Taxing a newly bought car

[threebeans]

I bought a car on Thursday evening, and got my insurance sorted on Friday but haven't received my cover note or certificate or anything yet. How do I go about taxing it?

I've been driving it, and I need to drive it on Monday to get to work (live in an area of no public transport) but with today being Sunday there will be no post offices open and I don't have a certificate to take with me anyway. I tried online and it said I couldn't do it "due to changes in the vehicles information" or something. I also tried online but again, it says I can't as I only have the New Keeper Supplement and not a proper log book.

What can I do!??!

[Andy L]

Unfortunately your choices are either:
Drive it & risk getting caught, prosecuted & fined or
Keep it off road until your insurance paperwork comes through.

[flutterbyuk25]

Yep Andy L is right.

There is no way to tax it til you have your insurance certificate or covernote through the post.

You cannot tax online/by phone as this service is only available for registered keepers, as DVLA would not know who to send disc to for new keepers.

So you need to keep vehicle off road until it has been taxed.

x

[MX5huggy]

Don't drive it, make sure it is off the road aswell.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1358907

I think a Taxi will be cheeper than that hassell

[threebeans]

Damn it, I'm just gonna have to take the risk because not driving it is simply not an option.

Does the 14 day allowance thing cover this? I know I've driven with an expired tax disc before because my car failed it's MOT and I was couldn't get it booked in to get the work done for a couple of days.

I'm actually really angry about this, because I was never told it would be illegal to even drive the car away from the dealer. They gave me a free 7 day insurance thing so I could get it taxed, but that wasn't working so I sorted my own out through my own insurance. Shouldn't have bothered because now I have to wait for the certificate to come and that could be weeks what with Christmas post. :mad:

How much is a fine these days?

[threebeans]

Don't drive it, make sure it is off the road aswell.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1358907

I think a Taxi will be cheeper than that hassell

Woah!
How exactly do you keep a car off road when if you don't have a drive?

[Inactive]

Park it on a friends/neighbours drive.;)

[flutterbyuk25]

.

Does the 14 day allowance thing cover this?


There is no 14 day allowance. Urban myth.

x

[threebeans]

I don't know anybody with a drive!

Looks like I'm well and truely up sh!t creek with this...haven't got any Christmas shopping done or anything, am supposed to be picking up my partner from work in an hour and he has no money for a taxi and there are no buses on a Sunday. :mad:

I can't even print out the cover note from my insurance because I haven't got a printer!

[markelock]

you can't not have any money for a taxi, but have money for a car and fuel, and tax, insurance etc etc?

[credit crunch victim]

every dealer i know offers to tax the car prior to picking it up at cost
they have the facilities needed to do this and this is what you should have done
i just got a runabout and changed my insurance over and needed a covernote asap and they sent it recorded delivery so i had it next day for 4.80p which was worth it to me
tesco post offices are open late as well
your not insured either as your car should not be on the road so be carefull

[threebeans]

A taxi would be about £80 a day. I don't have money for that and money for everything else on top. Especially the week before Christmas. Especially on the day the in laws are coming and I haven't even done the shopping for that yet!

[threebeans]

every dealer i know offers to tax the car prior to picking it up at cost
they have the facilities needed to do this and this is what you should have done

Had I been offered this, I would have taken them up on the offer. I didn't think to ask because I wasn't aware I wouldn't be able to do it online as soon as I got home (and no, I didn't realise that it would be illegal to even drive it home - nobody told me this either!)

[markelock]

unfortunately these are strict liability, so not knowing isn't an excuse. I would have thought your insurance cert would arrive tomorrow, so if you finish work in time you could sort it out tomorrow at the post office.

I think some post offices do open on Sundays, although as you say, it doesn't matter without the certificate.

[Inactive]

Had I been offered this, I would have taken them up on the offer. I didn't think to ask because I wasn't aware I wouldn't be able to do it online as soon as I got home (and no, I didn't realise that it would be illegal to even drive it home - nobody told me this either!)

As the holder of a driving licence and the owner of a vehicle you are expected to know these things, it is not up to somebody else to tell you.

It is all part of driving/vehicle ownership.

[irishjohn]

how did you get to work last week before you got the car?

[Inactive]

I think that he has gone shopping in his car. ;)

[irishjohn]

Think it may be a she - gone to pick up partner and do the Christmas Shopping - definitely not a woman with a plan

[Conor]

I bought a car on Thursday evening, and got my insurance sorted on Friday but haven't received my cover note or certificate or anything yet. How do I go about taxing it?

