One of the practical matters you need to consider when scrapping your car is what happens to your road tax. The good news is that the process is largely automatic when you use a licensed facility, but understanding how it works helps you know what to expect.
Automatic Cancellation
When your car is scrapped at an Authorised Treatment Facility, the DVLA is notified electronically as part of the Certificate of Destruction process. This notification automatically cancels your vehicle tax. You do not need to contact the DVLA separately to cancel it.
Getting Your Refund
If you have paid your road tax in advance, you are entitled to a refund for any full remaining months. The refund is calculated from the first day of the month following the scrapping. For example, if your car is scrapped on 15 March, your refund starts from 1 April. The DVLA sends refunds by cheque to the address on record.
What If I Pay Monthly?
If you pay road tax by direct debit monthly, the direct debit will be cancelled automatically when the DVLA processes the scrapping notification. You will not receive a refund but you will not be charged for any months after the scrapping date.
SORN Vehicles
If your car is already on SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification), there is no tax to cancel or refund. The SORN will be cancelled when the Certificate of Destruction is processed. Even on SORN, you still need the vehicle properly scrapped at a licensed scrap yard to remove it from the system.
Timing Is Important
Do not cancel your road tax before the car is collected. If the car is driven on public roads to reach a collection point, it must be taxed and insured until the moment it is loaded onto our truck. We collect from your door, so in most cases the vehicle does not need to be roadworthy or taxed.
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