best way to SORN

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 15:15

Ok , quick question to all you winter Z storers,

When is the best time to cancel my tax disc and declare SORN, to stop DVLA getting more of my money than they already do?

I want to SORN as of 1st November, so how do I go about keeping a full months driving in October, and a full refund of November's tax.
Disc has 5 months to run so want to SORN before it's end date and claim the maximum refund.
What is the best date in October to do this without losing part of a month's tax, and where? online, over the phone or at a local DVLA office?

many thanks

freds dad · Post by **freds dad** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 18:57

Have you tried calling the DVLA for answers to your questions?

hornel Z3M · Post by **hornel Z3M** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:23

It may even be a free phone call

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:25

freds dad wrote:Have you tried calling the DVLA for answers to your questions?

hornel Z3M wrote:It may even be a free phone call

Sorry, I didnt realise this forum was only to be used as a last resort for questions.

thanks for your advice, I hope I get the chance to reciprocate it in the future.....

Zed Carer · Post by **Zed Carer** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:34

According to the DVLA website a refund cannot be backdated but it can be paid from the date that the application was sent or from the date when the DVLA was told why you no longer needed to tax the vehicle. You can complete the form on-line, print it and then post to DVLA with the old tax disc. If completing on-line you can also use the same form to make your SORN application.

Based on this information I suppose theoretically that you could complete the form and post it on 31st October but I'd be tempted to do it a few days before.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:36

Gookah,

You can SORN the vehicle and request a refund on the tax at the same time on line @Directgov, if you are the registered keeper.

You need to fill in an online form, print, sign, affix the tax disc and send off to Swansea.

Everything is in Swansea these days, Holby, Torchwood.................

Hope it helps

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:39

I already looked at the website and form, but they want you to surrender the tax disc at the same time, meaning you can no longer drive the car, also depending on the time taken in the post and them processing it, I may miss the cut off date for a full November refund. Hence the question for members who do this every year who may themselves have found the best date of the month that will give maximum driving without missing out on a full month's refund.

Obviously It seems that I should have asked the DVLA rather than on here...

DC · Post by DC » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:42

I think you may have to surrender the tax at the end of October to get a refund including November, IIRC when I sorned my Morgan a couple of years ago I think I also lost around the equivalent of a months tax as well as losing the balance of the current month.
It may be worth contacting the local DVLC which is what I did at the time having never sorned previously, they where extremely helpful and it turned out to be easier than it seemed.
Dave.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:45

I think the question I would like to ask the guys that SORN their vehicles is why? The winters in the UK are sunnier and drier than the summer...........

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:48

DC wrote:when I sorned my Morgan a couple of years ago I think I also lost around the equivalent of a months tax as well as losing the balance of the current month.

Exactly what I don't want to happen, hence the post.

Ian_C · Post by **Ian_C** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:53

I would think that even if you surrender the physical tax disc in October (so that you can claim a full month's Nov refund) then you wouldn't appear on an untaxed list since you've paid for October. You would probably have an issue if the police saw your car without a disc however a check would reveal that you'd paid up. Can any police officers comment?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:55

I think the Law is quite clear in that it is an offence not to display a valid Tax Disc.

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 19:58

Evmundo wrote:I think the question I would like to ask the guys that SORN their vehicles is why? The winters in the UK are sunnier and drier than the summer...........

Good point, this year will be the first time that I've ever done it,
However, I now have a little old Peugeot for rainy days, the M stays in the garage and comes out only on dry days.....

and extra bonus, the fiancee now has a Z3 for all of the winter dry days with the roof down. see below

The M will stay out of the salt, keep the mileage down and be even more special when it gets rolled out in spring, and I get a couple of hundred saving on tax in the meantime....

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:01

Sorry Gookah, never realised it was an M version. Think iwould do the same in that case, future classic n all!

Ian_C · Post by **Ian_C** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:01

Evmundo wrote:I think the Law is quite clear in that it is an offence not to display a valid Tax Disc.

