New Road Fund License Rules, a Dilema

[MikeyMike]

I'm in the process of selling a car that is currently on a SORN. I want to be able to let potential buyers test drive the car but as (to my knowledge at least) car tax is no longer transferable to the new owner, I don't see how I can tax the vehicle without ultimately taking a significant hit. Is there a work-around that I'm overlooking? Thanks in advance.

[marshalla]

MikeyMike said:

I'm in the process of selling a car that is currently on a SORN. I want to be able to let potential buyers test drive the car but as (to my knowledge at least) car tax is no longer transferable to the new owner, I don't see how I can tax the vehicle without ultimately taking a significant hit. Is there a work-around that I'm overlooking? Thanks in advance.

No.

If you tax the car (and insure it since if it's taxed it must be insured), you will lose out on the tax and insurance costs unless you adjust your selling price to take them into account. Best bet is to make sure you sell it and notify DVLA just before the end of the month (but a few days before so the paperwork gets to them before the end of the month) so you don't lose the following month's VED as well, when DVLA refund you.


(Unless you can persuade prospective buyers to get it MOTed and use the no tax exemption to drive it to the MOT station and back, I suppose [this may not be a serious suggestion])

Edited by marshalla on Monday 19th January 23:46

[aw51 121565]

Eh?



Marshalla, you're seriously overthinking this...

[LoonR1]

I'm amazed how compliant everyone is with road tax. There seems to be an absolute fear of considering using a car for a short test drive, even though the chances of being caught must be miniscule.

Are people just as petrified of exceeding the speed limit?

[marshalla]

marshalla said:

If

[Butter Face]

By 'significant hit' do you mean 1 months RFL as if you sold the car the same month you tax it, that's all you would lose....

[R0G]

Can new owner unSORN it if they buy it as seen?

[TooMany2cvs]

R0G said:

Can new owner unSORN it if they buy it as seen?

They don't need to. The change of keeper has always cancelled a SORN - but "unSORNing" has always just meant "buying tax", which they need to do anyway.

[R0G]

Thanks

Would potential buyers have insurance to cover them on a test drive?

[iandc]

LoonR1 said:

I'm amazed how compliant everyone is with road tax. There seems to be an absolute fear of considering using a car for a short test drive, even though the chances of being caught must be miniscule.

Are people just as petrified of exceeding the speed limit?

So a complete stranger gets in your unfamiliar (to him/her) car and drives it with no road tax. No chance of anything going wrong there then!

[TooMany2cvs]

R0G said:

Would potential buyers have insurance to cover them on a test drive?

They might have "Driving other cars" cover, they might not. If they do, it may well require the car to be insured and on MID. You need to check the paperwork before letting them drive.

[LoonR1]

iandc said:

So a complete stranger gets in your unfamiliar (to him/her) car and drives it with no road tax. No chance of anything going wrong there then!

And what difference would having tax make to their ability to drive the car?

[iandc]

LoonR1 said:

And what difference would having tax make to their ability to drive the car?

If anything happened and the car was taxed they would be legally driving on the road. Your suggestion of "chance it and see" would compound any incident by driving illegally at the time. Or conversely having road tax gives the driver magical powers to avoid incidents. Must try that one!

[BertBert]

I'm with loon on this one. How big a risk is it?

If its points and car seized then the consequences are high. If its just an fpn with no points then it's just a cost of sale.

It might put potential buyers off though if they want to test drive and are as law abiding as the archetypal pher

Bert

[DuraAce]

As long as I was properly insured I'd happily test drive a car without road tax ( and indeed I have done just that)

Chances of getting caught must be almost zero if you drive sensibly. Even if you did get a tug from plod it's not like you'll be banned from driving is it?

People worry too much!

[MikeyMike]

BertBert said:

I'm with loon on this one. How big a risk is it?

If its points and car seized then the consequences are high. If its just an fpn with no points then it's just a cost of sale.

It might put potential buyers off though if they want to test drive and are as law abiding as the archetypal pher

Bert

It depends if you're a believer in Sod's Law, which I very much am! No points or seizure of vehicle but according to the Government website;

Penalties - You’ll automatically be fined £80, will need to buy vehicle tax and must pay any tax arrears if you don’t make a SORN when you have to.

You could also get a county court judgement against you, be fined a minimum of £1,000 and be liable to prosecution.

On a car up for £1900 any possible fines aren't comfortably absorbed by the sale. You can pay be direct debit now (and similarly if I pay for 6 months and attempt to get the unused period refunded) but I have zero faith in the DVLA and would actually be amazed if any kind of refund or timely cancellation of direct debit was forthcoming. So I guess either way I'm taking a risk.

Edited by MikeyMike on Tuesday 20th January 13:56

[LoonR1]

iandc said:

If anything happened and the car was taxed they would be legally driving on the road. Your suggestion of "chance it and see" would compound any incident by driving illegally at the time. Or conversely having road tax gives the driver magical powers to avoid incidents. Must try that one!

Oh no a whole £80 fine or whatever small figure it is and zero points. Disaster.