I've been driving it, and I need to drive it on Monday to get to work (live in an area of no public transport) but with today being Sunday there will be no post offices open and I don't have a certificate to take with me anyway. I tried online and it said I couldn't do it "due to changes in the vehicles information" or something. I also tried online but again, it says I can't as I only have the New Keeper Supplement and not a proper log book.

What can I do!??!

Park it up.

If its spotted, it'll be impounded and it'll cost you AT LEAST £250 to get it back.

As it is Xmas, the Police will be out in force doing the annual drink drive crackdown, concentrating in rural areas as much as cities. If the ANPR system in the car they're in clocks you, which it will, expect to end up walking home.

[Wig]

There is no 14 day allowance. Urban myth.

x

There is a 14 day allowance but it is only an allowance in relation to renewing a tax disc after expiry and avoiding an automatic £80 penalty. The 14 day allowance has nothing to do with driving or keeping the car on a public road, i.e. it does not exempt you from that.

The only allowance in relation to keeping or driving an untaxed vehicle on the public road, is a 5 day allowance providing the tax was (successfully) applied for ONLINE before expiry. Then you have 5 days ("working days" I believe but I'm not going to bother to check) grace AFTER expiry within which time you CAN drive or keep your vehicle without displaying a valid tax disc.

[Wig]

Threebeams,

One solution would be to insure it on the highstreet at a local insurance brokers office, they will give you a covernote there and then, then you can tax it.

Another solution is to insure it with an online insurer who allows you to print your certificate from the computer, Swiftcover does this, as does atleast one other but I can't remember the name.

In both examples even if the premium is more than you would have wanted, you have 14 days to cancel the policy and recieve what should be a full refund, but some insurers only refund Pro Rata (which is fair enough but you might legally be entitled to a full refund) and some insurers (such as Swiftcover online) also have an admin charge of up to £50 for cancellation within 14 days, again this charge may be illegal but that doesn't stop them from doing it.

[Wig]

Park it up.

If its spotted, it'll be impounded and it'll cost you AT LEAST £250 to get it back.

As it is Xmas, the Police will be out in force doing the annual drink drive crackdown, concentrating in rural areas as much as cities. If the ANPR system in the car they're in clocks you, which it will, expect to end up walking home.

It won't be impounded as it is insured but only not displaying a valid tax disc.

First thing I would do is check ASKMID to see if it has been registered as insured, if not, then carry with you (when you drive it) your insurance booking reference number and the name of the insurer aswell as the phone number. If done online it is best to print out the payment confirmation page if you are able to, to carry with you in the car.

[lrr]

When I bought my car brand new, I never got a choice had to pay tax so I could get it. You would think paying thousands for a car they would include that as well.

[Wig]

True, anyone buying a car should, after agreeing on a price, then throw in the comment, but my offer to buy only applies if you supply it already taxed with 6 months, at no extra cost, if that doesn't work then if you still want the car, ask them to add the cost of the tax onto the price agreed but it must be supplied ready taxed. Otherwise the deals off.

And a full tank of fuel

[lrr]

[quote=Wig;16924307]ask them to add the cost of the tax onto the price agreed but it must be supplied ready taxedquote]

Thats what I did so I didnt have to bother and could drive right away

[Wig]

(post now deleted)
But you should check the cancelation T&C's - Swift charges a £25 admin fee for cancelling within 14 days.

[Tallymanjohn]

If the previous owner still had the tax on Thursday, it will still be taxed as he would have had to post it off & they are not that quick in getting the system updated, plus he would only get tax returned from the end of this month so it would still, in real-terms, be taxed. Also insuring on-line with SwiftCover works - just print off the pdf cover note and then phone & cancel - you will get the full premium back in a few days. Not illegal as you already have insurance arranged, & Post Office clerks don't keep a record of insurance details, they just check the cover note.

[Wig]

Also insuring on-line with SwiftCover works - just print off the pdf cover note and then phone & cancel - you will get the full premium back in a few days.

But they might charge an admin fee of £25. As per their T&Cs


If you cancel your car insurance within 14 days of setting up the policy, you will get a full refund less a £25.00 administration fee which we reserve the right to charge.

[mcjordi]

It won't be impounded as it is insured but only not displaying a valid tax disc.

First thing I would do is check ASKMID to see if it has been registered as insured, if not, then carry with you (when you drive it) your insurance booking reference number and the name of the insurer aswell as the phone number. If done online it is best to print out the payment confirmation page if you are able to, to carry with you in the car.

if DVLA are working alongside the police then they will clamp or remove the car till taxed

[adonis]

Even taxing a car online you cannot keep or drive the car if it has expired until you have the certificate as i keep telling the missus (runs out december) she keeps saying i'll go to the post office, yes but when do it now.:mad: one less thing to worry about.

