Bit confused about new UK road tax laws??

[thelawnet]

So I have arranged to buy a car. Collect on Thursday, 30th October.

Car has personal plate on, currently. DVLA shows no record for personal plate, but they do have one for the original plate. Original plate shows that it is taxed until 1 January 2015.

Tax is £500/year.

Can I tax from 1st November? Or will it be from 1st October?

[JonRB]

thelawnet said:

So I have arranged to buy a car. Collect on Thursday, 30th October.

Car has personal plate on, currently. DVLA shows no record for personal plate, but they do have one for the original plate. Original plate shows that it is taxed until 1 January 2015.

Tax is £500/year.

Can I tax from 1st November? Or will it be from 1st October?

If you want to be strictly legal then it's the same as it has ever been - if you want it to be taxed on 30th October then you need an October tax disc (virtual rather than paper now) which means taxing it to start on 1st October.

It's pathetic really. We don't MoT cars in whole months, and we don't insure them in whole months. The only reason we tax them in whole months is because the paper tax discs were pre-printed.

[carl_w]

JonRB said:

If you want to be strictly legal then it's the same as it has ever been - if you want it to be taxed on 30th October then you need an October tax disc (virtual rather than paper now) which means taxing it to start on 1st October.

Except -- even if the current owner puts all the forms in the post straight away, the earliest DVLA will get them is 31st October or more likely some time in November.

[JonRB]

carl_w said:

Except -- even if the current owner puts all the forms in the post straight away, the earliest DVLA will get them is 31st October or more likely some time in November.

Hence my caveat of "if you want to be strictly legal".

Fact is, as you say, you'd be incredibly unlikely (and unlucky) to get picked up for no tax in that window. But by the *letter* of the law, you should tax from 1st October. In reality, you're almost certain to get away with it.

[Renovation]

IF the PO declares you bought it on the 30th then I suspect if you don't SORN it for a day, you'll be fined.

[STD]

Ok I`m after a bit of advice, I bought a motorbike last Saturday which was taxed till next march. I intend declaring it SORNED but I went to the vehicle tax web site today and it is listed as untaxed I don`t have a new v5 yet just the new keepers bit of the old one and I entered this reference number but it says vehicle details can`t be found. So will I be ok to wait till the new v5 arrives and then SORN it? Or will I be getting done for having an untaxed vehicle? It is kept in a garage and I don`t intend using it until the spring.

[RichB]

Have you phoned the DVLA and what did they say?

[STD]

RichB said:

Have you phoned the DVLA and what did they say?

Yes just got of the phone to them and it seems that I have to wait until the new log book comes then use that reference number, and I won`t be held liable for no sorn. So all is well.

[Gandahar]

cuprabob said:

The only main difference with the new tax system is when you buy and sell a car. When a car is sold, the new owner will have to tax it and the previous owner will be refunded whole months duty automatically. You will also now get the option, for a premium, to pay your tax monthly by direct debit if you wish.

Everything else is as is, except you don't receive a disc or have to display it after 1st Oct

Well I have a Motobility car and it goes back after 3 years to the dealer at start of March for a new one. So today I get a notification my soon to be replaced car has been taxed for another 12 months.

Of which they will soon be claiming 11 months back.

So am I right saying the government here is actually shooting itself in the foot financially?

[speedking31]

Gandahar said:

Well I have a Motobility car and it goes back after 3 years to the dealer at start of March for a new one. So today I get a notification my soon to be replaced car has been taxed for another 12 months.

Of which they will soon be claiming 11 months back.

So am I right saying the government here is actually shooting itself in the foot financially?

Thought Motability eligible = eligible for free vehicle tax?

[pingu393]

I've just done mine for a zero-rated car that is less than 3 years old.

They checked to see if I had an MOT (which I don't need) and they told me there was no charge, but they never said they were checking for insurance (the only thing I really should have!!).

Why do owners of zero-rated cars less than 3 years old have to go through this pullava?

[DuraAce]

pingu393 said:

Why do owners of zero-rated cars less than 3 years old have to go through this pullava?

I'm in the same boat but its no hardship is it? It's probably too complicated (expensive) to adjust the their computer systems, eg so ANPR doesn't trip etc. It must've taken you longer to post on here than it does to complete the on-line tax thingy!

[pingu393]

DuraAce said:

It must've taken you longer to post on here than it does to complete the on-line tax thingy!

It did. I was thinking that as I wrote it .

I just wonder how many peeps are going to be fined for not renewing their zero-rated cars!!

[Pesty]

Help me out here.

I was going to pick up a car today. I've gone online to tax it but it automatically started tomorrow as its the last day of the month today.

So I've taxed it starting tomorrow but I'm guessing I can't drive it today as there is no tax on it these days?

[JonRB]

Pesty said:

So I've taxed it starting tomorrow but I'm guessing I can't drive it today as there is no tax on it these days?

Technically, by the strict letter of the law, you are undoubtedly correct.

However, in practice, you would be extremely unlucky to get caught driving the car home and could plead mitigating circumstances if you were. Not that I am for one moment advocating it or advising you to do so or anything.

[TheBroker]

Pesty said:

Help me out here.

I was going to pick up a car today. I've gone online to tax it but it automatically started tomorrow as its the last day of the month today.

So I've taxed it starting tomorrow but I'm guessing I can't drive it today as there is no tax on it these days?

If you taxed it today but it says tomorrow, chances are your fine, unless it's a 15-plate.
If it were me I would drive it with a printout of the receipt showing it transacted today.
But as always I can't advise you to do this, just saying what I would do

[Pesty]

Thanks.

Yes I did it online before I was going to go

Thing is these days with roadside cameras technicalities don't matter. It's either taxed or it's not.

So the only sensible way is to only buy a car in the first half of the month. Unless you are loaded

[GMV8]

The even more confusing thing is that we are living with o% inflation and road tax was supposed to be going up by the rate of inflation, yet mine has gone up by 4% - can anybody explain?