Buying a used car without tax - specific question

Lessmon

Hi all,
I am looking into the market for a car and I found one that we like from an advert, however when I checked online, it hasn't been paid tax for more than 6 months.
If we like the car after the viewing, the plan is to buyit,  tax it there on the spot (online), insure it for the day and drive away. 

• If an ANPR along the drive home(I was reading it takes time for the software to update) detects no tax and sends a signal to the police to issue a fixed penalty, am I covered as I have paid the tax but their software hasn't updated? As a proof I will show the tax payment receipt later?

KimJongUn88

Yes you will be covered.

AdrianC

All cars are untaxed when you buy them.

No, you won't be stopped. And in the unlikely event you get an FPN, there's no issue, because you were taxed.

The only issue there is just buying day insurance. You know it has to be insured at ALL times it's taxed?

So why not just insure it properly before collecting it? Get quotes before viewing, and - if it's good - just phone and take the quote up there and then.

jimjames

AdrianC said:

The only issue there is just buying day insurance. You know it has to be insured at ALL times it's taxed?
.

That's a very good point. You may think that you can drive it home, store it on the drive and not need to worry about insurance but if you do that you will also need to SORN it so you've paid tax for the month to just drive it home that day. Not an issue if it's a cheap tax bracket or end of the month but it's money you'll be wasting if you insure it again later. 
Although if you then take out insurance immediately you get it home the SORN won't be needed.

Lessmon

Thanks for the comments guys. I have another car and wanted to transfer the insurance over. But my plan is to tax the new car there on the spot, insure it for the day - just to bring it home, scrap my old vehicle(too old), transfer the insurance over from old car to the new car and start driving it then. Is this not working?

jimjames

Lessmon said:

Thanks for the comments guys. I have another car and wanted to transfer the insurance over. But my plan is to tax the new car there on the spot, insure it for the day - just to bring it home, scrap my old vehicle(too old), transfer the insurance over from old car to the new car and start driving it then. Is this not working?

As long as there is no gap in the insurance on the new car. It's something called Continuous insurance enforcement. In reality you may be ok if it's off the road and not insured for a day or two but I wouldn't recommend it just in case it's flagged up.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-enforcement-policy/vehicle-enforcement-policy

born_again

Lessmon said:

Thanks for the comments guys. I have another car and wanted to transfer the insurance over. But my plan is to tax the new car there on the spot, insure it for the day - just to bring it home, scrap my old vehicle(too old), transfer the insurance over from old car to the new car and start driving it then. Is this not working?

Why not ask your current insurer if they can do something.

Or as you are scrapping the other car, which we guess will not be driven when you get the new one. Simply get the insurance changed over that day before you pick the new car up & sorn your old car.

Carrot007

born_again said:

Lessmon said:

Thanks for the comments guys. I have another car and wanted to transfer the insurance over. But my plan is to tax the new car there on the spot, insure it for the day - just to bring it home, scrap my old vehicle(too old), transfer the insurance over from old car to the new car and start driving it then. Is this not working?

Why not ask your current insurer if they can do something.

Or as you are scrapping the other car, which we guess will not be driven when you get the new one. Simply get the insurance changed over that day before you pick the new car up & sorn your old car.

This!

When I last swapped cars my insurance gave me a months grace to get rid of the old one. Did the job fine. (it was old, it was going to mostly sit on the drive, not much to them).

neilmcl

If it has not tax currently, how are you planning on test driving it?

Ectophile

Lessmon said:

Thanks for the comments guys. I have another car and wanted to transfer the insurance over. But my plan is to tax the new car there on the spot, insure it for the day - just to bring it home, scrap my old vehicle(too old), transfer the insurance over from old car to the new car and start driving it then. Is this not working?

Last time I bought a car, my insurer insured both my old and new cars for one day, at no extra cost.

ukmike

If it has not tax currently, how are you planning on test driving it?

On trade plates.