Taxation Hell

Already last week on Friday I tried to tax the vehicle at my local post office. The woman at the window - the branch manager - tried to get me the tax quote for paying by direct debit, in monthly instalments - "computer says no". Is not possible to pay in monthly instalments. OK, so I will pay for 6 months. After a while "computer says now" - is not possible. What the heck? I have the full V5C form, and also the renewal letter with the special code to enter. But that latter one is of course only valid for the previous owner, therefore I have not tried to renew online. The woman tries again - then says "you do not need to pay anything". It comes indeed up as zero. Suddenly it dawned on me: must be because this is a disabled transport vehicle. Is therefore exempt from tax. And when looking at that tax registration letter, it indeed states zero. So the woman calls DVLA - and after 15 minutes she tells me that I need to contact DVLA directly - the post office cannot do this.

So I go home. I had a look at the DVLA website, and found there that one can change taxation class from exempt to non-exempt - and one can do that at the post office. So on Monday I went again to the Post Office, but the guy said it was not possible. I had figured out that I would need to apply for a Private Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV), but the only options coming up on the Post Office computer were to register the vehicle as a Private Light Goods Vehicle (LGV). For whatever reason, tax for a Private HGV is lower than for a Private LGV: HGV is £165 per year, and LGV is £230 per year. Of course I wanted the lower price, especially because officially the vehicle is listed as having 3850 kg gross revenue weight. The limit for an LGV is 3500 kg. OK, the guy at the window says he cannot change the tax code, and I would need to call DVLA. There is no option on his computer screen to change the tax code - I only could tax it as an Private LGV.

So I ring DVLA. I explain everything and provide the data / registration etc. He says that I should go to the Post Office and tell them that they should ring the DVLA help line. Then they would get clear instructions on how to change the tax code.

With that information I am heading again to the Post Office, for the third time now. This time I am going to another one, because maybe these guys where I went the first two times have no clue. But that other post office does not deal with car registrations. I go to another one, a bit further away. Also here no avail - they do not deal with vehicle registration and taxation. So back to the one where I had been before - for the third time. The guy already recognises me. I try to convince him that the DVLA has told me that this tax code change can be done at the Post Office. But he insists that it cannot be done. On Friday his manager had rung DVLA, that special help line, and they had told them that this can only be done directly by me interacting with the DVLA.

So back to the phone, I ring again DVLA. This time I insist that the Post Office is not able to do this, and that I need to tax the vehicle now over the phone. Finally the person on the other end of the line acknowledges that the Post Office cannot do it. I have to file a form V85, add the original MOT, fill in section 7 of the V5C form, and add a check / postal order. Fortunately they did not ask me to provide a form 27 B/6...

Checks - how quaint. I think I still have some in some drawer... have not used checks in 10 years. Is not possible to pay by credit card or any other online means... so I go again to the Post Office, for the fourth time. The guy there is laughing. A Postal Order costs £12.50. Must hand over cash, get the cash from withdrawing it from the bank account right there with the cash machine. Weird system... But at least my vehicle will now be taxed properly as a Private Heavy Goods Vehicle, for £165 tax per year. I also changed the body style, from Panel Van (which was incorrect) to Minibus. Added the number of seats (four) which was missing from the form.

I have to leave the vehicle off public roads for up to 10 working days. Then I can check online if the vehicle has been taxed properly, and then I will be able to use it.