Car Tax

[Busybody]

I am due to tax my car on wednesday and not yet got it a new MOT! Have they changed the goalposts of the flexibility on the days after `due` date you can tax the car?:rolleyes:

[Hintza]

Assuming the old MOT has expired you will need to get a new one before taxing the car.

I reckon you will probably escape for less than a month but I wouldn't use the car, many cameras fixed and attched to police cars have number recognition software so if you use the car you could get hit by the double whammy no tax and no MOT.

If you have problems with your MOT best to declare SORN on the car and save yourself a lot of hassle.

[youngie]

there are no days grace on car tax now so make sure you do a sorn on the 1st if your not renewing by then, you don't have to be seen in your car the computer knows you haven't renewed and will automatically send a £80 fix fee fine

[lisyloo]

I applied (on line) on 27th which was Saturday.
The money was taken out of the bank on Monday (29th).

If the tax disc doesnt arrive and I drive the car without displaying it then can I get into trouble?
I am well aware that not displaying a tax disc is an offence, but would anyone really pursue it when I have proof (on my bank statement) that I have already paid (just waiting for it to arrive).

Or should I depserately avoid driving until it's come??

Just in case anyone wants to know why I didn't do it earlier - I had to wait to be paid.

[youngie]

did you print of your confirmation email,dont worry too much because when they check the dvla computer it will show that you have renewed your tax

[nickmack]

I applied (on line) on 27th which was Saturday.
The money was taken out of the bank on Monday (29th).

If the tax disc doesnt arrive and I drive the car without displaying it then can I get into trouble?
I am well aware that not displaying a tax disc is an offence, but would anyone really pursue it when I have proof (on my bank statement) that I have already paid (just waiting for it to arrive).

You should be fine. Tax discs should be scrapped altogether soon. As other posters have said, with a quick check of your numberplate, the status of your tax, MOT and insurance can be found. There shouldn't be a need to display anything in your windscreen. After all, who's going to look?

[DavidHM]

There shouldn't be a need to display anything in your windscreen. After all, who's going to look?

I agree that the risk of being caught is vanishingly small but failing to display is still an offence - £200 maximum fine but no points.

[lisyloo]

Thanks for the replies.
Lets hope it comes in time.
I can avoid using the car on Thursday is necessary as I share lifts to work.

[derrick]

I applied (on line) on 27th which was Saturday.
The money was taken out of the bank on Monday (29th).

I did the same,but on Wednesday 24th, money taken Friday 26th, post been today,(30th), no disc.

If the disc does not arrive, I will contionue to drive the car because I have paid the fee, if they offer an online service and cannot deliver that is their fault not mine, although if it is not here by Friday, I will phone them on 01792 782341, (not their ripoff 0870 number), this number does work.

[DonkeyKong77]

Hello

Sorry to jump in on the tthread, but i also need to renew car tax, but the insurance company says it could take 5 working days to get a certificate of insurance through!
I have a valid MOT certificate - but can't find it :eek: (edit - found it!)

I would do it online (the post office i think needs the certificate of insurance) but i thuink they give a 5-day turnaround, so looks like i'm stuffed.

I spoke to the insurance company and they said they could fax a cove statement to a garage and they could tax it their? Never heeard this before, is this correct?

[lisyloo]

It will take your insurance company a few days to get a proper statement out but they should be able to fax a cover note pretty much immediately.

I haven't heard of garages taxing cars.
This only makes sense in the case of buying a car when you need tax to drive it away. In this case the garage will often sort it out for you.

However as you say you already have an MOT certificate then I presume you own the car and are not buying it.

Can you explain why a garage is involved as I'm confused.
Are you having it repaired at the garage?

In which case you should still be able to get the tax disc yourself (the garage might charge you for doing it if you aren't buying a car from them).

[DonkeyKong77]

the whole garage issue confused me too - the insurance company suggested it, and they may have assumed i was buying it from new, i honestly don't know why.

My last resort was to go to a local dvla office, but when i rang the number (after what seemed like 10mins of automated messages!) i'm back at square one, the person said the office could accept a cover notice, but only if it is not faxed, i.e. posted to me.

Though he also said the post office could accept a cover notice, rather than a certificate of insurance - which i didn't think they could.

Phoned the insurance company again - they said they would do their best, and advised to buy it online and drive, even though the disc wouldn't come through on time!, saying that if i was stopped then the computer records would show i had paid :confused:

[june1970]

i have drove in the past when my disc did not arrive until the 3rd.

[lisyloo]

Phoned the insurance company again - they said they would do their best, and advised to buy it online and drive, even though the disc wouldn't come through on time!, saying that if i was stopped then the computer records would show i had paid

If you buy it online then they will automatically check the documents so you won't need to produce anything.

Technically not displaying the tax disc is an offence so you could in theory be fined. However I suspect it's very very unlikely to happen as you have paid and they can check.
Personally I would take the chance.
You are probably more likely to be run down by a bus or get struck by lightening than fined for not displaying it.

[DonkeyKong77]

i have drove in the past when my disc did not arrive until the 3rd.

would probably do the same, having paid of course, but am freaked by the number recognition comment earlier in the thread.

Would number recognition only kick in if speeding is in question? or is it always going on?

[DonkeyKong77]

i read somewhere that there is some sort of industrial action which could affect the DVLA's work on wednesday, not sure if ths will affect the processing procedure though.

