Taxing a car

aeuerby

Maybe my hubby and I are missing something here but I can't believe what's just happend.

We have just been to try and tax our (new to us) car. It's been SORN since February but the intent was to tax it from Sunday 1st May and declare our current car SORN from 1st May.

So the V10 form is downloaded and filled in together with the date we wish the tax to run from. We take that together with all necessary documents to the post office and yes you've guessed it

"Sorry sir we can't tax this car until Friday as it's currently SORN and because your insurance doesn't start till Sunday and it's Bank holiday we can't do it till Tuesday at the earliest" :mad:

What in the world are we missing? What is the logic behind:

A: Not being able to tax until 2 days before the 1st of the month and

B: Even though the insurance starts at Midnight on the 1st of May we can't tax it because it's not current? Do they not want our money?

If someone can explain the logic behind both rulings I would be eternally grateful

Anyway, as a result I now have to tell my children that we are housebound for the bank holiday.:eek: What fun!!

shrek101

I had the same problem last year and they wont budge. Even though car wasnt sorn it was off road just for a few days without insurance but garaged on private road, I wouldnt use a car illegally. They told me I am breaking the law not having insurance even though I told them I was getting insurance the following week, but they would not let me have car tax. I said to them if I was wanting to break the law, do you think I would come in here and pay £60 for 6 months road tax?

mrcow

Well, this sounds nuts, but I've just taken this off the DVLA website:

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/howdoi_licence.htm

When can I apply for a licence?

You can submit your application from the 15th day of the month in which the existing vehicle licence is due to expire. The licence will come into force on the first day of the following month and should not be displayed on your vehicle until then.
If there has been a break in licensing, or if you have bought a vehicle without a licence, you cannot submit your application more than 2 days before the new licence is due to start.


So it sounds that what you've been told is correct (if SORN is a "break in licensing"?), but I've no idea why??

aeuerby

Thanks Mrcow, Hubby spent ages on the DVLA website but couldn't find that page.

I still don't understand why if it's already licensed you can tax it 2 weeks before but if it isn't it has to be 2 days. The mind boggles!!

aeuerby

So hubby emailed the DVLA to now find out why if the insurance comes into force on the same day as the 1st of the month he can't tax the car till after this date (I hope that makes sense!)

This is the reply he got I wonder if anyone can make sense of it?!?!

I should point out that under Section 156 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, says
that a certificate of insurance must be in force at the time a vehicle is licensed. In practice, this is either the day the licence is issued or the first day of the month in which the licence comes into force, which ever is the later.

Therefore, since the Post Office is closed on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, it will not be possible for them to relicense your vehicle until your insurance certificate becomes valid.

Make of it what you will cos we're confused

calleyw

I had problems in the past as needed to tax my car at the end of june. But my insurance ran out on the 28th of june.

I had been sent away with the old insurance docs and had to come back with the new insurance docs. Before they would issue me with the tax.

I assume that is for the reasons you have stated below. That you can't tax the car without the insurance being current. In other words if the insurance has not started no tax.

Mind you don't get me started on car tax. Hubby had to have a new car due to accident so needed to tax the car two weeks before the end of month. He got you do know that you have to pay for the full month. Well yes :mad: you stupid bint. He had no choice no car. no car meant that he could not get to work. Do they think that everyone is a moron.

Yours

Calley

Bogof_Babe

Could you explain the situation to your insurance company, and ask them for a cover note for the few days from now until 1st May? It should only cost a nominal amount to cover their admin costs, and would mean you could try again on Friday for the tax disc.

I am sure there is a national conspiracy against motorists. We're having all sorts of trouble trying to get a replacement number plate - they need so much documentation, it's almost down to marriage licence and GCE certificates. Grrrr...:mad:

Xbigman

Surely you get 15 days grace to tax a car (so you can in fact tax a car up to 15 days before or *after*). So you can use your car on the bank holiday untaxed as long as you tax it back to the 1st. Take you insurance docs and sorn with you in case you are pulled by mr plod.

I'd drive it.
Regards



X

Bossyboots

Xbigman wrote:

Surely you get 15 days grace to tax a car (so you can in fact tax a car up to 15 days before or *after*). So you can use your car on the bank holiday untaxed as long as you tax it back to the 1st. Take you insurance docs and sorn with you in case you are pulled by mr plod.

I'd drive it.
Regards



X

Sorry, but that is a total misconception. There is no period of grace at all. A car has to have a valid tax disc displayed at all times it is on a public road. If the OP is caught without tax, they will be penalised.

The only option is for the OP to take up the suggestion of acquiring a cover note for the few days in question.

Becles

If you were feeling naughty, you could cancel your insurance before it started on May 1st, and drive uninsured but with a current tax disc. Maybe that is why they need the insurance to have started before you can buy the tax?

I've had a similar problem on a previous car, when the MOT ran out on the last day of the month, and I needed car tax starting the following day. They wouldn't let me buy the tax early on the old MOT certificate as it has to be valid at the time the tax starts from.

shrek101

I personnel think road fund tax whould be scrapped on road fund should be based on usage say 1p extra per litre, then those who pollute, cough us the roads more, pay more.