than once) when we've had to use our van as a means of transport when we've had car trouble.

[Tony Jones]

Just to put the other point of view:

 

I'm the only driver in our household, and old Hannibal isn't suitable for winter camping.

 

During the summer, we use it as our main vehicle and put up with its excessive thirst, but in winter, when it can't be used for sleeping, we SORN it and run a car instead, saving an enormous amount in fuel.

 

When we upgrade later in the year (don't tell Hannibal!) it will be to a van which (a) burns diesel and (b) is suitable for camping at least 9 months of the year, even if not 12. On that basis, we'll get rid of the car and use the new van as our main vehicle.

 

(In case you're wondering why I keep saying "main" not "sole," I also have a 1968 Mini, but that doesn't really count as it's just for fun and never goes further than the Essex boundary. I pay no tax on that, and very little insurance, so it doesn't count on the "expenditure" side either!)

 

Tony

 

 

[Mel B]

I must admit that we did do this with our former Rapido last year for a month or two but regretted it later, even though we had 'sneaky' little runs round the block to keep it in nice fettle, the brakes still needed work due to them not having a proper work-out, false economy for only a short period of time. If you can put it into mothballs properly so that no mechanical etc problems are caused, they do so, it's just a shame that you can't use it, it's a expensive 'toy' to just have sitting around not being used.

[Basil]

Hi All,

 

From our perspective I would definately SORN and reclaim tax on any vehicle that I was not using. I don't see that saving £15 plus per month per vehicle sorned is being 'tight' but good financial managment (assuming you have carried out correct procedures for laying the vehicle up as Brian has said). I just wish you could do the same with the insurance.

 

Bas

[Mel B]

Basil - 2007-07-18 10:30 AM

 

I just wish you could do the same with the insurance.

 

Bas

 

You probably could but it would be an expensive way to do it especially if it caught fire or got nicked! :D

[Ralph]

You used to be able to do it with insurance as well. It was possible to drop down to just fire and theft when it was off the road but I understand that now it's all computerised with DVLA it's no longer possible.

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

I'd be a bit surprised if this has anything to with DVLA or computers.  The insurance you're legally required to have is third party to meet minimum Road Traffic Acts requirements.  Fire and theft are extra, as is fully comprehensive.

Personally, I still think reducing the cover to RTA min would be a bit of a fool's errand for most folk, since if the van was damaged in any way the damage would not be covered. 

What I think is probably needed is insurance for the van as goods, and not as a vehicle, provided it is genuinely off the road and is not being driven.  Once it is SORN'd, it is deemed no longer on the road (Mel notwithstanding: and what would you have done if you'd been involved in an accident, Mel?), so how it is insured is of no further interest to DVLA until it is re-taxed; but then it must be re-insured.

Since most insurers levy some cancellation charge, it seems a bit improbable this approach would be appropriate, except for those relatively few folk who can do a thorough off road job for at least 6 months at a time.

[Ralph]

Well it was an insurance company that gave the info Brian, but who trusts them anyway?

My brother doesn't use his van in the winter and takes it off the road as discussed (or rather he used to). He always used to have the RTA part dropped and just pay for fire and theft. The insurance company say that they can no longer do this and blame DVLA and their new system. They say that giving you limited mileage options amounts to the same thing.

Personally I use my van every month anyway so the question has never occurred.

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Well, I not doubting you/he was told that, I'm just doubting that what you've been told is the whole truth.

After all, quite a few organisations blame the Data Protection Act for not being able to supply information that has nothing to with data protection.  It's just that they're lazy, and their staff poorly briefed, and it sounds a convincing excuse.  For everyone who's fobbed off by it, there is a bit less for them to do. 

Somehow, I just think I can sniff a bit of that in this story: but it would be easily to check by contacting the DVLA and asking them if it's true.  Has your brother done that?  The answer migt be interesting, or I may just be a nasty suspicious old s*d (guilty as charged!)!

[davenewellhome]

You can always cancel your insurance and take out a policy that just covers fire and theft if your insurance company won't change your existing policy. whether its worth the effort though is a totally different ball game.

 

D.

[Ralph]

Brian,

 

I believe that in addition to being banned under the Data Protection Act you'll find that under Health and Safety Laws foisted upon us by the European Union it's just More than My Jobs Worth.

Incidentally I was on the monorail at Beulieu when a couple tried to take a pushchair onto it. Sending them off the driver quoted H&S and actually said "More than my jobs worth" Until then I didn't think anybody actually said it.

 

Ralph (tongue firmly in cheek)

[g4oip]

Being fairly new to m/hing shall use during winter but when I ran camps abroad for English companies we were gone for 7 months so I SORNed the tranny we pulled the caravan with and re-taxed it when we returned to UK.Incidentally is it just me that hates this UK rubbish I am not a ukian I am English I do not live in the land of Uk!

Alec

[Brian Kirby]

g4oip - 2007-07-20 11:03 AM Being fairly new to m/hing shall use during winter but when I ran camps abroad for English companies we were gone for 7 months so I SORNed the tranny we pulled the caravan with and re-taxed it when we returned to UK.Incidentally is it just me that hates this UK rubbish I am not a ukian I am English I do not live in the land of Uk! Alec

Alec, Alec, Alec; I'm not sure what land you really inhabit, but if I've understood correctly what you say above, you were driving completely illegally while abroad! 

Your vehicle is only legal outside the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to give the correct legal definition, if it is fully taxed, insured and tested as necessary in its home state. 

SORN it, and it is not legally allowed on the roads of any European state, UK or otherwise.  Untaxed as is was, it is doubtful what elements of your insurance were valid as well.  Had you been stopped and checked, you'd have been in very deep doo-doo.

Maybe a slightly broader international focus, and a better knowledge of your native laws (all passed in Westminster, London, in your beloved little England, by a majority of little English MPs) would have been beneficial!