Ok, given that's the case then.... I'm fairly sure that when I've reclaimed tax on a car that I've sold that I sent the disc off in the following month and then claimed for that month. The DVLA must have checked that I'd transferred ownership before the month I claimed for otherwise they wouldn't have paid me. In gookah's case I can't see why he can't send the physical disc in November and claim for November so long as there is a SORN in place from Nov 1st

TitanTim · Post by **TitanTim** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:07

gookah wrote:
Evmundo wrote:I think the question I would like to ask the guys that SORN their vehicles is why? The winters in the UK are sunnier and drier than the summer...........
Good point, this year will be the first time that I've ever done it,
However, I now have a little old Peugeot for rainy days, the M stays in the garage and comes out only on dry days..... and extra bonus, the fiancee now has a Z3 for all of the winter dry days with the roof down.
The M will stay out of the salt, keep the mileage down and be even more special when it gets rolled out in spring, and I get a couple of hundred saving on tax in the meantime....

Getting attached the the Zed are we Gookah

Tim.

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:12

Evmundo wrote:Sorry Gookah, never realised it was an M version. Think iwould do the same in that case, future classic n all!

No problems.....

I always thought the same about people who locked them away
and now I'm one of them.... aaarggghhh

DC · Post by DC » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:14

Evmundo wrote:I think the question I would like to ask the guys that SORN their vehicles is why? The winters in the UK are sunnier and drier than the summer...........

Fair comment and just what I used to do when I didn't live in the Highlands of Scotland. Morgans are made of wood and aluminium and don't last long when exposed to salt!
I don't SORN the Z as I just can't be bothered but I don't use it after the first salt has gone down until the last has been washed away, usually around April.
The first drive in spring is magic after slopping around in a 4X4 all winter.
Dave.

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:14

TitanTim wrote: Getting attached the the Zed are we Gookah

Tim.

and you can shut up......

TitanTim · Post by **TitanTim** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:19

gookah wrote:
TitanTim wrote: Getting attached the the Zed are we Gookah

Tim.
and you can shut up......

Before you know it, you will be driving to the top of the drive and back into the garage

Tim.

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:25

TitanTim wrote:Before you know it, you will be driving to the top of the drive and back into the garage
Tim.

I will get someone to video it, maybe there will be a moving tree in the background as well....

anyway ....why didnt you reply first?, the post was aimed at you after all.... What do you do? mr 'SORN-it-on-every-dull-day'

Jonttt · Post by **Jonttt** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:26

mmmm you've got me thinking now.

I only tax mine for 6 months anyway (April - september) and I've just had my DVLA tax reminder which you can use to log online and SORN in advance for the 1st October. As I'm not claiming any tax back you don't need to surrender the tax disc so get a full month of Sept to use it (even though mine is already back in storage

).

Now the bit I'm not sure about is the bit your interested in and I'm not sure. I don't see why you can't sorn and return the tax disc on the last day of the month that way getting max benefit for the last month of use. So long as you get proof of postage pre 1st of the month I think that should be OK but to be 100% certain I would phone the DVLA. My experiece is that their phone support is pretty good.

Its worth noting that so far as I'm aware they don't give part month refunds so even if only used for 1 day you have to pay for the full month, they are really strict on this, no exceptions.

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:33

Jonttt wrote:. So long as you get proof of postage pre 1st of the month I think that should be OK but to be 100% certain I would phone the DVLA. My experiece is that their phone support is pretty good.

Its worth noting that so far as I'm aware they don't give part month refunds so even if only used for 1 day you have to pay for the full month, they are really strict on this, no exceptions.

that's the thing, do they take date of postage into account, or date they receive it, or worse, the date they get around to processing it?
I have heard stories of people losing out on full months tax because of DVLA delays in processing. and like you say 1 day over is one month's refund... Its not the amount, its the principle of giving them one months money for what could be their (possibly engineered) delay.

TitanTim · Post by **TitanTim** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:36

gookah wrote:
TitanTim wrote:Before you know it, you will be driving to the top of the drive and back into the garage
Tim.
I will get someone to video it, maybe there will be a moving tree in the background as well....

anyway ....why didnt you reply first?, the post was aimed at you after all.... What do you do? mr 'SORN-it-on-every-dull-day'

Believe it or not I don't SORN mine, I probably should, waste of money and all that, BUT I have in the past if the winter is a kind one took the Zed out for a spin around the estate as its very rarely gritted especially if its a nice sunny day. The only reason I don't use the Zed in winter is purely to keep the salt of it

otherwise I would use it. I hate salt on the car, its a car killer in the end plus being head to head with a gritter is not one I would want to relish.

