Car Tax confusion! When can I drive ?

Hermione_Granger

AdrianC wrote: »

Everybody who becomes the registered keeper of any used vehicle needs to tax it before they can use it legally. That simple, no exceptions.

No exceptions except for the exception that is a dealer driving a vehicle that is only in their possession temporally and they are driving on trade plates.

AdrianC

The dealer doesn't become registered keeper.

Hermione_Granger

AdrianC wrote: »

The dealer doesn't become registered keeper.

Many dealer do register vehicles so yes, they can be registered keepers.


If a car is a demonstrator, it will in all likelihood be registered to that dealer and when taking the vehicle out for a test drive, it can be sorned provided valid trade plates are in place.

prowla

I thought the DVLA checked insurance online?

AdrianC

Hermione_Granger wrote: »

Many dealer do register vehicles so yes, they can be registered keepers.

If a car is a demonstrator, it will in all likelihood be registered to that dealer and when taking the vehicle out for a test drive, it can be sorned provided valid trade plates are in place.

I think you might have missed the word "used"...

The cars registered in dealers' names as demos are brand new ones. Used ones are simply flagged to DVLA as being in trade, which triggers the refund of tax to the old keeper. They aren't SORNed - they're in trade.

And when a new car is registered, it's taxed immediately. New cars on the road wearing trade plates tend to be unregistered, usually on PDI.

AdrianC

prowla wrote: »

I thought the DVLA checked insurance online?

Not when you buy tax. They used to, but stopped that back in 2013.

But, since continuous insurance came in in 2011, it's been checked all the time tax is in place.