How can I get a refund for my unused road tax?

The law states that you can claim a refund of up to four years' road tax; the remaining balance of any unused portion of road tax must be transferred to your new vehicle before it's sold.

The DVLA made car tax electronic in 2014, which means you can no longer return your tax disc for a refund. As a result, people who are scrapping their vehicle always want to know how to get a refund on their road or car fee.

We'll show you how to recover your road tax when you scrap your vehicle in this article.

When you scrap your motorcycle, you will get a road tax refund.

It's important that you contact the DVLA to schedule an auto/road tax refund when you scrap your vehicle. Once your vehicle has been collected, you can try to do something as quickly as possible.

Vehicle tax only applies to the licenced owner of the car rather than the car itself, since tax discs were phased out in 2014. Having a DVLA tax disc refund used to be as easy as carrying a legal tax disc to a Post Office, but the DVLA vehicle tax refund process has changed.

How can I get my road tax money back?

You will file for a refund through the DVLA car tax refund online programme after the scrap car has been processed. It's worth remembering that this service is only available if you haven't already returned your V5C to the DVLA.

Visit the DVLA's dedicated vehicle tax refund website to begin the process. You'll be able to choose the one that best fits your needs.

Once you've informed the DVLA, they'll revoke your Direct Debit and issue an automatic refund for any remaining months of your tax. They'll send you a check for your money, payable to the person whose name and address appear on the V5C log book.

What happens if I've already submitted my V5C?

Don't panic if you've already returned the related part of your V5C to the DVLA; you won't be charged again.

The DVLA can see that you've sold your car/vehicle and grant an instant tax rebate since the current model road tax applies to the licenced keeper of the car rather than the car itself. If you want to make sure your refund is being handled, contact the DVLA using the information provided below.

What rights do I have for claiming?

Any users want to know if the DVLA has a road/car tax refund calculator. There isn't one – but don't worry, figuring out how much you'll get is easy.

When you auction or scrap a vehicle, you'll be eligible for a refund on the remaining tax months. If you pay the tax before the end of December and scrap your vehicle on October 15th, you'll get a rebate for two months – November and December – but no partial credit for the rest of October.

So, what if I make a SORN?

You can get a DVLA tax refund not only if you junk or auction your vehicle; you can also get a refund if you file a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) showing that your car is not being moved or stored on a public road.

Your car tax refund could take anything from 2 weeks to 3 months to arrive back in your bank account. It all depends on how fast your local authorities process the payment. All you can do is wait and see how long it takes.

Vehicle Registration and Taxation (DVLA)

If you need to contact the DVLA for a road fund licence rebate – or if you actually have concerns about how to take back your road tax – you can do so using one of the following methods:

The DVLA's online tool allows you to build a SORN. You'll need either the 11-digit number from the vehicle's V5C whether you're filing for a SORN on a car that's already taxed.

You can get your DVLA SORN tax refund cheque within 4-6 weeks after submitting a SORN.