Are you buying a secondhand car soon ?

bugeyed

As most of you are aware from the papers and of course from the useful link on HUKD http://www.hotukdeals.com/misc/car-tax-disc-changes-oct-1st-2014-aware-ready-1967654?page=6#post22657323

Car tax discs are being scrapped in favour of a digital system using ANPR to catch non-payers. No more paper discs (what will halfords do with all those naff tax disc holders)

But there is a catch for those buying a vehicle in the next 12 months AFTER 1st Oct 2014

Let's say you buy a secondhand car in November. It comes with a tax disc in the windscreen dated 31st May 2015.

Many people will assume that the car is taxed for them and many sellers may untruthfully describe the car as taxed until then.

The reality of course is that under the new rules, the seller will automatically be refunded the tax from the end of the month of the date of sale to 31st May 2015. The disc itself will not be valid and the seller will not need to retain or return the old disc - the refund will be automated to the registered keepers address. The new owner will need to tax the vehicle themselves from the beginning of the month in which they purchase the vehicle. But how many won't tax it - thinking it is taxed already because they have a tax disc in the window. That disc will not be valid from 1st Oct under the new rules and will not need to be displayed and will certainly not be transferable to the new owner, but I can see many people selling cars as taxed all the same, to try to squeeze a few extra quid out of the sale.

As the old saying goes - Buyer Beware

Be aware of the new rules

Tax discs themselves are meaningless after 1st Oct

TrickyWicky

Technically it also makes the purchase of a car a bit more difficult too because you won't be the legal owner of the road tax when you buy it and thus you can't drive it away on the spot (Ok it'll take the DVLA a few days to process the V5 but even so if you get tugged by the rozzers they've got you for no tax!),

Anyway I see this actually slowing down the second hand car sales market which will have a knock on effect against the sales of new cars (IMO).

Tigerprint

A few thoughts :think:

Perhaps the trader will take the whole V5 to the post office (filled in with the new keepers details) & give the whole doc to the post office when obtaining tax for their customer... maybe

Perhaps for private sales, the onus will now be on the new keeper to obtain tax & give the Post office the whole V5 filled in with their details.

I also imagine there will be some new on-line device that lets you update the V5 with the new keeper details & pay for it at the same time, equally one for the seller (like the yellow slip on line...?)

We'll all have to be a bit clued up but it won't be long before the tax disc is long forgotten... & paper mache tax disc statues will be appearing :rotfl:

motorguy

bugeyed wrote: »

As most of you are aware from the papers and of course from the useful link on HUKD http://www.hotukdeals.com/misc/car-tax-disc-changes-oct-1st-2014-aware-ready-1967654?page=6#post22657323

Car tax discs are being scrapped in favour of a digital system using ANPR to catch non-payers. No more paper discs (what will halfords do with all those naff tax disc holders)

But there is a catch for those buying a vehicle in the next 12 months AFTER 1st Oct 2014

Let's say you buy a secondhand car in November. It comes with a tax disc in the windscreen dated 31st May 2015.

Many people will assume that the car is taxed for them and many sellers may untruthfully describe the car as taxed until then.

The reality of course is that under the new rules, the seller will automatically be refunded the tax from the end of the month of the date of sale to 31st May 2015. The disc itself will not be valid and the seller will not need to retain or return the old disc - the refund will be automated to the registered keepers address. The new owner will need to tax the vehicle themselves from the beginning of the month in which they purchase the vehicle. But how many won't tax it - thinking it is taxed already because they have a tax disc in the window. That disc will not be valid from 1st Oct under the new rules and will not need to be displayed and will certainly not be transferable to the new owner, but I can see many people selling cars as taxed all the same, to try to squeeze a few extra quid out of the sale.

As the old saying goes - Buyer Beware

Be aware of the new rules

Tax discs themselves are meaningless after 1st Oct

Yes I am sure there will be some unscrupulous types who will try to catch people out with this. I guess its up to the buyer under their "due diligence" when buying the car to make sure their up to speed on the new tax regime.

I personally dont like the "keep the tax disc up if you want" approach - to me they should be banned from 1st October, therefore removing this risk.

Weird_Nev

There is no 'tax disc' for Rego in Australia, and it works absolutely fine. You just get a letter in the post demanding money shortly after you buy the car and the registration changes to your name. The Rego either lapses after the paid period expires or else at time of purchase. They also hit you for stamp duty.

This will be sorted within the year, though no doubt a few who choose to not research it in the meantime will get stung for fines.

viv0147

I am buying a second hand car and I will be taxing it from the 1st of September for 6 months so I will have to display a tax disc! On the 1st of October when the new tax rules start does that mean I will no longer have to display my tax disc. Thanks

colino

From the 1st of October you can throw away the disc, keep it on or put it away as an heirloom, it will no longer have a purpose as far as the government is concerned.

Joe_Horner

colino wrote: »

From the 1st of October you can throw away the disc, keep it on or put it away as an heirloom, it will no longer have a purpose as far as the government is concerned.

Although displaying it will become an MOT fail depending on its position.

There's currently an exemption for windscreen obstructions caused by "official" stickers such as parking permits and tax disks. Once the tax disk is no longer an official sticker, if it encroaches on the swept area of the wipers by more than 40mm (most do) then it's not allowed to be there

SailorSam

I got a shiney brand new Mot on Tuesday and the road tax is due at the end of this month, so no changing cars in the near future.

hgotsparkle

When I purchased my car in May, it was easy, I swapped over the insurance there and then and drove it away.
I always get 2nd hand because I can't afford brand new and I refuse to get into debt over a car, but this is just going to make it a whole lot harder and more planning when I want a new one, as I have no one to take me to work should I be left without a car for a day or so! I see the reasons behind it, but there are some situations that its just really not practical. Maybe a month long temporary tax disc that you can buy from a post office is an option the government should consider?

colino

One of the reasons the government are making the change is the paper waste of literally tonnes of high value, printed paper being passed around the country and stored in POs. The tax disc will be abolished, it will be no more it will cease to be.