Buying a 'disabled' tax car
Discussion
Has anyone done this lately (in the new online DVLA world we now live in)?
I've picked up a new (used) car, and went to tax it to find that there's a sticky wicket - it's registered as a "disabled" car for taxation (RFL) purposes.
Is there a simple way round doing this these days, or am I going to end up waiting an inordinate amount of time to receive the log book, then go to the post office for them to send it off, then perhaps more waiting? Concerned now that I won't be able to use the car for ages!
I imagine this must be common, so thought someone might have done this recently?
I've picked up a new (used) car, and went to tax it to find that there's a sticky wicket - it's registered as a "disabled" car for taxation (RFL) purposes.
Is there a simple way round doing this these days, or am I going to end up waiting an inordinate amount of time to receive the log book, then go to the post office for them to send it off, then perhaps more waiting? Concerned now that I won't be able to use the car for ages!
I imagine this must be common, so thought someone might have done this recently?
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax
https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-tax-class/tax-du...
You just need the new keeper bit (I'm assuming it's a new to you car) and evidence of the cars MOT status. 30 seconds of google to find it on .gov.uk.
https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-tax-class/tax-du...
You just need the new keeper bit (I'm assuming it's a new to you car) and evidence of the cars MOT status. 30 seconds of google to find it on .gov.uk.
SteveSteveson said:
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax
https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-tax-class/tax-du...
You just need the new keeper bit (I'm assuming it's a new to you car) and evidence of the cars MOT status. 30 seconds of google to find it on .gov.uk.
I've seen it on .gov.uk, but it's actually not clear. Even less so when you ring the 0300 number that is suggested why you try to actually tax it.https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-tax-class/tax-du...
You just need the new keeper bit (I'm assuming it's a new to you car) and evidence of the cars MOT status. 30 seconds of google to find it on .gov.uk.
The article seems to be based on changing the class to an exemption class (as per the title of both links), not the other way around.
The fact that it mentions taking the MOT Certificate and proof of insurance suggests that it's massively out of date, which is why I was looking for someone who might have done this recently.
Chimple said:
You can tax it the same day at the post office, they will sort the taxation class out at the same time. There's no need to send the log book off first.
Plus you can also apply for the log book online, which is what I did initially. I now have two log books :
Does the previous owner still get fined if you apply for a logbook with the V5C? I'm sure that's what they used to do.Plus you can also apply for the log book online, which is what I did initially. I now have two log books :
So if I went to the post office with the V5C, they'll sort it out there and then? I currently pay by DD, but gather it's not going to be that simple (from what the very welsh pre-recorded man said on the blower).
cj2013 said:
SteveSteveson said:
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax
https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-tax-class/tax-du...
You just need the new keeper bit (I'm assuming it's a new to you car) and evidence of the cars MOT status. 30 seconds of google to find it on .gov.uk.
I've seen it on .gov.uk, but it's actually not clear. Even less so when you ring the 0300 number that is suggested why you try to actually tax it.https://www.gov.uk/change-vehicle-tax-class/tax-du...
You just need the new keeper bit (I'm assuming it's a new to you car) and evidence of the cars MOT status. 30 seconds of google to find it on .gov.uk.
The article seems to be based on changing the class to an exemption class (as per the title of both links), not the other way around.
The fact that it mentions taking the MOT Certificate and proof of insurance suggests that it's massively out of date, which is why I was looking for someone who might have done this recently.
cj2013 said:
Which brings me back to the first post, where I'm wondering if I have to wait weeks to receive the new logbook before I can use the car?
No.Once the paperwork has been completed (at a post office) and it's been taxed and insured, you can use it.
The V5C in your name can arrive later.
cj2013 said:
steve-5snwi said:
Fill out the new keeper section on the V5, take it to the post office pay for the tax and they will send the V5 off.
Which brings me back to the first post, where I'm wondering if I have to wait weeks to receive the new logbook before I can use the car?When I bought my last car I found out mine was previously registered disabled. The only practical difference, was having to take the paperwork to the post office and filling in a special form they give you to change the tax class (it needs to be a post office that can deal with this - search on their website for the ones that can deal with car tax - it is mainly the main branches). The original server didn't have a clue what they were doing, but after a manager came on the scene, it was all sorted fairly swiftly. They give you a receipt and the normal V5C (showing changed tax class) followed about a week later.
HasToBeV8 said:
When I bought my last car I found out mine was previously registered disabled. The only practical difference, was having to take the paperwork to the post office and filling in a special form they give you to change the tax class (it needs to be a post office that can deal with this - search on their website for the ones that can deal with car tax - it is mainly the main branches). The original server didn't have a clue what they were doing, but after a manager came on the scene, it was all sorted fairly swiftly. They give you a receipt and the normal V5C (showing changed tax class) followed about a week later.
Brill - thanks 
To update on this, I waited until the new V5 came through in my name and went to the PO (any one which handles car tax).
The clerk kept the main part of the V5 and said it needed to be filled in by them and sent off, giving me back the V5C/2 page (with the yellow/grey/green slips). Not sure how successful I would have been if I just had the green slip?
I had to buy the tax up front, like back in the stone age though
The clerk kept the main part of the V5 and said it needed to be filled in by them and sent off, giving me back the V5C/2 page (with the yellow/grey/green slips). Not sure how successful I would have been if I just had the green slip?
I had to buy the tax up front, like back in the stone age though
I'm sure you can do it on a V10 form and take it to the post office and tax it, take the original V5 too. That's how we had to do it when changing a car from disabled to a new owner and tax it at the same time.
