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Road Tax Online Valid from?

hi,
Does anyone know when the road tax is valid from, if we buy it online from the government's website? I know the tax disc takes 5 days to arrive, but is the tax valid immediately, and can we drive on the road?

Thanks!

Comments

  • dzug
    dzug Posts: 2,260 Forumite
    It's valid immediately but you could still be done for failing to display it. Whether that happens in reality I don't know.
  • phill79
    phill79 Posts: 494 Forumite
    dzug wrote: »
    Whether that happens in reality I don't know.

    £60 fine but no points!
    Happened to someone I know 2 years ago.
  • Conor_3
    Conor_3 Posts: 6,944 Forumite
    IT IS NOT VALID IMMEDIATELY. It is valid from the 1st of the month it is set to start. That means if you buy it on the 25th and say its to start from the 1st of the following month, it's not valid until then. To be valid on the 25th, it would have to have started from the 1st of the same month.
  • Hi

    If the car is already taxed and has got few days to go, then the new tax disc will be issued with a start day immediatley after the current one expires, which is usually the end of the month.

    If the car is not taxed currently, then the tax should start form the first day of the current month ( if you do it today, you will have a tax disc valid from the first of April and lose two weeks worth of tax)

    However, there is a cut off day, I think it is the last two days of the month, where you can buy a tax disc that is valid from the begining from the next month.
    Be nice, life is too short to be anything else.
  • flutterbyuk25
    flutterbyuk25 Posts: 7,009 Forumite
    You can't use/keep vehicle on public highway without displaying tax disc.

    It's police offence and could be fined etc as mentioned above.

    HTH

    x
    * Rainbow baby boy born 9th August 2016 *

    * Slimming World follower (I breastfeed so get 6 hex's!) *
  • flower7
    flower7 Posts: 167 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    You do get a print out of ordering and paying for the tax disc and can carry that in the car - so does that count?
  • moonrakerz
    moonrakerz Posts: 8,650 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Strictly speaking you could get done for "failing to display". In the "old days" when you had to take your old disc into the Post Office to get a new one, over zealous plods would nick people parked outside the Post Office for having no tax !

    More than likely now, with all those targets they have to meet !!
  • Alias_Omega
    Alias_Omega Posts: 7,915 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Ive ordered online and continued to drive the car.

    The reality of someone visually inspecting the tax disk are very slim these days, alot of ANPR cameras around cities and therefore the task has been wound down. If you were to be stopped by a traffic car, it probably has ANPR and will show that the car is taxed, has insurance etc. Unsure if the PNC is updated daily, or weekly though.

    If you were to be stopped by a panda / beat car, worst case you will get is a producer, where you have 7 days to produce the documents. If you were to be stopped, you would explain that you bought it online, and the person you were talking too would know what you mean.

    crack on..!
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