Selling a car to an overseas buyer road tax question
Selling a car to an overseas buyer road tax question
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JumboBeef

Original Poster:

3,772 posts

207 months

Saturday 9th May 2015
quotequote all
Hello all.

I might have a German buyer for a car. If we do the deal, he wants to fly over to the UK and drive the car home.

I've not sold a car since the new road tax laws have come in, but as I understand it, as soon as he buys the car it will not have tax.

If this is so, how can he drive the car throught the UK to Germany? Will he have to tax the car here, even though he will be leaving the same day? Can he indeed tax it, using his German car insurance?

Thanks.

Roo

11,504 posts

237 months

Saturday 9th May 2015
quotequote all
Fill out the bit that says the car has gone for export. Get a dated and timed receipt.

Not your problem what he does.

DuraAce

4,272 posts

190 months

Saturday 9th May 2015
quotequote all
It's not your problem or responsibility but...

DVLA won't even know about the sale until the V5 arrives at Swansea. The tax won't be cancelled until then, it won't trip an ANPR alert. Nowt to worry about at all.

BertBert

21,308 posts

241 months

Saturday 9th May 2015
quotequote all
Roo said:
Fill out the bit that says the car has gone for export. Get a dated and timed receipt.

Not your problem what he does.
The export bit is for when you take it to another country, not when you sell it to someone who is taking it to another country.

marshalla

15,902 posts

231 months

Saturday 9th May 2015
quotequote all
JumboBeef said:
Hello all.
I've not sold a car since the new road tax laws have come in, but as I understand it, as soon as he buys the car it will not have tax..
That's not what the legislation says.

Sale + Notification to DVLA is required to cancel the tax and trigger the refund (if applicable).

paulwirral

3,828 posts

165 months

Sunday 10th May 2015
quotequote all
Take the money and don't worry about it , issue some sort of receipt with date and time ?

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

156 months

Sunday 10th May 2015
quotequote all
BertBert said:
Roo said:
Fill out the bit that says the car has gone for export. Get a dated and timed receipt.

Not your problem what he does.
The export bit is for when you take it to another country, not when you sell it to someone who is taking it to another country.
Nope. The buyer has no UK address, so you can't just send the V5C back as normal.

He will need the main V5C to register it abroad. You notify DVLA by sending back the V5C/4. The car is no longer in the UK in your name. DVLA don't know or care more than that.

JumboBeef

Original Poster:

3,772 posts

207 months

Wednesday 13th May 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies.

The car also has a personal plate. I assume I have to go through the whole long winded process of changing the plate before selling it, and cannot "export" and transfer the plate off at the same time.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

156 months

Wednesday 13th May 2015
quotequote all
JumboBeef said:
The car also has a personal plate. I assume I have to go through the whole long winded process of changing the plate before selling it, and cannot "export" and transfer the plate off at the same time.
Exactly the same applies as to any other sale...

JumboBeef

Original Poster:

3,772 posts

207 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
BertBert said:
Roo said:
Fill out the bit that says the car has gone for export. Get a dated and timed receipt.

Not your problem what he does.
The export bit is for when you take it to another country, not when you sell it to someone who is taking it to another country.
Nope. The buyer has no UK address, so you can't just send the V5C back as normal.

He will need the main V5C to register it abroad. You notify DVLA by sending back the V5C/4. The car is no longer in the UK in your name. DVLA don't know or care more than that.
So, the V5 has come back with the original number on it (and my personal plate is going on retention: certificate valid for ten years and no cost, when did that change?).

The V5c/4 states it is for when you personally export the car. I'm not personally exporting it, I'll selling it to someone else who is. Also, the buyer is picking the car up on a Friday, driving to Dover and staying there until Saturday when he leaves the UK. Do I put Friday as the day the car was exported (but if it get pinged by a camera on Friday they'll know I was not telling the truth), or put Saturday and then I'll be liable for any camera pings on the Friday? Why is nothing simple......?

Paul Dishman

5,417 posts

267 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
You're selling it, not exporting it so whatever the buyer does after he's collected it is not your responsibility.

I'd record time and date of sale and inform DVLA that I'd sold it on the Friday

JumboBeef

Original Poster:

3,772 posts

207 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
Paul Dishman said:
You're selling it, not exporting it so whatever the buyer does after he's collected it is not your responsibility.

I'd record time and date of sale and inform DVLA that I'd sold it on the Friday
But if I do that I need to send off the V5c. This is a problem because:

1/ the new buyer will need the V5c to register the car in his country (Germany).
2/ the new buyer will (IIRC) need the V5c to show the police if stopped in France/Belgium/Holland/Germany on his way home.

btcc123

1,243 posts

177 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
It always amuses me when people come on here asking for advice and in this case about selling a car to someone who will export it.

There is usually about 20% of posters who know the correct procedures and 80% think they do but in reality they do not have a clue.Then there is a lot of argument and the OP gets more confused.

I have a novel ideal,why not look on the DVLA website or ring them and tell them what you would like to do and guess what they will tell you how to do it.It really is not that hard.

JumboBeef

Original Poster:

3,772 posts

207 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
btcc123 said:
I have a novel ideal,why not look on the DVLA website or ring them and tell them what you would like to do and guess what they will tell you how to do it.It really is not that hard.
The website is unhelpful. Their number just goes through to a recorded message saying "we're too busy at the moment, call back later" and hangs up.

Don't you think I would have tried those options first?

JumboBeef

Original Poster:

3,772 posts

207 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
Looks like I've found the answer here:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/167212/resp...

Page 8.

web said:
What to do if you are selling your vehicle privately to someone that does not have a GB address.

You should fill in sections 6 and 10 with the new keeper’s name and address. Both you and the new keeper (buyer) must sign and date the declaration in section 8. Give the whole V5C to the new keeper to aid registration abroad.
You should then send a signed letter to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1AG giving the vehicle’s registration number, the make and model of the vehicle, the date of sale or transfer, and the name and address of the new keeper.

Once we know about the change of keeper, you should receive an acknowledgement letter to confirm that you are no longer responsible for the vehicle.

If you do not receive the letter within 4 weeks, please phone 0300 790 6802. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have access to a textphone, phone 0300 123 1279 (this number will not respond to ordinary phones)
Couldn't find it on The DVLA website at all.

Red Devil

13,527 posts

238 months

Tuesday 2nd June 2015
quotequote all
That's because it isn't there! rolleyes - https://www.gov.uk/notifying-dvla-if-you-sell-your...
Yet another reason never to trust the gov.uk portal.
Following the advice given will mean you do exactly the wrong thing for selling to an overseas buyer.

Always use a primary source. In this case the V5C itself.
The reference to INS160 can be found in the notes on the reverse of Section 11 (V5C/4).
Google it and the very first result is the link you just posted.

maurauth

749 posts

200 months

Thursday 4th June 2015
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JumboBeef said:
The website is unhelpful. Their number just goes through to a recorded message saying "we're too busy at the moment, call back later" and hangs up.

Don't you think I would have tried those options first?
Ring them early in the morning at like 9.30am. Once it hits about 11am they're impossible to get a hold of until about 3.30pm.