We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

Taxing a Used Car

RTNI
RTNI Posts: 817 Forumite
Hi,

With the fairly recent changes to car tax here I wanted to check something. We are collecting a new to us used car this week. I have read online that we can't use the online website to tax the vehicle as DVLA don't have access to NI insurance information. This is despite having the car registration and the new keeper slip section of the log book.

The only way to tax this is to visit a post office that offers this service and do it there. Is that correct?

Question then is what happens if we collect the car after work and all the post offices are closed in our area? I will have to tax it the following day. Is there anything else I can do?
Regards, Robin.
2011 MFW # 34
Mortgage starting balance at Sept 09 - £127,224 on 30 year term. Currently balance approx £116,945 (Updated Jan '12)
Estimated MFD - [STRIKE]Sept 2039[/STRIKE]
, April 2031 (in progress!)
«13

Comments

  • tanith
    tanith Posts: 8,091 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    We just sold our car to a relative he taxed and insured it online before coming to pick it up...
    What is NI insurance?
    #6 of the SKI-ers Club :j

    "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" Edmund Burke
  • littleredhen
    littleredhen Posts: 3,292 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    The car dealer did mine online with my card details while I was there
    The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work unless it’s open.:o

    A winner listens, a loser just waits until it is their turn to talk:)
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    If you collect the car after work and cannot tax it then you would be driving an unlicensed vehicle on the public highway and subject to any penalties if spotted .

    You could ask the dealer to tax it for you as a used car dealer would be used to that .
  • RTNI
    RTNI Posts: 817 Forumite
    NI means Northern Ireland.

    See this link: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sm/index/information-and-services/motoring/owning-a-vehicle/vehicle-tax-and-registration-from-21-july-2014/abolition-of-the-vehicle-tax-disc.htm

    It says that DVLA can't check insurance for new keepers so will have to be done at post office?
    Regards, Robin.
    2011 MFW # 34
    Mortgage starting balance at Sept 09 - £127,224 on 30 year term. Currently balance approx £116,945 (Updated Jan '12)
    Estimated MFD - [STRIKE]Sept 2039[/STRIKE]
    , April 2031 (in progress!)
  • tanith
    tanith Posts: 8,091 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    RTNI wrote: »
    NI means Northern Ireland.

    See this link: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sm/index/information-and-services/motoring/owning-a-vehicle/vehicle-tax-and-registration-from-21-july-2014/abolition-of-the-vehicle-tax-disc.htm

    It says that DVLA can't check insurance for new keepers so will have to be done at post office?

    OK well it seems things are different in NI , it seems you will have to do as they say please don't risk driving it without tax. Sorry if thats not much help.
    #6 of the SKI-ers Club :j

    "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" Edmund Burke
  • RTNI
    RTNI Posts: 817 Forumite
    So no matter what time of the day I collect the car I will have to drive it to a post office without tax!

    Unless I am reading this wrong?
    Regards, Robin.
    2011 MFW # 34
    Mortgage starting balance at Sept 09 - £127,224 on 30 year term. Currently balance approx £116,945 (Updated Jan '12)
    Estimated MFD - [STRIKE]Sept 2039[/STRIKE]
    , April 2031 (in progress!)
  • littleredhen
    littleredhen Posts: 3,292 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    DVLA are unable to check the vehicle insurance details for new keepers in Northern Ireland online or by phone. If you’re a Northern Ireland new keeper, you will need to tax at a Post Office® branch that deals with vehicle tax.

    Seems clear to me!
    The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work unless it’s open.:o

    A winner listens, a loser just waits until it is their turn to talk:)
  • D.A.
    D.A. Posts: 1,160 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    So, presumably if I was buying a car on the mainland, I would go to a Post Office over there with my insurance certificate and they would be able to tax it, correct?

    Seems like yet another area where residents of NI get shafted...
  • RikM
    RikM Posts: 811 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    Kind of confused here as to why insurance for "new keeper" is any different to normal. Surely should not make any difference when taxing online. Especially if you use a non-NI specific insurance company (e.g. Direct line). The insurance database the DVLA use should not be any different.
  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,594 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    RTNI wrote: »
    So no matter what time of the day I collect the car I will have to drive it to a post office without tax!

    Unless I am reading this wrong?

    This isnt the "big issue" you might think.

    Drive it to the post office (or as soon as you possibly can) and get it taxed for the correct period.

    Where people fall foul is when they buy a car today, 25th Apr, then drive about until 1st May then tax it from the start of the month, not realising they were picked up on a camera on 26th Apr.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 347.8K Banking & Borrowing
  • 251.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 452.2K Spending & Discounts
  • 240.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 616.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 175.4K Life & Family
  • 253.5K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.