SORN dates help

Han_naH

Hello, I bought a vehicle on 4th Sep. I understand the tax for Sep is valid for the previous owner. I need to tax it from Oct 1st, but I intend to travel for a while in late October. So I could SORN the vehicle from late October, but what about early Oct? Is there a road tax liability? Can I pay pro rata? Should I tax and then SORN if the tax is refunded? I was thinking of just waiting during Oct but I may receive a road tax demand or a demand for the short period it was on the road.

Car_54

You are responsible for taxing it from 4th September, so there is already a tax liability. The previous owner's VED ended when he sold the car.

You need to tax it (or SORN it and get it off the road) ASAP.

Tax works on complete calendar months only, so there is no advantage in SORNing it for part of a month.

BTW it also needed to be insured from 4th Sept.

Han_naH

OK it looks like I can get a road tax refund if I SORN.

As the refund is for only complete calendar months, I should apply well before the end of Oct I guess.

Perhaps let the road tax purchase go through first...

And while we're on the subject, my MOT finishes at the end of the year and I assume I don't need a new MOT if the vehicle is SORN. I presume when I apply for an MOT they won't back date it to the expiry of the previous MOT?

AdrianC

No, MOTs are completely separate from being taxed or SORNed (apart from you need to prove there is a current MOT to buy tax).

And the MOT always starts from the date of the test - with the one exception that it can be forward-dated up to a month if there's some of the old test left.

But what are you actually trying to do with the tax?
You've just bought it, bought tax, and - presumably - are driving it around at the moment? So you need to tax it THIS month to cover September. Will it be in use in October? Then it needs to be taxed FOR October.

You say you're travelling in late October - for how long? Will it be off the road, on private land while you're away? If it'll be on the road in November, then it needs taxing for November, too. No point in SORNing.

Han_naH

Great thanks. It will be on private land. I'm travelling for a while.

jimjames

leejp wrote: »

Perhaps let the road tax purchase go through first...

If you bought the car on 4th Sept which is more than 2 weeks ago, surely the road tax has already gone through?

Iceweasel

jimjames wrote: »

If you bought the car on 4th Sept which is more than 2 weeks ago, surely the road tax has already gone through?

My reading of post #1 leads me to suspect that he has not taxed it - yet.

He said: I understand the tax for Sep is valid for the previous owner. I need to tax it from Oct 1st

Han_naH

Yes I hadn't taxed it because the V5C reg doc only arrived yesterday - 21st September. I was waiting for that to ensure the tax is in my name and I can use the long number on the front.

Iceweasel

That's not how it works, Lee.

You should have been given the new-keepers part of the vehicle document - that's the V5C/2.

You can and should have then immediately taxed it using the slightly different number on that part.

There was no need to wait for the new V5c to arrive in the post.

I hope you insured it immediately.

You have been liable for the tax since the moment you bought it - and you've been using it untaxed for 17 days or so - hopefully you won't be fined - but it's possible.

Be very careful - you really need to read and understand the rules that have been in place for nearly two years now - since tax discs became obsolete.

Han_naH

Noted! They should write this on the green slip!

Bigphil1474

lee - in relation to SORN. If you are sorning it when you go on your travels in October, they will refund your road tax for the remaining full months after the end of October - so it won't matter when you SORN it in October, you'll still pay for that month - as long as you do it before the end of the month (don't do it on the first of Nov, otherwise you'll probably pay for Nov as well). How much they refund depends if you've paid for 6/12 months or monthly DD.
If it's been on the road since you bought it, then you'd need to tax it from the 1st Sep anyway, but if you apply as from now, they'll charge you for September anyway.
If you wait until the 1st October then you'll only be paying from the 1st October, but then you'd need to SORN it until the 1st Oct, then tax it, then Resorn, which is a lot of hassle, but might save you a few quid.
Your best bet is probably to make sure it's taxed and insured straight away to reduce the risk of any possible come back on having an untaxed and uninsured car for the last 2 and a half weeks. If you've been using it and been caught on camera, there might already be a fine waiting to come your way.