Backdating Car Tax

callansdad

Hi, i have just insured my car this morning and the insurer mucked up and i wasn't able to print a cover note. Therefore the post office would not tax the car for me.

I am driving down to England tomorrow but the car is not taxed.

If i am stopped by the police is it ok to backdate the tax which i will buy on Monday or Tuesday depending on when the documents come in.

greyteam1959

Short answer.......no.
If you are stopped by the law you will be prosecuted whatever excuse you come up with.

callansdad

Even if i can prove that i have made efforts to tax the vehicle?

derrick

The offence will be,"not displaying a current tax disc", proving you have paid is no defence as it is a different offence.

jrrowleyws

No tax = no tax

Doesnt matter what efforts you have made to tax the vehicle, its still untaxed!

callansdad

Thanks for your replies.

I got on to the insurer and asked them to email me a cover not and was told they wont do this for security reasons.

I asked them to fax one (which they say tehy can do on their site) to be told sorry you only bought your policy this morning we cannot get the documents for a day!

I asked to cancel the policy so that i could go to another insurer only to be told fine but there will be a £41 fee!

I asked the dvla if i could buy it over the phone as they can check the 'database' to be told by them sorry your car has been untaxed for too long you must go to a post office branch!

What do you have to do to obey the bloody law these days?

MarkyMarkD

callansdad wrote: »

What do you have to do to obey the bloody law these days?

Hire or borrow a car which is legal to drive on the road, as yours isn't.

zappahey

callansdad wrote: »

What do you have to do to obey the bloody law these days?

Planning ahead would certainly help. If you leave everything to the last minute then things end up going pear-shaped.

exel1966

Having the car on a public highway would be illegal, but If you purchased your tax disc tuesday morning it would cover you for the whole of May as you cannot purchase for a partial month.
The chances are being stopped, seen for the offence are extremely remote if you are careful to park your car off the road. If you were reported, the database would be checked in due course and show (provided you purchase ASAP) that you did have TAX for May.
A few years back when I was strapped for cash I had to leave my car untaxed on a road for 3 days with the intention of getting it when I was paid. In that time I was ticketed for failure to display/have tax. I purchased the TAX 2 days after the offence. On enquiring as to whether i should pay the fine I was advised by DVLA not to as i had since purchased the Tax. Never heard from them again !!

PS. I DO NOT ADVOCATE AVOIDING PAYING YOUR CAR TAX - It P***es me off that hardly any of it gets spent on public highways, but we still have to pay.