Tim.

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:44

TitanTim wrote:BUT I have in the past if the winter is a kind one took the Zed out for a spin around the estate as its very rarely gritted especially if its a nice sunny day.
Tim.

Problem is with the coming colder road and tyre temperatures the 'spin' I take it for might not be the one I want.....

and for the few days over winter when the salt is actually dried out on the roads, they become expensive journeys with the tax just on standby....

TitanTim · Post by **TitanTim** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:51

gookah wrote:
TitanTim wrote:BUT I have in the past if the winter is a kind one took the Zed out for a spin around the estate as its very rarely gritted especially if its a nice sunny day.
Tim.
Problem is with the coming colder road and tyre temperatures the 'spin' I take it for might not be the one I want..... and for the few days over winter when the salt is actually dried out on the roads, they become expensive journeys with the tax just on standby....

Appreciate it with the M, probably less of an issue with mine as the tax isn't too bad.

I'm really thinking of getting a set of winter wheels for the 1 Series as the last snows was a disaster on the runflats

Tim.

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 20:56

Normal service is resumed......

thanks guys....

Mouldy · Post by **Mouldy** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 21:46

gookah wrote:Ok , quick question to all you winter Z storers,

When is the best time to cancel my tax disc and declare SORN, to stop DVLA getting more of my money than they already do?

I want to SORN as of 1st November, so how do I go about keeping a full months driving in October, and a full refund of November's tax.
Disc has 5 months to run so want to SORN before it's end date and claim the maximum refund.
What is the best date in October to do this without losing part of a month's tax, and where? online, over the phone or at a local DVLA office?

many thanks

How far away are you from one of these?

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/contactus/lo ... gland.aspx

If you can get to one, you can surrender your tax disc in person on the last day of the month and SORN the car at the same time.

Whilst it is an offence to drive the car without displaying a valid tax disc, as far as I am aware, the offence carries no points penalties, so providing you can produce evidence of posting your documents and tax disc to the DVLA to SORN the car at the end of October, technically it is still taxed and should still be legal to use.

The last option would be to post the documents by Special Delivery on 30th October, which guarantees delivery by 13:00 the following day and is trackable, which would provide you with evidence of receipt by the DVLA in time for the appropriate refund.

pingu · Post by **pingu** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 23:06

DVLA accept proof of posting.

I used special delivery (tracked and timed [c£5]) to send the forms to DVLA for two cars at the end of Jan. There was a problem where they didn't pay enough refund (they didn't refund February). I quoted the special delivery receipt and they sent me a cheque for the missing month for both cars

.

The tax disc should be displayed if the car is on the highway. It can't be displayed if it's in the post. So don't plan on driving on the last day of the month after the post office shuts

.

You can SORN at the DVLA local office, but how do you get home if you have handed in your tax disc? Do they give you a new disc that is valid until the end of the current month?

Like selling number plates, the DVLA seem to make a simple transaction much more complicated than it needs to be.

Mouldy · Post by **Mouldy** » Mon 19 Sep, 2011 23:52

pingu wrote:The tax disc should be displayed if the car is on the highway. It can't be displayed if it's in the post. So don't plan on driving on the last day of the month after the post office shuts .

You can SORN at the DVLA local office, but how do you get home if you have handed in your tax disc? Do they give you a new disc that is valid until the end of the current month?

If you pay to renew your tax online on the last day of the month, it will take a few days for the disc to arrive, during which time you are legally able to drive your car providing you retain proof that you have taxed the car online. Don't forget that if you are stopped for failure to display, it is now easy for the police to check whether your car is taxed or not. That is how the ANPR cameras work.

If you surrender your tax disc at a DVLA Office, effective from the last day of a month, it must be fair to assume that they will issue a tax disc to cover you for the days that you have left that are paid for on your old one. Personally, I haven't SORN'd a car, but the system is surely the same as if you if you take your personalised registration off a vehicle prior to sale, when you are issued with replacement documents bearing the new registration, including a replacement tax disc.

zroadster.net

best way to SORN

best way to SORN

z

Re: best way to SORN