Must be that time of the month. That’s exactly what it is thanks to the ridiculous system we have now.

Arranged to view a car tonight. Just realised it’s the 31st and if I buy it and tax it tonight to drive it home, I’ll have paid for an entire month’s tax for something like 6 hours. The car’s advertised on eBay, has a bid, and ends tomorrow afternoon, so I can’t put it off unless I take time off work tomorrow morning.

To further complicate matters, if I buy it, I need to sell my old car. If I SORNed that online today, would I avoid paying next month’s tax? I realise if I do that I can’t drive it, and technically no-one can’t test drive it.

I should have added that the car is an hour’s journey away, so I’m trying to avoid going once to view and leave a deposit and again to collect, though it’s probably the lesser of two evils…

Though thinking about it more rationally, the train ticket is about a tenner and the tax is £190pa, so about £16 a month. Probably going to cost me six quid to save two hours extra travelling. Definitely worth it financially, I just find it intensely irritating 👿

Is it not taxed already?

Is it not taxed already?

No car is taxed once it is sold.
Not transfereablr.

£16 a month.

Suck it up, where cars are concerned, it’s a tiny expense.

Going to cost more than that to replace a single wiper blade 😉

No car is taxed once it is sold.
Not transfereablr.

Correct but at 6pm at night then then V5 won’t be processed.

The car’s advertised on eBay, has a bid, and ends tomorrow afternoon, so I can’t put it off unless I take time off work tomorrow morning.

Ah wait.

You’re not able to collect the car until tomrrow which is the first, you can’t tax it tonight anyway, 😕

Oops you’re not buying it through ebay.

Correct but at 6pm at night then then V5 won’t be processed.

Driving an untaxed car at night is still illegal.

Driving an untaxed car at night is still illegal.

Correct but it’s taxed if it hasn’t been cancelled.

If he was buying it from someone with any sense, everything would get cancelled before he was allowed to drive it away(tax/insurance) otherwise they are liable for the vehicle after he has left.

But anyway, even if they don’t cancel it, it’s still untaxed, if he was unlucky enough to get stopped (and have docs checked) he is untaxed regardless, as tax doesn’t transfer with ownership. So it’s untaxed if he owns the car.

Correct but it’s taxed if it hasn’t been cancelled.

Tax is effectively cancelled once the ownership changes.

Tax is effectively cancelled once the ownership changes.

Correct but not if the V5 hasn’t been filled in.

I’d just pick the car up tomorrow to save all the hassle but that’s just me.

I’d just pick the car up tomorrow to save all the hassle but that’s just me.

no chance I would sell you a car and let you drive away without filling out the V5.

Nobody with any sense would either.

Correct too, you’re on a roll, but it’s easy enough to post date.

I’ve simplified the whole situation by not buying the car. I didn’t think was worth the bid that had already been placed on eBay so walked away.

I have actually agreed with a seller before that he owned the car, hence it was still taxed and insured (3rd party via my insurance), until I got home, though it was a friend of a friend so there was more trust. I probably wouldn’t risk it with a stranger.

Having said that, you’re not automatically liable for anything that happens to a car still registered in your name (which doesn’t confer ownership), or even one you still own. If you’re partner gets a speeding ticket in your car, you don’t (or shouldn’t) get the points. It could get very messy though.

Anyway, I’ve avoided the whole situation for now. Instead I’m dealing with taking a bike on a British train. Two of my pet hates in one day 😀

Having said that, you’re not automatically liable for anything that happens to a car still registered in your name (which doesn’t confer ownership), or even one you still own. If you’re partner gets a speeding ticket in your car, you don’t (or shouldn’t) get the points. It could get very messy though.

No. But in your example, your sellers insurance must have still been in place, otherwise you would not have been covered third party on your policy.

That leaves them open to a whole heap of liability if the worst happens.
It’s happened before when people have not done the peperwork that’s legally required when selling used cars/motorbikes.

Correct too, you’re on a roll, but it’s easy enough to post date.

It’s really not.

You leave with the new keepers section of the V5.

That makes the car yours. And it needs to be yours otherwise
Your insurance won’t be valid (Unless you want to insure it with the sellers name as the owner on the policy, and they pay to have it changed the next day)

And if the car is yours, then it’s not taxed.

You leave with the new keepers section of the V5.

That makes the car yours

Not necessarily.

Not necessarily

I’m aware of the difference between owner and registered keeper.

But regardless, the New Keepers section of the V5 would mean you can insure the car (with yourself as the registered keeper), and this would invalidate the previous keepers tax.
So unless you tax it yourself before driving it, you would be untaxed.

This probably comes under the “I’m dealing with civil servants and a computer system what could possibly go wrong” heading. Neither two are renowned for flexibility if there’s money to be removed from the punter.