VED banding for Road Tax for a VW California 2014 Comfortline 180BHP 4 Motion DSG

[Melinda Rickett]

We paid £625 last December and I believe this increases to £675 on renewal this December. It has been put in tax band 'L' as the emissions are reported as 232. The V5C states it is a Motor Caravan underneath it says Diesel Car and the vehicle category is M1. I am trying to understand why I pay so much annual road tax. I understand that the amount a band L pays is this amount but don't understand why this camper has been categorised as having these emissions (232 G/KM)? Does any other California owner pay such a high annual road tax? Does anyone know why it's this high and if it has been incorrectly registered what do I need to do to get this changed? Would appreciate any advice for other owners - thank you. Melinda

 

[WelshGas]

We paid £625 last December and I believe this increases to £675 on renewal this December. It has been put in tax band 'L' as the emissions are reported as 232. The V5C states it is a Motor Caravan underneath it says Diesel Car and the vehicle category is M1. I am trying to understand why I pay so much annual road tax. I understand that the amount a band L pays is this amount but don't understand why this camper has been categorised as having these emissions (232 G/KM)? Does any other California owner pay such a high annual road tax? Does anyone know why it's this high and if it has been incorrectly registered what do I need to do to get this changed? Would appreciate any advice for other owners - thank you. Melinda

I paid £320 in November 2022 on renewal.
2014 180 4Motion SE

December 2014
Year of manufacture2014
Cylinder capacity1968 cc
CO₂ emissions219 g/km
Fuel typeDIESEL
Euro statusNot available
Real Driving Emissions (RDE)Not available
Export markerNo
Vehicle statusTaxed
Vehicle colourGREY
Vehicle type approvalM1
Wheelplan2 AXLE RIGID BODY
Revenue weight3080 kg
Date of last V5C (logbook) issued1 December 2014

In order to prove it has been registered wrongly you would need a Certificate of Conformity from VW, but after 8 yrs that could be problematic.

 

[Melinda Rickett]

I paid £320 in November 2022 on renewal.
2014 180 4Motion SE

December 2014
Year of manufacture2014
Cylinder capacity1968 cc
CO₂ emissions219 g/km
Fuel typeDIESEL
Euro statusNot available
Real Driving Emissions (RDE)Not available
Export markerNo
Vehicle statusTaxed
Vehicle colourGREY
Vehicle type approvalM1
Wheelplan2 AXLE RIGID BODY
Revenue weight3080 kg
Date of last V5C (logbook) issued1 December 2014

In order to prove it has been registered wrongly you would need a Certificate of Conformity from VW, but after 8 yrs that could be problematic.

Thanks Welsh Gas that's helpful - it looks like the reason you pay less is that your CO2 emissions are classified as a lower 'band K' so you'd pay £395 on renewal. I wonder why your C02 emissions are less than ours?

 

[andyinluton]

We paid £625 last December and I believe this increases to £675 on renewal this December. It has been put in tax band 'L' as the emissions are reported as 232. The V5C states it is a Motor Caravan underneath it says Diesel Car and the vehicle category is M1. I am trying to understand why I pay so much annual road tax. I understand that the amount a band L pays is this amount but don't understand why this camper has been categorised as having these emissions (232 G/KM)? Does any other California owner pay such a high annual road tax? Does anyone know why it's this high and if it has been incorrectly registered what do I need to do to get this changed? Would appreciate any advice for other owners - thank you. Melinda

Melinda

232 band L is correct for a None BlueMotion 180 4motion.

The BlueMotion gubbins ( stop start, low rolling resistance tyres etc etc) was brought in specifically to lower emissions in the case of a 180 4motion it got them down to 219 which is within band K

The only puzzling thing is that I thought BlueMotion came in in 2013

Has your van got stop start?

 

[Melinda Rickett]

Melinda

232 band L is correct for a None BlueMotion 180 4motion.

The BlueMotion gubbins ( stop start, low rolling resistance tyres etc etc) was brought in specifically to lower emissions in the case of a 180 4motion it got them down to 219 which is within band K

The only puzzling thing is that I thought BlueMotion came in in 2013

Has your van got stop start?

Thanks for your reply - We don't have Bluemotion but we have 4 Motion with no stop start - so perhaps that's the reason we are in Band L?

 

[andyinluton]

Thanks for your reply - We don't have Bluemotion but we have 4 Motion with no stop start - so perhaps that's the reason we are in Band L?

