Car tax on second hand car

[jordychris]

I am buying a car from a trader (one man trading from home)the car has no tax but he is willing to tax it included in the deal, if he does this with his traders policy insurance cert will it add a owner on the log book as i dont want this as car is one owner.Or would it be better for me to take my cover note when i pick the car up and tax it at the local post office.

[valiant1]

jordychris said:

I am buying a car from a trader (one man trading from home)the car has no tax but he is willing to tax it included in the deal, if he does this with his traders policy insurance cert will it add a owner on the log book as i dont want this as car is one owner.Or would it be better for me to take my cover note when i pick the car up and tax it at the local post office.

Eh??.

Surely if he takes his insurance and mot plus a tax form (V62 - i think) he can tax it. It's quite common for a dealer to tax customers cars for them without having to add an owner onto the logbook.

Is he new to this game??

If you're not sure then tear off the relevent bit of the logbook and tax it yourself.

[falkster]

With traders policy he can tax it - I'm not sure what you mean by adding an owner? He's not registering the car is he?

[MoonMonkey]

He's just taxing the car for you not registering it in his own name. So, No there is no reason for there to be another owner on the log book.

[chris1roll]

A lot of them take the green slip from the V5 and use that in the post office, then tippex over it afterwards.

Alternatively, brake fluid applied using a cotton bud followed by electrical contact cleaner to "degrease" will remove biro quite well if need be.

[Zwoelf]

falkster said:

With traders policy he can tax it - I'm not sure what you mean by adding an owner? He's not registering the car is he?

Technically his trader's policy will allow him to licence a vehicle registered either in the company's name or as his private vehicle. The details on the V5C won't match the certificate so a Post Office could refuse it if his details are not filled in as a new keeper, at which point they should retain the V5C and forward to DVLA.

But Post Offices are often busy and when somebody who's in there taxing a couple of cars a week anyway provides them with a valid cover note, they tend to just write out the tax disc and give the V5C back, you wouldn't be able to do the same at any DVLA local office though...

Which is why the green V5C/2 could well hold his company details as obviously he's still waiting for the actual V5C to return from DVLA following notification of a change of RK, which as we all know takes a few weeks.

In short, theory is one thing, practice another. He *could* obtain a tax disc for you. That he isn't willing to bend the theoretical rules a bit is actually an encouraging sign that he's trying to operate completely legitimately (that or he's just relatively new at it..). If the PO he uses does things by the book (i.e. retains the V5C with new keeper section filled in that the insurance matches etc), then it's right that you go along with your cover note and licence it properly.