Need to tax my car but no V5...

[T0MMY]

Firstly I understand this is entirely my fault but I bought a car last May and never received the V5 for it. Unfortunately I only remembered this fact today when I need to renew the tax and (presumably) because I used the green slip to tax it last year, I don't seem to be able to use it again this year (at least not online).

I don't even know for sure that the previous owner sent off the document at all so the first thing is I'm not even sure the car is registered in my name or whether it is and the doc just got lost in the post. Any way to check online? I tried phoning the DVLA but bizarrely their usual first rate customer service seems to have deserted them and they won't even answer the phone. Anyone tried to tax a car for two years in a row just using the green slip? I fear it only works once.

EDIT: Actually thinking about it, the absence of a reminder letter suggests the car definitely is not registered to me or at least if it is, they got my address wrong.

Edited by T0MMY on Friday 1st May 09:41

[igiveup]

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration-certificat...

[GreatGranny]

Have you tried just going through the process online?

[T0MMY]

GreatGranny said:

Have you tried just going through the process online?

Yep. Put in the green slip reference number and it just said it wasn't recognised. I think it becomes void after you use it once which is why the post office stamp it.

I realise I have to reapply for the V5, problem is the tax ran out yesterday and presumably that process takes some weeks. What I'm wondering is if I can get the car taxed before I get a V5.

[igiveup]

Have you had the V11 renewal letter?

If so i believe you can apply online using this.

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax

[T0MMY]

igiveup said:

Have you had the V11 renewal letter?

If so i believe you can apply online using this.

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax

No...see edit to first post.

[SuperPav]

IIRC the green slip reference number is the same as the V5 reference number + one digit.
Remove that digit and it should recognise it as the V5 reference.

Worth calling DVLA and saying you never received the V5. If he didn't send it off, you might need to pay the £25 or whatever it is to replace....

[shake n bake]

Can you contact the previous owner? If it's still in his name he may well still have the tax reminder and the v5, either of which you can tax it with.
Failing that, apply for a new one and hope you don't get caught driving it without tax.

[T0MMY]

SuperPav said:

IIRC the green slip reference number is the same as the V5 reference number + one digit.
Remove that digit and it should recognise it as the V5 reference.

Worth calling DVLA and saying you never received the V5. If he didn't send it off, you might need to pay the £25 or whatever it is to replace....

You got my hopes up then...but it didn't work. Looked at another V5 I have and it's the first digit that you need to remove but it didn't recognise it. This makes me think they did create a new V5 but it didn't have my details on it or never reached me if it did.

[T0MMY]

shake n bake said:

Can you contact the previous owner? If it's still in his name he may well still have the tax reminder and the v5, either of which you can tax it with.
Failing that, apply for a new one and hope you don't get caught driving it without tax.

Dropped him an email so we'll wait and see. This could be a winner if he has the V11 but the fact the V5 number wasn't recognised makes me think he did actually send off the doc.

[T0MMY]

Got it sorted...eventually managed to get through to the DVLA after an hour.

They sent a V5 out but had my house number wrong. Taxed it on the phone and new doc coming.

Now I'm wondering if there are any speeding tickets that never made it here

[igiveup]

T0MMY said:

Got it sorted...eventually managed to get through to the DVLA after an hour.

They sent a V5 out but had my house number wrong. Taxed it on the phone and new doc coming.

Now I'm wondering if there are any speeding tickets that never made it here

Result

[Riknos]

T0MMY said:

GreatGranny said:

Have you tried just going through the process online?

Yep. Put in the green slip reference number and it just said it wasn't recognised. I think it becomes void after you use it once which is why the post office stamp it.

I realise I have to reapply for the V5, problem is the tax ran out yesterday and presumably that process takes some weeks. What I'm wondering is if I can get the car taxed before I get a V5.

Don't worry about taxing it yet and just drive around with no tax for 6 months then pay the fine. I spoke to someone last night who did this. Their car tax ran out 6 months ago, they moved about 9 months ago - tax letter went to old address, they got round to paying it this week - £80 fine, cheaper than 6 months worth of tax. Result

[T0MMY]

Riknos said:

Don't worry about taxing it yet and just drive around with no tax for 6 months then pay the fine. I spoke to someone last night who did this. Their car tax ran out 6 months ago, they moved about 9 months ago - tax letter went to old address, they got round to paying it this week - £80 fine, cheaper than 6 months worth of tax. Result

Only £145 for the year for this car...1 litre engine on a J plate Don't quite get why it's done on engine size as it was registered in 2004 but maybe they took the age of the plate?

[MitchT]

Resurrecting this thread to ask a question...

• Tax on my old BMW is due at the end of this month.
• I had the tax on pay monthly so I wasn't sent a V11 reminder.
• I cannot find my V5.
• MOT has expired and car is locked in the garage with a corroded to buggery rear trailing arm pocket which I can't justify the cost of fixing right now.
• Car needs an MOT or the tax won't auto renew.
• Can't SORN car without the relevant number that's found on the V11 or the V5 and, as I said, I don't have either.
• Replacement V5 could take up to six weeks to arrive.

Is there any way to SORN the car without doing it late when a new V5 arrives and, possibly, being fined in the meantime?

[smokey mow]

MitchT said:

Resurrecting this thread to ask a question...

• Tax on my old BMW is due at the end of this month.
• I had the tax on pay monthly so I wasn't sent a V11 reminder.
• I cannot find my V5.
• MOT has expired and car is locked in the garage with a corroded to buggery rear trailing arm pocket which I can't justify the cost of fixing right now.
• Car needs an MOT or the tax won't auto renew.
• Can't SORN car without the relevant number that's found on the V11 or the V5 and, as I said, I don't have either.
• Replacement V5 could take up to six weeks to arrive.

Is there any way to SORN the car without doing it late when a new V5 arrives and, possibly, being fined in the meantime?

Use form V890

[MitchT]

smokey mow said:

Use form V890

I guess I need to print that out and post it. There's no suggestion I can take it to the post office.

[MitchT]

So, form put in post on evening of 23rd which means it'll have been collcted on the 24th and, hopefully, delivered on the 25th. Still currently showing as taxed. Tax expires on the 30th. What will they be most efficient at doing? Processing the SORN or the fine for no tax?

[I am alright Jack]

Still showing as taxed because it's still taxed. It takes weeks to get fined for no tax, reminders to tax or sorn will arrive first but as you've already sorned by post it'll show as sorn after this month expires.

[MitchT]

Of course. I was thinking it'd show as SORN as soon as it was processed.