If you’ve been charged vehicle excise duty (VED, often called road tax) on an electric car that should be exempt, you’re not alone. Since the VED changes came into effect in April 2025, we’ve heard from dozens of readers who’ve been incorrectly billed, despite their EVs being registered before the cut-off date that should have kept them exempt.
The issue seems to stem from a combination of Direct Debit processing errors and DVLA database hiccups as the new rules bedded in. The good news: if you’ve been overcharged, you’re entitled to a refund. The less good news: you’ll need to claim it yourself.
Who Should Still Be Exempt?
Under the current rules, battery electric vehicles registered before 1 April 2025 remain exempt from VED for their lifetime. If your EV was registered before that date, you shouldn’t be paying anything, regardless of when your tax renewal falls due.
The confusion appears to be catching out people whose annual renewal date happened to fall in April, May or June 2025. The DVLA’s system seems to have applied the new rates to some vehicles based on their renewal date rather than their original registration date.
One reader, who registered a Kia EV6 in November 2024, found himself charged £195 when his tax renewed in early May. Another was set up on a Direct Debit for the new expensive car supplement (£425 per year for five years on vehicles with a list price over £40,000) despite her Tesla Model Y having been registered in February 2025.
Direct Debit Problems
The Direct Debit issues are particularly frustrating because many drivers only noticed the charge after money had already left their account. Unlike renewal reminders, which show the amount due, Direct Debit renewals often process automatically.
If you pay by Direct Debit and were incorrectly charged, the DVLA should refund you automatically once the error is identified, but based on what we’re hearing, that’s not happening consistently. You’re better off claiming proactively.
How to Claim Your Refund
\p>The process is relatively straightforward, though you’ll need your vehicle registration number and either the 11-digit reference number from your vehicle log book (V5C) or the 16-digit reference number from your most recent tax reminder or payslip (called a V11).
You can claim online at gov.uk/vehicle-tax-refund. You’ll need to confirm your vehicle details and explain why you’re claiming. In the free text box, be clear: “Vehicle registered before 1 April 2025 and should remain VED exempt under transitional rules. Incorrectly charged on [date].”
Alternatively, you can call the DVLA on 0300 123 4321 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm, Saturday 8am to 2pm). Be prepared for hold times. Several readers have reported waits of 30 to 45 minutes, though once through, the advisors have been helpful and processed refunds on the spot.
Refund Timelines
The DVLA’s official line is that refunds take up to five weeks to process, though at the time of writing, most people seem to be seeing the money back within two to three weeks.
Refunds are automatically sent to the bank account the Direct Debit came from, or by cheque to the address on the log book if you paid by card. Full months are refunded, so if you paid for 12 months in May and claim in July, you’ll get 10 months back.
One administrative quirk: if you paid the expensive car supplement (which adds £425 per year, or about £35 per month, for five years on cars over £40,000), that’s calculated and refunded separately from the standard rate. Make sure both amounts come back if you were incorrectly charged both.
Check Your V5C Registration Date
Before claiming, double-check the “date of first registration” on your V5C log book. This is the date that matters, not when you personally bought the car or when it was first taxed in your name.
If you bought a nearly-new or pre-registered EV that was technically first registered after 1 April 2025, even if it was built or ordered earlier, you will be liable for VED under the new rules. We know that’s annoying, particularly if a dealer implied otherwise, but the registration date is what counts.
What to Do Next
If you’ve been charged VED since April on an EV registered before 1 April 2025, claim your refund now rather than waiting for the DVLA to spot the error. Keep a note of when you claimed and follow up if you haven’t received your money within six weeks. If you’re still getting nowhere, the DVLA has a formal complaints process at gov.uk/complain-dvla, though for most people, a phone call should resolve it.