[flutterbyuk25]

Threebeams,

Another solution is to insure it with an online insurer who allows you to print your certificate from the computer, Swiftcover does this, as does atleast one other but I can't remember the name.



Officially downloaded insurance certificates are not accepted to tax a vehicle at the Post Office/DVLA Office.

If the clerk spots its a downloaded one then they will refuse to sell the tax disc.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_069671

[McKneff]

A taxi would be about £80 a day. I don't have money for that and money for everything else on top. Especially the week before Christmas. Especially on the day the in laws are coming and I haven't even done the shopping for that yet!

How much do you reckon a fine would be if you were caught, you would have to afford that.

You say you are angry, not half as angry as some mother/father would be if you ran over their kids in an untaxed car.

What did you do last week before you got the car

[goldspanners]

You say you are angry, not half as angry as some mother/father would be if you ran over their kids in an untaxed car.



what does that have to do with anything?

tax or no tax, if the kids are going to get run over then a small paper disc in the windscreen wont save them.

[Wig]

Even taxing a car online you cannot keep or drive the car if it has expired until you have the certificate as i keep telling the missus (runs out december) she keeps saying i'll go to the post office, yes but when do it now.:mad: one less thing to worry about.

Yes you can, see my post #20.

[Merry_Gentry]

Another solution is to insure it with an online insurer who allows you to print your certificate from the computer, Swiftcover does this, as does atleast one other but I can't remember the name.


OP says they have no printer.

[McKneff]

what does that have to do with anything?

tax or no tax, if the kids are going to get run over then a small paper disc in the windscreen wont save them.
Of course it wouldnt save them, but it would save a lot of heartache if the op had some forethought about what she is doing and what could happen. This was just another viewpoint that she needs to think about. As well as a hundred other consequences of her actions

[harveybobbles]

It's insured, so drive it...!

you wont get stopped by a copper with a ANPR cos it will be classed as "passed to trade" and wont trigger the machine off.

Even if you DO happen to be stopped, just keep your invoice with you to say you just bought it, offer your ins details so they can phone em, up.

Really don't see what the problem is.

[Wig]

How much do you reckon a fine would be if you were caught, you would have to afford that.

You say you are angry, not half as angry as some mother/father would be if you ran over their kids in an untaxed car.

What did you do last week before you got the car

We've told you before on other threads, that not having valid tax or MOT does not affect the insurance cover at all. OP has insured his car.

[Wig]

Of course it wouldnt save them, but it would save a lot of heartache if the op had some forethought about what she is doing and what could happen. This was just another viewpoint that she needs to think about. As well as a hundred other consequences of her actions

Why does not being taxed, affect the likelyhood of running over children? or affect the consequences of having done so?

[Wig]

Officially downloaded insurance certificates are not accepted to tax a vehicle at the Post Office/DVLA Office.

If the clerk spots its a downloaded one then they will refuse to sell the tax disc.

I've heard of them not accepting internet printed certs, never seen any official line on it before, so that is interesting.

I'm sure I saw an online insurer offering a cheaper service for "paperless" policies. If I find them again I will have to read if they charge extra for sending a certificate. It would be dishonest IMHO to publish a cheaper quote for "paperless" if that meant the policy holder was expected to make do with a self printed cert.which was not valid as a certificate.

[harveybobbles]

We now offer customers free 7 days insurance with Norwich Union. We get the ins cover note emailed to us and we print it off for the customer so they can tax the car the day they buy it. But you havebnt bought it from me so I'm not giving out my dealer code lol.

[McKneff]

We've told you before on other threads, that not having valid tax or MOT does not affect the insurance cover at all. OP has insured his car.

I know about insurance, what has that got to do with my post.
I never mentioned anything about insurance.

[goldspanners]

Of course it wouldnt save them, but it would save a lot of heartache if the op had some forethought about what she is doing and what could happen. This was just another viewpoint that she needs to think about. As well as a hundred other consequences of her actions

what? your talking total nonsense now.
why does haveing no road tax mean the driver will go out and find some kids to mow down?
do you think the type of people who dont bother to tax thier cars are equal to murderers?

[Wig]

if DVLA are working alongside the police then they will clamp or remove the car till taxed

If the DVLA clamp it there is an £80 release fee. They don't clamp cars which have tax only recently expired. (we don't know when OPs car was last taxed) but as Harvey says it would probably have been taxed as trade. Still don't know how DVLA would look at that.

