Can you sorn a taxed car?

billymadbiker

Hi,
I know the law now applies so cars must be insured at all times unless 'sorned'. Or you get an automatic penalty when your insurance runs out.

However, can I sorn a car with a current tax disk or must I surrender and then re-buy a tax disk?

My situation is:
I am collecting another car on the 3rd of April. My insurance company will switch my policy from my current car on that day. So my current car will now have no insurance. It will have 5mths of tax left on it though.

As I will be selling my current car I want to keep the tax disk on it. I can then arrange for a 1 day insurance cover for anybody that wants to test drive it. Plus it will also then be taxed if they purchase it and they can drive it away with both tax and insurance.

However, when sorning you have to send the tax disk back?
I can understand if you don't want to drive the car on the roads then sorn is fair enough as you just let the tax disk expire or get a refund but as I need to sorn due to having no insurance I either loose £70 as I won't get a refund for the 'part month' of the remaining tax disk or I have to pay my insurance company to cover 2 cars at the same time

da_rule

The SORN form V890 (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266113/V890.pdf) states in the guidance notes that it cannot be used to SORN a taxed vehicle. To SORN a taxed vehicle the form V14 needs to be submitted. This is the form which claims a refund on tax and will therefore invalidate the tax. So, you cannot declare the vehicle SORN without surrendering the tax disc.

specialboy

If you are selling fairly quickly you can SORN online and keep the disc for a week or so in the hope of a quick sale, remember to re-SORN the car after the 1 day insurance runs out.

rs65

billymadbiker wrote: »

I am collecting another car on the 3rd of April. My insurance company will switch my policy from my current car on that day. So my current car will now have no insurance. It will have 5mths of tax left on it though.

Will your insurer cover both cars for a short overlap period?

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

As the last poster says, your insurer may be able to do you a deal but the SORN system is like it is because people were claiming stories just like your own, so this system makes it crystal clear that a car is either in use fully taxed and insured or out of use. Your own insurer may be more helpful because it is not an uncommon problem and as they have your insurance, they know your situation. Also, local broker will have access to insurers who specialised in these oddities.

You should also consider whether you can afford to have the old car stolen off the drive or vandalised so you cannot sell it.

billymadbiker

My insurer will only offer 'lay-up' cover.
Covers the car for fire, theft, damage etc but not the cover needed to actually drive it on a road.
1mth cover is £49.99.
It's the 'loss' of the part month tax disk that's most anoying as I may well sell the car quickly anyway.

TrickyWicky

specialboy wrote: »

If you are selling fairly quickly you can SORN online and keep the disc for a week or so in the hope of a quick sale, remember to re-SORN the car after the 1 day insurance runs out.

I'm just thinking about this..

The new owner has to declare SORN when buying right? So if the tax disc is still in the car and valid, can the DVLA do diddly squat?

I'm not suggesting the op tries this, I'm merely wondering if it's doable.

Rolandtheroadie

I have in the past sorned a car but retained the disc. (I had transferred the insurance to my replacement car and the purchaser wasn't uplifting it for a wee while)

About a week (perhaps 2) later, I called up DVLA and asked them to reinstate the disc/remove sorn.

Couple of weeks later I got a letter confirming it had been done.

TrickyWicky

scotsman4th wrote: »

I have in the past sorned a car but retained the disc. (I had transferred the insurance to my replacement car and the purchaser wasn't uplifting it for a wee while)

About a week (perhaps 2) later, I called up DVLA and asked them to reinstate the disc/remove sorn.

Couple of weeks later I got a letter confirming it had been done.

That probably explains why they're scrapping the disk then - to stop other people doing the same thing :mad: