Buying car tax online

Quinny_2

As is usual with most people at the month end,I realised my car needed taxing this morning.

So after the usual search through every draw in the living room,I got together my insurance,mot,and tax reminder,and was just about to go and join the usual throng at the post office,when I spotted on the reminder envelope that you can buy your car tax online.

So,being the nosey sort that I am,I decided to give it a go,and it was so easy,even my 2 year old nephew could do it.

So it's bye bye post office queues in future,and hello technology.(I intend to do the wifes this way in September.)

The only down side is it can take up to 5 working days for the disc to arrive from Swansea,so it got me thinking.......

Although the car is taxed continuously,is it possible that you could actually get done for not displaying a current tax disc?

It will be obvious to check that it is taxed,but I'm sure you have to display a disc that is valid.

Ken.

Anniek1969

This happened to a neighbour of mine, his mum went into the DVLA office in town and renewed his tax for him on the day the old one expired. He discovered later that night when he was putting it on the car that the man in the DVLA had written the wrong registration number on the disc so his mum went back in the next day with it. They changed it no problem and apologised for the inconvenience to her and the guy was pretty angry that a stupid mistake like this had been made by one of their own staff. He was at work and when he went to the car to come home he had a ticket for having an out of date tax disc. He has appealed it and is still waiting to hear.

BenL

I love moneysaving but for myself not for the government.

I personally go to the local Post Office to get my car tax so they get money for issuing it.

Doing it online cuts out the post office and makes the government more ££.

If they do online discounts I may change my mind though.

Ben

Quinny_2

I'm hoping that because of the continuation of tax,that if that were to happen,it would get thrown out,as it can be proved that I have bought it today from the DVLA online,using my bank card.

I've just rung my brother-in-law,who's a copper in Northumberland,but he's at work.

I'll ring him tomorrow,and get the information I need,and ask him what I could do if I did get a ticket.

Ken.

Bossyboots

Quinny wrote:

I'm hoping that because of the continuation of tax,that if that were to happen,it would get thrown out,as it can be proved that I have bought it today from the DVLA online,using my bank card.

I've just rung my brother-in-law,who's a copper in Northumberland,but he's at work.

I'll ring him tomorrow,and get the information I need,and ask him what I could do if I did get a ticket.

Ken.

There are two different penalties in relation to car tax. One is from the DVLA for not buying tax or declaring SORN. Clearly once you have purchased your tax online you are not at risk from that.

The other offence is FAILING TO DISPLAY a valid tax disc. So it makes no difference that you have paid for your disc. It is up to you to do it early enough to ensure it arrives in time to be displayed from the first of the month. You might get lucky and not get caught but driving without the disc or you might get let off because you get stopped by a police officer who is is kind to you, but you will be committing an offence.

In my town the council clamp and remove untaxed vehicles from the road and show no mercy.

Gorgeous_George

I taxed my summer car online and contacted DVLA regarding the displaying of a tax disc. I cannot say that the reply was helpful.

My car had been subject to SORN. I wanted to use it from 1st of the month (a Bank Holiday Monday). My other car was taxed and insured until midnight on the Sunday. I couldn't tax my car early online because, even on the Sunday (the last day of the month) the online process wanted to make me pay from the beginning of the month in which I didn't want to use the car. I couldn't tax it earlier because the car wasn't insured until the Thursday before

On the Monday, I taxed it online and used it on the road. I wasn't stopped and I would have defended myself in court. I'd have lost probably but it's their stupid rules, not mine.

I'm not bothered about the Government making a little extra instead of the Post Office. It's a bit less tax that they need to collect. Nobody was keen to subsidise the miners or steelworkers during the Tory's destruction, why subsidise Post Offices?



GG

windym_2

I taxed my car online yesterday at 4pm. The disc arrived this morning. It's a great system.

BTW, it is one thing being prosecuted for an offence (failing to display) but quite another being found guilty.

derrick

If it is retaxing the car,i.e continuing the tax, I cannot see the problem, you should get a reminder about 2-3 weeks before it is due, this is plenty of time to tax online as you are allowed to retax up to 14 days before your tax runs out,(well before the 5 days it may take to turn up), if the reminder does not turn up,you should know when the tax is due, just like your ins and MOT, so use the time allowed and don't "go to the line"
As windym, above says, it only took 1 day, so the 5 days is probably max.