You should try obtaining a new V5 and changing the name at the same time when its still registered to someone else, it take f-ing ages !
You should try obtaining a new V5 and changing the name at the same time when its still registered to someone else, it take f-ing ages !
We've just bought an ex-motability vehicle (a converted van) which is presently registered as "disabled" because the previous owner was allowed road tax exemption charges, but the "tax" ran out last month while it sat at the car sales place (or likely to have been transferred to the previous owner's new vehicle). It's passed the MOT last week, been serviced and having insured it, it was delivered yesterday evening and is parked on our drive, ready to go...but....
My wife went to the local village post office to tax it first thing this morning. The staff there found it impossible to remove it from disabled status (computer says NO) so it can't be done!
My wife subsequently spent the whole day phoning DVLA and visited a larger post office in town a total of four times. After a second attempt there, she took the advice of the post master who thought despite his initial failure he should have been able to sort it out if he had access to the whole V5C rather than just the new keeper slip, using the more detailed info on there. So my wife drove 35 miles back to the car sales place and was able to retrieve it; it was just about to be sent off the DVLA. Having delivered it - No joy. The system will just not allow it to be done.
The post master said he has almost 50 years experience in this line of work and has never come across this problem before. He was in touch a number of times with their own staff helpline (including while we were present and listening) who were very confident at first but they couldn't make it work either. Having failed miserably they said that it was obviously an issue with either the individual vehicle status itself, or the DVLA system. I then spoke direct to DVLA who checked the vehicle's details on their database and say it's definitely the post office's system that's at fault. They were adamant that there is no "marker" flagged up at Swansea and therefore no reason why the PO can't change the status and allow us to tax it. It seems that the options box to allow disabled/remove disabled no longer appears on the PO's computer screen
Because there is no way that the post office can help we have now been advised by DVLA that we must apply by post. They told me that we have to fill in a Form V10 (which the postmaster was able to find from a back room after telling me he had been told by DVLA that those forms are now obsolete) and send it with the vehicle docs and a cheque (remember those?).
It will take up to 10 working days to process the application and cannot be fast tracked in any way. Until then the vehicle can't be driven on a public road, which is more than annoying because my wife's business depends on a van to transport her goods for sale and this is her busiest time of the year - it looks like she is set to lose quite a lot of revenue over this.
The postmaster said in the past he would just have ticked the appropriate boxes, taken our money and issued a tax disc, as he did for decades before.
That's so-called "progress"...
Edit: DVLA have now advised us that the type approval details on their database were incorrectly completed at the time of initial registration from new. This is getting even more complicated. They now need photographs of the vehicle, interior and exterior showing the registration number. We're hoping that it can be updated to "P/LG" (Private/Light Goods) status then all should be in order to tax it.
My wife went to the local village post office to tax it first thing this morning. The staff there found it impossible to remove it from disabled status (computer says NO) so it can't be done!
My wife subsequently spent the whole day phoning DVLA and visited a larger post office in town a total of four times. After a second attempt there, she took the advice of the post master who thought despite his initial failure he should have been able to sort it out if he had access to the whole V5C rather than just the new keeper slip, using the more detailed info on there. So my wife drove 35 miles back to the car sales place and was able to retrieve it; it was just about to be sent off the DVLA. Having delivered it - No joy. The system will just not allow it to be done.
The post master said he has almost 50 years experience in this line of work and has never come across this problem before. He was in touch a number of times with their own staff helpline (including while we were present and listening) who were very confident at first but they couldn't make it work either. Having failed miserably they said that it was obviously an issue with either the individual vehicle status itself, or the DVLA system. I then spoke direct to DVLA who checked the vehicle's details on their database and say it's definitely the post office's system that's at fault. They were adamant that there is no "marker" flagged up at Swansea and therefore no reason why the PO can't change the status and allow us to tax it. It seems that the options box to allow disabled/remove disabled no longer appears on the PO's computer screen
Because there is no way that the post office can help we have now been advised by DVLA that we must apply by post. They told me that we have to fill in a Form V10 (which the postmaster was able to find from a back room after telling me he had been told by DVLA that those forms are now obsolete) and send it with the vehicle docs and a cheque (remember those?).
It will take up to 10 working days to process the application and cannot be fast tracked in any way. Until then the vehicle can't be driven on a public road, which is more than annoying because my wife's business depends on a van to transport her goods for sale and this is her busiest time of the year - it looks like she is set to lose quite a lot of revenue over this.
The postmaster said in the past he would just have ticked the appropriate boxes, taken our money and issued a tax disc, as he did for decades before.
That's so-called "progress"...
Edit: DVLA have now advised us that the type approval details on their database were incorrectly completed at the time of initial registration from new. This is getting even more complicated. They now need photographs of the vehicle, interior and exterior showing the registration number. We're hoping that it can be updated to "P/LG" (Private/Light Goods) status then all should be in order to tax it.
Edited by Wheaters on Saturday 1st December 17:55
It gets ever more complicated. The vehicle still hasn't been taxed. DVLA are now saying it might take them up to 6 weeks (!) to process this (obviously not including the Christmas shutdown). Whoever we speak to at DVLA hides behind the system - the system says no! Ridiculous situation - it seems to have been caused by an error on their part in the first place. The last person we spoke to started going on about delays caused by "postal security checks" on the incoming mail. They signed for the envelope three weeks ago. It's just an envelope, containing three sheets of paper, as I'm sure most of what they receive must be.
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