I think i will hold off until tomorrow morning, in the hope that i get insurance docs through, otherwise i will apply online (it's non refundable so once i've applied online i can't then say no thans i will go to the post office) - as it passed the insurand and valid mot question, the onnly problem is the time it takes to send the tax disc.

[moonrakerz]

You should be fine. Tax discs should be scrapped altogether soon. As other posters have said, with a quick check of your numberplate, the status of your tax, MOT and insurance can be found. There shouldn't be a need to display anything in your windscreen. After all, who's going to look?

Certainly not the police !

My son was stopped recently by the police because he had a headlight out on his pick-up.

He had his "plastic" licence on him; the tax disc was 2 weeks old, so a pretty good chance his insurance was OK, but he still has to produce his papers at a police station - including his MoT for a "55" plate vehicle. Doh !!

No wonder the police are getting less and less co-operation form the motoring public.

[Markyt]

would probably do the same, having paid of course, but am freaked by the number recognition comment earlier in the thread.

Would number recognition only kick in if speeding is in question? or is it always going on?

Always. It picks up all vehicles and flags them if anything turns up against the registered keeper - no insurance, bail jumpers, anything really.

[newlywed]

would probably do the same, having paid of course, but am freaked by the number recognition comment earlier in the thread.

Would number recognition only kick in if speeding is in question? or is it always going on?

Where I live there is regularly a police van set up by the side of one of the main roads with a camera and sign saying something about it being unpaid tax numberplate recognition. ;)

[Busybody]

Just got back from the garage and my car passed its MOT going on liner now to Tax it.:T

[waster]

Certainly not the police !

My son was stopped recently by the police because he had a headlight out on his pick-up.

He had his "plastic" licence on him; the tax disc was 2 weeks old, so a pretty good chance his insurance was OK, but he still has to produce his papers at a police station - including his MoT for a "55" plate vehicle. Doh !!

No wonder the police are getting less and less co-operation form the motoring public.


This is not normal now. Most Police vehicles are equipped with a link to the NPC and DVLA and can check in seconds that the driver holds a licence and any endorsements/disqualifications on it, that the vehicle is taxed and MOT'd and that there is a valid insurance policy. The day's of producing are generally long gone.

Re the comment much earlier about “grace days” on taxing your vehicle. This is a popular misconception. There have never been grace days. For a vehicle to be lawfully used on the public highway it must always have a valid tax disc paid for and on display. In the past only a jobsworth copper would have pulled you within the first few days, but with ANPR cameras in most traffic cars and more, if you get flagged you could be in the sh*t.

You can apply for tax at least 14 days before the old tax expires, so there really is no excuse unless you want to be illegal.

[DonkeyKong77]

My bottle's gone in terms of driving without a valid tax disc, the law of sod would mean something would probably happen, so not risking it.

If the new car tax has to start from thursday, and i am still left waiting for paperwork, or applied online tomorrow morning - i don't need to declare it "off-road" do i, or do i?

[Busybody]

My tax disc came today I ordered it on line on Tuesday.

[Wig]

Donkey & busybody (I note busybody is now sorted)

If your tax expired Jan 31st 2007, you don't have to rush to tax it, you can do it on the 14th Feb and still not incure any fine, you can do it on the 21st Feb also, leave it any later than that and you are increasing the risk of something fouling up and it not being processed. But the DVLA look at the database at the end of each month and anyone who has been without tax for 1 full month will get a fine. If you tax your vehicle within the first month after expiry (i.e. February) you will be ok, because your tax disc is back dated to the 1st of the month and therefore there is no break in the tax cover.

It is an offence to drive (or keep on the highway) without displaying, so don't keep or drive your car on the highway until it has a valid tax disc displayed. The law is an !!!, but what can you do?

The point is if you tax the vehicle well within the 1st month after expiry you won't get a DVLA fine. The police and traffic Wardens are a different kettle of fish.


And Busybody,

Do yourself a favour buy 6 months tax so that your tax and MOT do not collide with each other in future. If you bought 12 months you can take it to the post office for a pro rata refund at the end of any month, You can then get a new 6mth one issued to start from the 1st of the following month (check with the PO that you can do this with no hassle)

[derrick]

I did the same,but on Wednesday 24th, money taken Friday 26th, post been today,(30th), no disc.

If the disc does not arrive, I will contionue to drive the car because I have paid the fee, if they offer an online service and cannot deliver that is their fault not mine, although if it is not here by Friday, I will phone them on 01792 782341, (not their ripoff 0870 number), this number does work.

I phoned DVLA on Thursday afternoon,(using the above number), to tell them I still did not have my disc, they said it had been sent to my address, but they would send out a duplicate by first class, and if the original turns up, to return it.
The duplicate arrived this morning, but heaven knows where the original one is, if it does turn up I will just destroy it, why should I waste postage returning it?

I will use the Post Office next time!

[Wig]

I agree, if it turns up just destroy it, they won't know if you ever recieved it or not. You could just to be safe keep it in a drawer incase they ask for it and can prove you recieved it. But more importantly incase your disc is ever lost (it can happen) it will save you the £15 processing fee for a replacement.

[derrick]

I agree, if it turns up just destroy it, they won't know if you ever recieved it or not. You could just to be safe keep it in a drawer incase they ask for it and can prove you recieved it. But more importantly incase your disc is ever lost (it can happen) it will save you the £15 processing fee for a replacement.

Yep, already thought about that, although the original has still not turned up!!