Taxing an untaxed vehicle

[Cider Andy]

I recently bought a vehicle that's been off the road nearly eighteen months. It's now in for MoT test and should be ready to go back on the road by the end of this week. SORN has been declared since I bought it.

I'd prefer not to lose a month's tax and need to know the earliest date I can apply for tax for it to start in May. It used to be three days before the start of the month (for an untaxed vehicle) but I can't find any info on this on the gov.uk website.

Is this still the case? If so, I'll wait until 27 April before I tax it.

[orhan]

Why not do it online on the 1st of may and be Road legal straight away.

[Cider Andy]

More digging would suggest I can only apply within two days of the end of the month, although I still cannot find an official source of this information.

[KevinCamaroSS]

Online it would be 1st May. Not sure that you can do it early if the car was SORN.

[cj2013]

I was under the impression that the old method was just because the post offices would get the new books a few days early, ahead of the new month.

Not sure why it would be relevant for the new methods, though.


I'm in a similar boat, as I currently have to move my old car on. If I swap before the end of the month, I'll not only be paying for a whole month I'll "lose" on the new one, but I'll also be paying for the rest of the month I don't use on the current one.

Crazy really to think how often the DVLA get two people to pay for the same month on a car when it is sold on and re-taxed.

[Spangles]

Cider Andy said:

More digging would suggest I can only apply within two days of the end of the month, although I still cannot find an official source of this information.

But it's only legal to drive it on the road on the 1st May regardless of how early you bought the VED.

[ging84]

you can tax a vehicle a certain number of days in advance, if it already is taxed. I don't believe you can with a vehicle that is untaxed.

[TooMany2cvs]

ging84 said:

you can tax a vehicle a certain number of days in advance, if it already is taxed. I don't believe you can with a vehicle that is untaxed.

I've done it online a few times - two working days before. As you go through, it gives you the choice of which month the tax should expire.

[Gavia]

Why does it matter? You can tax online and it's instantly live if within the month so just do it 10 seconds before you want to drive it on the 1st May.

[SS2.]

Cider Andy said:

I recently bought a vehicle that's been off the road nearly eighteen months. It's now in for MoT test and should be ready to go back on the road by the end of this week..

If you use it on a road at all during April, it'll need taxing for the whole of April.

[konark]

SS2. said:

If you use it on a road at all during April, it'll need taxing for the whole of April.

Unless he's taking it to a MOT test or returning from it.

[SS2.]

konark said:

SS2. said:

If you use it on a road at all during April, it'll need taxing for the whole of April.

Unless he's taking it to a MOT test or returning from it.

Not denying that a VED exemption applies if the vehicle is being taken to / from an MOT test (etc), but the OP implies it would be ready for normal use before April is over. If that's the case and it is used 'normally' before 1 May, it'll need taxing for April.

Cider Andy said:

I recently bought a vehicle that's been off the road nearly eighteen months. It's now in for MoT test and should be ready to go back on the road by the end of this week.

[Cider Andy]

Although I still haven't found the answer on gov.uk I do now have written confirmation from the DVLA that if an online application is made within THE LAST TWO CALENDAR DAYS of the month there is an option to start the VED from the first of the following month.

[Gavia]

Cider Andy said:

Although I still haven't found the answer on gov.uk I do now have written confirmation from the DVLA that if an online application is made within THE LAST TWO CALENDAR DAYS of the month there is an option to start the VED from the first of the following month.

Why does it matter? If you tax online it's instantly live. There is no paper tax disc so you're not pulling off some masterstroke that'll allow you to drive during April whilst untaxed.

[brrapp]

Gavia said:

Cider Andy said:

Although I still haven't found the answer on gov.uk I do now have written confirmation from the DVLA that if an online application is made within THE LAST TWO CALENDAR DAYS of the month there is an option to start the VED from the first of the following month.

Why does it matter? If you tax online it's instantly live. There is no paper tax disc so you're not pulling off some masterstroke that'll allow you to drive during April whilst untaxed.

Exactly, even if you apply for the tax two days before the new month starts, it's still not legal to use it for these two days and you'd be risking a large fine if you did. Why not just tax it online when you are going to use it?

[Cider Andy]

brrapp said:

Gavia said:

Cider Andy said:

Although I still haven't found the answer on gov.uk I do now have written confirmation from the DVLA that if an online application is made within THE LAST TWO CALENDAR DAYS of the month there is an option to start the VED from the first of the following month.

Why does it matter? If you tax online it's instantly live. There is no paper tax disc so you're not pulling off some masterstroke that'll allow you to drive during April whilst untaxed.

Exactly, even if you apply for the tax two days before the new month starts, it's still not legal to use it for these two days and you'd be risking a large fine if you did. Why not just tax it online when you are going to use it?

Whilst assuming you'd thwarted commission of the crime of the century did you also consider that it can take a few days to filter through to ANPR-equipped vehicles and that I might be making a long journey on 1st May and would rather not appear to have no road tax?

[TooMany2cvs]

Cider Andy said:

Whilst assuming you'd thwarted commission of the crime of the century did you also consider that it can take a few days to filter through to ANPR-equipped vehicles and that I might be making a long journey on 1st May and would rather not appear to have no road tax?

Keep your phone on you with the confirmation email on it? Or print the confirmation email out?

[Cider Andy]

TooMany2cvs said:

Keep your phone on you with the confirmation email on it? Or print the confirmation email out?

I don't want the inconvenience of being stopped.

[Gavia]

Cider Andy said:

I don't want the inconvenience of being stopped.

Because everyone gets pulled all the time due to the plethora of plod out there.

[TooMany2cvs]

Cider Andy said:

TooMany2cvs said:

Keep your phone on you with the confirmation email on it? Or print the confirmation email out?

I don't want the inconvenience of being stopped.

It would be a very, VERY bored plod that stopped you for simply not having VED.
In the unlikely event you get an ANPR ping, it'll go away in very short order.