If it is clamped by DVLA they don't tow for 24hours. If you contact them within 24 hours you only pay the £80. If the DVLA have towed within 24 hours, as long as you collect the car within 24 hours you do not pay for the towing fee, only the £80.

However, you have to produce a valid tax disc when you pick up the vehicle or release the clamp, otherwise you also have to pay a £120 deposit against subsequently taxing the vehicle within 14 days. If you don't do this, then the deposit is lost.

[Wig]

I know about insurance, what has that got to do with my post.
I never mentioned anything about insurance.

Well why don't you explain what does having no tax disc have to do with knocking down children or the consequences of doing so to their mother?

[McKneff]

Why does not being taxed, affect the likelyhood of running over children? or affect the consequences of having done so?
okay, you want a consequence,

Of course it can affect the consequences, bigger fine, possibe prison
repercussions from their family/friends, the repercussions from the other family, :confused:

[Wig]

Not that I agree with you that the consequences to the driver would be significantly more serious if the car was untaxed as opposed to taxed - I don't agree actually.

But to get back on topic you said
"not half as angry as some mother/father would be if you ran over their kids in an untaxed car"

#We are wondering, why the anger of the parents of the knocked down children would be in any way related to the fact that the car was untaxed?

You then wrote
"Of course it wouldnt save them, but it would save a lot of heartache if the op had some forethought about what she is doing and what could happen."

And we wonder why having no tax disc could affect the way the OP drives their car, if anything it would make the OP more cautious.
Or if you are again referring to the parents not the driver, then my comment above marked with # is asked again.

[adonis]

Quote:
Originally Posted by adonis http://images.moneysavingexpert.com/images/forum_images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=16926423#post16926423)
Even taxing a car online you cannot keep or drive the car if it has expired until you have the certificate as i keep telling the missus (runs out december) she keeps saying i'll go to the post office, yes but when do it now.:mad: one less thing to worry about.

Yes you can, see my post #20.

Your right it has changed since i did mine online.

[harveybobbles]

You can tax any car online - as long as you're the reg'd keeper.

Othwise the tax disc would go to the previous reg'd owner

[DCFC79]

Had I been offered this, I would have taken them up on the offer. I didn't think to ask because I wasn't aware I wouldn't be able to do it online as soon as I got home (and no, I didn't realise that it would be illegal to even drive it home - nobody told me this either!)

i spend my time making sure i renew my tax and have renewed my insurance so i am legally able to drive, man didnt think of not paying for the car tax, you wasn't aware you wouldnt be able to get the tax with no insurance docs and it was illegal to drive it home with no tax, what were you thinking,

OP have you tried doing it online,

[credit crunch victim]

We've told you before on other threads, that not having valid tax or MOT does not affect the insurance cover at all. OP has insured his car.

so if the op had an accident there insurance company will pay out will they

[tinkerbell84]

i spend my time making sure i renew my tax and have renewed my insurance so i am legally able to drive, man didnt think of not paying for the car tax, you wasn't aware you wouldnt be able to get the tax with no insurance docs and it was illegal to drive it home with no tax, what were you thinking,

OP have you tried doing it online,

they can't do it online - they are not the registered keeper yet!

[Wig]

so if the op had an accident there insurance company will pay out will they

It would be considered in the same way as though the car was taxed and MOTd, they would pay out -or not- according to the relevant circumstances surrounding the case. MOT cert & tax disc would not be relevant and would not affect the claim.

With the exception that no MOT would lower the value of the OP's car so any payout on a total loss could be lower than expected.

[credit crunch victim]

It would be considered in the same way as though the car was taxed and MOTd, they would pay out -or not- according to the relevant circumstances surrounding the case. MOT cert & tax disc would not be relevant and would not affect the claim.

With the exception that no MOT would lower the value of the OP's car so any payout on a total loss could be lower than expected.

do you work in insurance as a car with no mot should not be on the road full stop
they will not pay out if there is any way they can avoid it next you will be saying that you don't have to declare points that you get through the year untill your renewal

[McKneff]

Not that I agree with you that the consequences to the driver would be significantly more serious if the car was untaxed as opposed to taxed - I don't agree actually.

But to get back on topic you said
"not half as angry as some mother/father would be if you ran over their kids in an untaxed car"

#We are wondering, why the anger of the parents of the knocked down children would be in any way related to the fact that the car was untaxed?

You then wrote
"Of course it wouldnt save them, but it would save a lot of heartache if the op had some forethought about what she is doing and what could happen."

