Bringing a car off SORN

[QBee]

I have had my fun car SORNED since Christmas while the engine was rebuilt.
I went online this morning to tax it from 1st August, as I want to use it on Saturday to start the running in.
The DVLA website wants me to tax it from 1st July.
Do i have to wait until first sparrowfart on Saturday to do it?
Or is there a way around this, other than paying for an extra month?
Is there a date/time from which they accept applications to run from the 1st of the next month?

Thanks for your help with this.

[Cylon2007]

Yes you have to wait

[KevinCamaroSS]

07:00hrs seems to be the first available time even though it is an online system.

[QBee]

Thanks for the advice and the timings - that's really useful.

I had been planning on setting off at 0530 on Saturday, as I need to be in Halifax by 0730.
I guess the plan will have to be changed, but at least I now know.

[V8RX7]

I used to tax my car in the Post Office and could tax it at least a few days early - I'm unsure if that's still possible

[QBee]

V8RX7 said:

I used to tax my car in the Post Office and could tax it at least a few days early - I'm unsure if that's still possible

I don't know either, and anyway I won't have the insurance paperwork in time, as I am just about to organise insurance this afternoon.
I suspect not, as it all seems to be dealt with online, and I want to pay monthly.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

QBee said:

Thanks for the advice and the timings - that's really useful.

I had been planning on setting off at 0530 on Saturday, as I need to be in Halifax by 0730.
I guess the plan will have to be changed, but at least I now know.

How much is one month's tax? Can't be a right lot, not enough to mess with arrangements?

[martinbiz]

V8RX7 said:

I used to tax my car in the Post Office and could tax it at least a few days early - I'm unsure if that's still possible

No different, it would still only be taxed from the first of the Following month unless you asked for it to start immediately then you would pay for the whole of the month you are in even if it’s on the last day

[KevinCamaroSS]

Personally I would go at 05:30 and go online and tax it when I arrived.

[QBee]

Thanks guys
I am afraid I am too law abiding to knowingly drive it untaxed, so if i cannot tax it before 5.30 am on Saturday I will go with 2 Smoking Barrels advice and pay the extra £23, rather than mess Steve Edwards about.

He is the guy who will be modifying the roof panel to stop it flying off at track speeds.
Last time it did that I was doing 115 mph at Snetterton and it went 30+ feet in the air.
Luckily it landed on the grass, not the track or someone's head, and there wasn't even a mark on the paint.
I don't expect to be so lucky a second time.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

QBee said:

y I will go with 2 Smoking Barrels advice and pay the extra £23,

I'm probably not the best to give advice on this sort of matter. I once paid £50 to sit in the same carriage as the Stella on a train rather than move one carriage away

[sixor8]

V8RX7 said:

I used to tax my car in the Post Office and could tax it at least a few days early - I'm unsure if that's still possible

You still can, and online too, with a reminder, the vehicle will have been under constant VED payment. But if the car's been SORN or is 'untaxed,' like at a dealer for instance, it can only be taxed from the day you apply.

The 0700-1900 restriction thing is for change of ownership, something about database updates I expect. For VED, there is no time limit.

Last year, I declared a car SORN at 23:55 on the 31st (nearly forgot!). So I'm fairly sure you could buy VED at 00:01 on Sat morning starting the 1st August. If you can't buy it online due to any issues, there's still the Post Office. If you drive it anywhere SORN but buy VED the same day, I'm sure you'd be fine. But don't quote me!

If you want decent sleep because of getting up so early, I'd drive it where you're going and then buy VED online whilst stopped en route or after arriving using my phone. It takes 5 mins, and starts 1st August anyway, but don't forget you'll need the V5c certificate number off the front to do it online.

Edited by sixor8 on Wednesday 29th July 17:08

[QBee]

That's cleared that up nicely thanks.

I will try it at 5.30 am Saturday, as Google Maps tells me it is approx 1 hr 45 from me to Halifax (80 miles).
That's at 1756 on a Wednesday, hopefully quicker at first sparrow on a Saturday, as it's basically A1, M62 and A58

[SS2.]

QBee said:

I don't know either, and anyway I won't have the insurance paperwork in time, as I am just about to organise insurance this afternoon.

Moot point now, but insurance is no longer checked when a vehicle is taxed - hasn't been for some time.

[syl]

If you want to know before Saturday, get up early tomorrow and find out if you can buy tax at 5am.

[QBee]

syl said:

If you want to know before Saturday, get up early tomorrow and find out if you can buy tax at 5am.

I didn't actually check yesterday......but this morning it is allowing me to choose between 1st July and 1st August, so we are good to tango.

Thanks everyone for your help.

[sixor8]

This seems to be a bit of common decency from DVLA I wasn't aware of before, perhaps it's a recent change? I've just done a dummy run using one of my SORN vehicles and you do indeed get the option to select 1st August, i.e. 2 days before. Blimey!

There's no real gain because the car won't have valid VED if a car goes through an ANPR check until 1st August but it makes life a bit easier all round, especially in your situation.