Bought car, DVLA shows it taxed still from previous keeper

SHAFT

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

Well that's what I thought as until they process the V62, they won't know ownership has changed and the previous keeper's tax is still active. Just wondered if DVLA have some way of knowing if a car had been used on the road in the interim or whether they would even bother to look (I assume ANPR logs every car but don't know if it bins data from taxed cars and only stores untaxed ones).

All anpr hits are stored on the back office records.

EdGasketTheSecond

Yes, have rung DVLA; they say I have to wait for new V5C
No, I don't 'just want to hear it so yes'; I am asking for opinions and information to make an informed choice.

Rover_Driver

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

Reference please? Everything I've read says change of ownership.

It is printed across the front of the V5C that the document is not proof of ownership, it only shows who is responsible for registering and taxing the vehicle. The tax status does not change until the DVLA update their system and change the registered keeper. That is when the current tax is cancelled and the new registered keeper is responsible for applying for the tax.
Consider a car purchased on hire purchase - the car owned by the finance company until the final payment is made, then ownership is passed to the original buyer, who had been the registered keeper and responsible for the tax all of that time.

EdGasketTheSecond

This guide refers to tax not passing to the new OWNER (not registered keeper):
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/driving-without-tax-guide/

"So whenever you buy a used car, it will now always be untaxed.". How can that be referring to registered keeper then when DVLA take over a month to change the registered keeper?

Also says the ANPR fine would be £40 if paid within 28 days so might well be worth chancing while it continues to show as taxed.

foxy-stoat

Your first and only mistake was buying the car without the new keepers slip.....since you have bought it, and if it were me, I would check the VED status online twice a day, everyday until it says its untaxed, then stop driving it until the V5C is received.

When you picked it up a month ago without the new keepers slip, how did you think you were going to tax it, or where you just going to park it on the drive and wait for the new V5 to land on your mat?

Did the seller actually have the V5C when you bought it?

foxy-stoat

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

This guide refers to tax not passing to the new OWNER (not registered keeper):
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/driving-without-tax-guide/

"So whenever you buy a used car, it will now always be untaxed.". How can that be referring to registered keeper then when DVLA take over a month to change the registered keeper?

Under normal circumstances you give the New Keepers Slip to the new owner, it has the correct reference number for the new keeper to use to pay the VED. When you are the new owner you become the new keeper when the seller posts the V5 to the DVLA or does it online. If they post the V5 off and it never gets received then after 6 weeks you should be calling the DVLA then complete a V62 form and send that off with the New Keepers Slip and you get a new V5C.

EdGasketTheSecond

Well lets just say I was too trusting of the seller who turns out to be a 'not very nice' person. I had a copy of V5C2 but the doc number is invalid so I can't use it. Nevertheless DVLA have received a V62 from the seller and have written to me twice; once to get the VIN number and another time to say they will deal with it?? Still waiting for them to deal with it and unsure if its safe to use the car or not tax-wise.

Rover_Driver

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

This guide refers to tax not passing to the new OWNER (not registered keeper):
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/legal/driving-without-tax-guide/

"So whenever you buy a used car, it will now always be untaxed.". How can that be referring to registered keeper then when DVLA take over a month to change the registered keeper?

That document is wrong, it is the change of registered keeper, not the change of owner, that cancels the tax.
The delay for the change of registered keeper can be where application for a V5C is not the current registered keeper. The DVLA will attempt to contact the current registered keeper for confirmation of the transfer prior to processing the change, and wait for a reply which can be several weeks.

EdGasketTheSecond

Well this is from the DVLA website:


https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle


"You must tax a vehicle you’ve bought before you drive it, or declare it off the road (a SORN). The tax is not transferred to you when you buy the vehicle."


They aren't referring to when you become a registered keeper are they? They say as soon as you buy it. Problem is I can't do either tax or SORN right now so in practice it does seem to be only the registered keeper but by DVLA's rules they say its the 'Owner' that is supposed to tax it and that tax is cancelled as soon as you buy it NOT when registered keeper is transferred. The theory (owner) and practice (registered keeper) seem to be out of sync due to the time taken by DVLA to change registered keeper.

Rover_Driver

EdGasketTheSecond wrote: »

Well this is from the DVLA website:


https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle


"You must tax a vehicle you’ve bought before you drive it, or declare it off the road (a SORN). The tax is not transferred to you when you buy the vehicle."


They aren't referring to when you become a registered keeper are they? They say as soon as you buy it. Problem is I can't do either tax or SORN right now so in practice it does seem to be only the registered keeper but by DVLA's rules they say its the 'Owner' that is supposed to tax it and that tax is cancelled as soon as you buy it NOT when registered keeper is transferred. The theory (owner) and practice (registered keeper) seem to be out of sync.

That is the .gov website (not the DVLA), it only gives general advice, often, as in this case, not that accurate and should never be relied on without reference to the relevant legislation. Any current tax status will not change until the DVLA process the change of keeper.
As you have found, only the registered keeper or new keeper with a valid V5C/2 can apply for tax, the owner is irrelevant.