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Original poster

Got a letter from debt collection for £180 saying my car was untaxed

37 replies

PinkBump2022 · 17/08/2022 20:02

I got a letter from a debt collection agency saying on 14th April my car was untaxed and I now owe a fine of £180 to this debt collection for dvla. I never got a letter from dvla and as far as I know my car wasn’t untaxed as I use it all of the time…… do I have to pay this debt collection agency? How can I find out if it’s all genuine? Would I have heard from dvla first before the debt collection?

OP posts:
Pebblebeach15 · 17/08/2022 20:05

How do you pay for your car tax . If you pay it yearly on monthly by direct debit it should be easy to prove that there was not an untaxed day . I would speak to the DVLA .

Clymene · 17/08/2022 20:05

Well how do you pay your car tax? Did you let it lapse?

Pebblebeach15 · 17/08/2022 20:05

Sorry , should say or monthly .

TheStarsDontShine · 17/08/2022 20:06

How do you pay car tax? Monthly dd or yearly payment? Has the money been taken?

Hohofortherobbers · 17/08/2022 20:09

Could it be a scam letter? There's email car tax scams

DisplayPurposesOnly · 17/08/2022 20:11

Surely you know if your car was/is taxed or not?
www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax

ivykaty44 · 17/08/2022 20:15

I have a receipt for my car tax by email - so can prove when it’s taxed from and to, so just show receipt and payment from bank statements

CCSclect usually collect debts on behalf of dvla

mattressspring · 17/08/2022 20:17

as far as I know my car wasn’t untaxed as I use it all of the time…

Using it isn't how we measure whether our car is taxed or not.

Did you tax it? If so, how?

Beees · 17/08/2022 20:19

DisplayPurposesOnly · 17/08/2022 20:11

Surely you know if your car was/is taxed or not?
www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax

Honestly if you don't know if your car is taxed or not maybe you shouldn't be driving full stop. It's literally the most basic of basics.

cabbageking · 17/08/2022 20:28

www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax
Check when it was due and then check your bank account

IcedOatLatte · 17/08/2022 20:37

Iks easy to check if your car is taxed, it's public information. Is there something else to this?

MuffinMcLayLikeABundleOfHay · 17/08/2022 20:42

as far as I know my car wasn’t untaxed as I use it all of the time……

This is incomprehensible. Did you tax it?

Find out here.

vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk

Lindy2 · 17/08/2022 21:06

You do have to arrange to ta it each year as well as an Mot and insurance. It doesn't just happen because you use it all the time.

Firstly check if the tax and mot are upto date. Previous posters have given the link.

If it's taxed you're OK.

If it isn't taxed you need to tax it ASAP. I would be wary of a debt collection letter though. I thought it was a fine you would receive from the police if you were caught driving without tax.

User56785 · 17/08/2022 21:08

If she hasn't got it registered to her current address they wouldn't be able to send any letters about tax and might have sold the debt on to a debt collection agency who tracked her down.

Duettino · 17/08/2022 23:50

Who owns the car and who is on the log book? If it is a lease car, there may have been a cock up and it's been untaxed. You can't tell if the car has been untaxed, using the gov.uk link, just whether it is currently taxed so this may not be the evidence you need.

Lease co's usually relish in sending fines, tickets etc with an admin fee on top so that seems strange.

Check car is taxed now
Check your bank statement to see when you last paid dvla. If VED is included in your lease, call the lease co.
Call dvla to check

Original poster
PinkBump2022 · 18/08/2022 05:42

It is my car and it’s always been registered to this address. I pay monthly for direct debit. Of course I did tax it and always have, I got my car in the month of December some years back so it’s always due in December for renewal. It doesn’t make sense why it would be untaxed on a date in April and no iv never been stopped by the police for not having tax it’s always taxed and I wouldn’t drive it if I didn’t. It doesn’t make sense to me

OP posts:
IcedOatLatte · 18/08/2022 05:46

You aren't answering the question of whether you've checked online whether the car is showing as being taxed. What does that say?

Duettino · 18/08/2022 06:41

Did the payment come out this December? It could take them til April to work it out/issue the fine. Could you have paid a scam website in December rather than the dvla?

MissPinkCakeyBun · 18/08/2022 06:45

Go online to the .gov page shown up thread and check it's taxed. If it's not? Get it taxed and contact DVLA about the fine. If you check your V5 ( ownership papers) for the car it will tell you what address it's registered too, if you have moved and not updated it? Be prepared for a large fine!

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 18/08/2022 06:51

Sounds like a scam to me. Don't part with any money until you've checked with the DVLA. Don't follow any links in the letter.

Cervinia · 18/08/2022 06:52

If this were me I would:

check on line
cross refer that information with my DD payments
all good? I would contact the DVLA and check if they have referred an unpaid road tax to a debt collector and why
raise a formal complaint
Get in touch with the debt collector with my evidence

I would not reach for my phone and post on MN.

declutteringmymind · 18/08/2022 06:53

Scam by the sounds of it

QuillBill · 18/08/2022 07:12

You have asked in your OP do I have to pay this debt collection agency? How can I find out if it’s all genuine? and you keep saying that it doesn't make sense. But it's really easy to make sure you do have tax and that you are paying for it. By checking online on .gov. As linked in this thread.

Then like @Cervinia says look at your payments.

If as you are saying you are paying then it's a scam or a mistake.

But you need to check on .gov. Then it will make sense.

j712adrian · 18/08/2022 07:17

without prior warning, a scam

Beees · 18/08/2022 07:22

But it's really easy to make sure you do have tax and that you are paying for it. By checking online on .gov. As linked in this thread.

Agreed. I find it odd that the OP doesn't appear to have done this or checked her bank payments both of which would have cleared up the situation in under 2 minutes.