Yes - you are in the correct band then.

 

[Melinda Rickett]

Yes - you are in the correct band then.

well thank you for answering a question that no one at VW customer care could answer for me!!! It's taken loads of emails going round in circles - not answering the question and then sending me quite a few customer satisfaction surveys after each reply!!! I should have known that this forum would supply the answer Thank you. (I assume that there is nothing we can do to alter the tax band now?)

 

[WelshGas]

well thank you for answering a question that no one at VW customer care could answer for me!!! It's taken loads of emails going round in circles - not answering the question and then sending me quite a few customer satisfaction surveys after each reply!!! I should have known that this forum would supply the answer Thank you. (I assume that there is nothing we can do to alter the tax band now?)

I'm afraid not, without retrofitting the BlueMotion technology, which is probably prohibitively expensive and then getting it tested and accepted by DVLA.

 

[Melinda Rickett]

I'm afraid not, without retrofitting the BlueMotion technology, which is probably prohibitively expensive and then getting it tested and accepted by DVLA.

I guess if it had been registered in the UK earlier than 1 march 2001 then we would now be paying £180 so I guess the issue is that it was first registered in the R of Ireland then registered in the UK 01.01.2017, but I don't understand why the previous contributor (welsh gas) has the same Cali but different CO2 emissions?

 

[andyinluton]

I guess if it had been registered in the UK earlier than 1 march 2001 then we would now be paying £180 so I guess the issue is that it was first registered in the R of Ireland then registered in the UK 01.01.2017, but I don't understand why the previous contributor (welsh gas) has the same Cali but different CO2 emissions?

@WelshGas doesn't have the same Cali as you, he has a 180 4motion with the BlueMotion emission reduction features fitted hence his has a lower emissions figure.

The BlueMotion stuff was brought in to reduce emissions due to the change in the tax regime.
I am guessing as yours being a none Uk model is why yours doesn't have BlueMotion when by 2014 all Uk Calis had it.

 

[WelshGas]

I guess if it had been registered in the UK earlier than 1 march 2001 then we would now be paying £180 so I guess the issue is that it was first registered in the R of Ireland then registered in the UK 01.01.2017, but I don't understand why the previous contributor (welsh gas) has the same Cali but different CO2 emissions?

As @andyinluton said. BlueMotion technology was a paid for Option in many countries but standard in the U.K. on Californias in 2014

 

[OllieCollieCali]

I also pay the £615 road tax currently as mine is registered with higher emissions. I have a 2006 2.5l,
I found out that in around March 2006 they added another tax band for the high emission vehicles, and so mine got put into that bracket. If it had been registered 3 weeks earlier it would be in the lower tax bracket at the time. I have a friend who has the same van and engine as me, (except he has the 180hp and mine is 130hp - now remapped to 180) his is 4 months older and he pays half the tax - £325.
I have also looked if there is a way to reduce the band, but sadly there isnt due to the emissions.

 

[Melinda Rickett]

@WelshGas doesn't have the same Cali as you, he has a 180 4motion with the BlueMotion emission reduction features fitted hence his has a lower emissions figure.

The BlueMotion stuff was brought in to reduce emissions due to the change in the tax regime.
I am guessing as yours being a none Uk model is why yours doesn't have BlueMotion when by 2014 all Uk Calis had it.

thanks Andy - that explains the difference then - thanks for taking the time and trouble to respond, but I'm sure this may be helpful to other Cali owners too.

 

[Melinda Rickett]

As @andyinluton said. BlueMotion technology was a paid for Option in many countries but standard in the U.K. on Californias in 2014

thanks for your helpful response

 

[Melinda Rickett]

I also pay the £615 road tax currently as mine is registered with higher emissions. I have a 2006 2.5l,
I found out that in around March 2006 they added another tax band for the high emission vehicles, and so mine got put into that bracket. If it had been registered 3 weeks earlier it would be in the lower tax bracket at the time. I have a friend who has the same van and engine as me, (except he has the 180hp and mine is 130hp - now remapped to 180) his is 4 months older and he pays half the tax - £325.
I have also looked if there is a way to reduce the band, but sadly there isnt due to the emissions.

Oh that sounds like bad luck then. If ours had been registered in the UK 3 months later after 31.03.2017 then I don't think we would pay as much