And we wonder why having no tax disc could affect the way the OP drives their car, if anything it would make the OP more cautious.
Or if you are again referring to the parents not the driver, then my comment above marked with # is asked again.

because if a driver who was stujpid enough to be on the road illegally and knocked my child over i would do time for what i would do to them.
There it is, i hav said my piece and we have deviated from the original post and so will withdraw gracefully

[jammin]

because if a driver who was stujpid enough to be on the road illegally and knocked my child over i would do time for what i would do to them.
There it is, i hav said my piece and we have deviated from the original post and so will withdraw gracefully
Right so, just to confirm, a driver knocks down your child and you're going after him because he didn't pay his road tax?

[MX5huggy]

do you work in insurance as a car with no mot should not be on the road full stop
they will not pay out if there is any way they can avoid it next you will be saying that you don't have to declare points that you get through the year untill your renewal

Not true, how do you get a car with out an MOT to a test station? You have to insure it.

Remember this child that is getting knocked down would be safe if the driver had spent 10 mins queing in a post office as they would be 10 mins later passing the accident point. The problem is there may be second child killed by the now taxed driver who would have been safe.

[jammin]

do you work in insurance as a car with no mot should not be on the road full stop
they will not pay out if there is any way they can avoid it next you will be saying that you don't have to declare points that you get through the year untill your renewal

*gets popcorn*

[credit crunch victim]

Not true, how do you get a car with out an MOT to a test station? You have to insure it

the mot HAS to be pre booked that means you cant go christmas shopping and pick up your oh on the way

[harveybobbles]

http://www.arcn37.dsl.pipex.com/text/magic.html

Go to line 38...

[Wig]

do you work in insurance as a car with no mot should not be on the road full stop
they will not pay out if there is any way they can avoid it next you will be saying that you don't have to declare points that you get through the year untill your renewal

No, the next thing I will say is that lack of MOT and or tax does not allow them to avoid paying out. Of course they latch on to anything that will *allow* them to avoid payment, hence, they will use the lack of MOT to affect the value of the car in a total loss claim. The FSA rules will not allow them to avoid a claim just because the car did not have in relation to it, a certain piece of paper with some fancy ink patterns and a few dates on it.

No I don't work in insurance, but others here do, and we have been through all this before, and the FSA rules have been posted in threads to prove this is the way things are.

[Wig]

because if a driver who was stujpid enough to be on the road illegally and knocked my child over i would do time for what i would do to them.
There it is, i hav said my piece and we have deviated from the original post and so will withdraw gracefully

I wonder where you draw the line? When someone knocks down your child, you first inspect the car to see if it is 100% legal, if it is, then that's ok, buy the driver a coffee and tell him not to worry about it, because his car was legal.

But if the car has a broken sidelight bulb?
A chip in the windscreen within the swept area?
A torn wiper blade?
A hole in the exhaust?
A faulty catalytic converter, giving high emmissions?
A speedometer that does not read in mph?
No speedometer?
Tax paid for but not displaying the tax?
No rear fog light (on a modern car fitted with other lamps)?
A cracked or disfigured number plate?
A number plate not displaying the BSAU standard mark?
A bald tyre
Faulty brakes
Worn steering rack


An otherwise roadsafe/insured vehicle, but missing a bit of paper in the windscreen? - oh wait, that's the one you said you would "do time for".

[Wig]

http://www.arcn37.dsl.pipex.com/text/magic.html

Go to line 38...

Line 39................said Dillon :D

[jammin]

<snip>

An otherwise roadsafe/insured vehicle, but missing a bit of paper in the windscreen? - oh wait, that's the one you said you would "do time for".

Brilliant!

[scotsman4th]

Theres some nutters in the world, draw your own conclusions.

If you were stopped for no road tax, they would make you buy it from when it ran out (assuming it was within 6 months). If you only bought the car in the past few days, I'd imagine they'd make you buy it from the start of December(if caught)
It would then be up to DVLA as to whether they wanted to prosecute you or not.
The cars MOT'd and Insured, whats the problem? You will be taxing it from the start of December anyway.
So i'd drive it, if stopped, i'd say I was waiting for my cover note. It's not an endorable offence (no penalty points) and it would have to be a hard nosed copper that would do you.
Do DVLA have clampers?

[goldspanners]

because if a driver who was stujpid enough to be on the road illegally and knocked my child over i would do time for what i would do to them.
There it is, i hav said my piece and we have deviated from the original post and so will withdraw gracefully

why not just admit your initial post was a tad hysterical?

you deviated,suggesting a tax disc would save a childs life.

[little miss messiah]

Do DVLA have clampers?

Not so much clampers but they have operations in conjunction with the police and cart off your vehicle - if the fine is not paid you end up with a nice shiny metal cube for your trouble...