# car tax



## coppo (May 27, 2009)

If I want to buy a vehicle(pick up) tomorrow, Saturday, do I have to go to the post office before driving it home to tax it, can I ring them up to do it.


The post office shuts at 12noon.


It makes buying a vehicle on a weekend more difficult.


Paul.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

No, you can tax it online, you can do this by using the green part of the V5.

We did it a couple of months ago without any problem.


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Thanks Ken.


Its a private possible sale Ken so would have to get online before driving it home.


Someone as just said to me that get the seller to date all papework for Monday and say you are on a test drive, very naughty.


Paul.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Doesn't the seller have an internet connection so you can do it before you leave?
Take your laptop and use a local WiFi to do the deed?
Get the seller to drive you to the nearest McDonalds for the WiFi?
Use your smartphone?
Ask the seller to drive you home, do the taxing then drive him back.

Lots of possibilities.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

If a camera clocks you then you will be caught out, unless the photo shows trade plates being used.

However if the seller does date the sale for the end of the month it will be taxed until then. Could you not get them to deliver it for you, put yourself in the passenger seat.

cabby


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

The seller is 175 miles away, it would be easier if local.


Best bet is to ask him to let you do it online at his house, as Ken says.


I wonder how many people date the paperwork for the month end and do it that way.


Paul.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

You can call DVLA up until 2.00pm on Saturdays to tax a vehicle - 0300 123 4321.


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## mgdavid (Nov 27, 2014)

If the vehicle is currently taxed, the automatic SORN and refund of any remaining tax only happens when DVLA record the change of keeper (which obv needs to be sent by post). Therefore there is no problem whatsoever from an ANPR aspect in you driving the car home on the day you buy it. Insurance is of course more important!
If you try to tax it online on the day you buy it, the transaction will be refused as the vehicle is already taxed and DVLA won't have received the Change of Keeper doc yet (if it's Saturday lunchtime it will sit in a postbox until Monday, the earliest they will get it is Tuesday).
If the car is untaxed and you tax it online on teh day you buy it, there is every chance that when the Change of Keeper doc is received a few days later, it will be set to SORN and the tax refunded to the previous keeper. Many examples of this if you read the motoring forums.


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## lgbzone (Oct 8, 2008)

mgdavid said:


> If the vehicle is currently taxed, the automatic SORN and refund of any remaining tax only happens when DVLA record the change of keeper (which obv needs to be sent by post). Therefore there is no problem whatsoever from an ANPR aspect in you driving the car home on the day you buy it. Insurance is of course more important!
> If you try to tax it online on the day you buy it, the transaction will be refused as the vehicle is already taxed and DVLA won't have received the Change of Keeper doc yet (if it's Saturday lunchtime it will sit in a postbox until Monday, the earliest they will get it is Tuesday).
> If the car is untaxed and you tax it online on teh day you buy it, there is every chance that when the Change of Keeper doc is received a few days later, it will be set to SORN and the tax refunded to the previous keeper. Many examples of this if you read the motoring forums.


The post quoted above isn't actually correct as i went through this last weekend, the transaction will not be refused.

what i did was to go to my insurance company website, on the friday evening, and select to change the vehicle of the policy and for it to take effect at 11:00 on saturday, the charge for this was £15 total. i could have alternatively gone to buy the car and changed the insurance instantly over the phone.

regarding the tax; having then seen and bought the car i phoned the wife and she went online to the site that lets you tax it without the reminder, instead you use the 12 digit number from the V5C/2 new keeper section. this allowed her to tax it even though the car showed as already being taxed for the next few months by the old keeper.

this meant i had both insurance and tax and could drive the vehicle home, although the vehicle still showed as uninsured for a few days on the MID system.

this website lets you see the mot and tax status of any car using the registration
https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/

this is where you can tax it using the new keeper supplement, just click the link where it says "pay online"
https://www.gov.uk/car-tax-disc-without-v11-reminder

here is where you can check if a vehicle has insurance according to MID
http://ownvehicle.askmid.com/

if buying a car the link below may be useful, using the registration it will display the complete mot history of the vehicle, you can see every failure and advisory etc
https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

Hope this helps
Lee


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

lgbzone said:


> The post quoted above isn't actually correct as i went through this last weekend, the transaction will not be refused.
> 
> what i did was to go to my insurance company website, on the friday evening, and select to change the vehicle of the policy and for it to take effect at 11:00 on saturday, the charge for this was £15 total. i could have alternatively gone to buy the car and changed the insurance instantly over the phone.
> 
> ...


What a really useful post thanks. Some useful links there. I may have to change cars soon so thats really helpful. The MOT history one is particularly useful as it shows the advisories which is useful when purchasing a vehicle and it also reminds me what needs doing on mine.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

lgbzone said:


> The post quoted above isn't actually correct as i went through this last weekend, the transaction will not be refused.


I quite agree with that Lee, I did it myself a few weeks ago, all that you say is accurate.


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## mgdavid (Nov 27, 2014)

Yes I'm aware that using the Doc Ref with a 2 in front (ie the number from the New keeper slip) allows you to pay again even though the car is currently taxed; my point is that it's unecessary.
The motoring forums are full of complaints about the 'legal scam' of refunding only the future whole months and re-taxing from the 1st of the current month , ie th current month is paid for twice, once by each owner.
This can be avoided by changing the vehicle within a few days of the end of the month and creating the situation detailed in my previous post.
However anyone who voluntarily pays a whole month's VED for 2 or 3 days' use is more than welcome to do so, as it contributes extra money to the Exchequer. :laugh:


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Well did you buy the car and did you tax it as well.

cabby


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Thanks everyone, great advice here for future reference.


Cabby, it was a total pile of garbage, fed a catalogue of lies by the seller.


I,m always suspicious when buying a vehicle if you turn up and the engine and bonnet are boiling hot to the touch.


I,m even more suspicious when the address turns out to be a travellers site lol.


What a waste of a day, 438 miles round trip, but thats life. Next time I will be asking if a member on here is local who can pop down for me.


We got there and he was waiting at the gate so had no option but to view it.


Lovely van, service history, only damage is a tiny crack on windscreen. Lat service record as 2004 and the tiny crack was 3 feet right across the entire windscreen, that was just the start of the problems, good lord. Now I,m no shrinking violet, done a fair bit of boxing in my time, but even I felt a bit intimidated.


Paul.


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