Road tax - picking up a car at end of month

funkyspider

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I'm buying a car from an independent dealer. The car isn't currently taxed, but they are taxing it. I'm trading in my current car whose tax runs out at the end of May.

I'm collecting the car on Saturday 30th May.
If they tax it from Monday 1st June then effectively it won't be taxed for Sat/Sun (30/31) of May so will it be illegal even though it's got tax starting on Monday 1st June.

Will they be able to back tax it till beginning of May so that it's covered for those 2 days. I know I'll loose a month of tax for the sake of 2 days but that's only 12.50 and surely it's worth it on the off-chance something happens in those 2 days so I'm fully legal and insured.

If I collected the new car on Monday 1st June the new one would be taxed, but the tax on my current car would have expired, so effectively I wouldn't be able to drive that to exchange for the new one !

I could phone DVLA I spose, but having spoken to them before and being told complete ****** I thought I might get better sense from here !
 
If you have the old expired tax disc still on display in the car that is fine as it is an unwritten law that you have a 14 day grace period to tax a car from when the date has run out.

I was in a similar issue and the DVLA told me you have 14 days to get it taxed in which period police and DVLA will not take any action against you.

However if the 14 day period is up and copper catches you then it could spell trouble.

So effectively you have untill the 14th to get your car taxed
 
As I recall, if you pick you your new car on the 30 May, you'll have to pay tax for the whole of May. You have a couple of choices, collect your car on the 1st June (and obviously get it taxed from then) or chance it, however I suspect the dealer won't release the car unless you pay the car tax.

The fact you're trading in a car is irrelevant. However if you needed to claim the tax back for June, you would have it get it back asap

The 14 day grace period (although unwritten - so DVLA and the police can choose to ignore it if you upset them), only applies if you forget to tax your car when it's current tax disc expires.

In your position, I'd just take your car along with the expired tax disc, and pick up your new car on 1st June. The chances of you getting nicked are slim, but it is technically illegal.
 
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Cheers guys.

There is no tax on it at the moment so the 14 days doesnt apply. I test drove it on trade plates. I suppose I could ask them to lend me their trade plates for the weekend lol.

Will be tricky picking it up on Monday 1st June as I'm working. I guess I'll just have to tax from May and loose £12.50 for a month of tax. Worth it for piece of mind - I've wasted £12.50 in worse ways before today :D

It must be so easy for the thousands of ppl who don't bother about insurance and tax these days !
 
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Cheers guys.
It must be so easy for the thousands of ppl who don't bother about insurance and tax these days !

There's a world of difference between a couple of days grace with tax and driving without insurance.
 
There's a world of difference between a couple of days grace with tax and driving without insurance.

Well technically - no tax, no insurance. So not that much of a world of difference.

I just meant there as so many people these days that just don't care about either. You see them all the time on TV police camera ******** shows - get fined 200quid for having neither - quarter of what it would have cost them for the insurance alone ! How is that a deterrent.
 
How is that a deterrent.

Vehicles are now confiscated if caught with no tax or insurance

The driver either has to pay for the cost for recovery + daily storage or can opt to have the vehicle crushed and pay for the privlege
 
I am pretty sure and from previous experiance, that if you purchased a six month tax disk today from a post office today, it would expire 12/09 and 12 month 06/10.
There is also a form to complete explaining that you are the new keeper.
I suprised that the garage hasn't sorted this for you.
 
Oh the garage are sorting it, they just asked me if I wanted to back tax it to may or start it from June
 
I am pretty sure and from previous experiance, that if you purchased a six month tax disk today from a post office today, it would expire 12/09 and 12 month 06/10.
.

I've just purchased a 12 month tax disc today and the expiry date is 31/05/2010
 
Don't forget that if you have a current tax disc on your car, if you post it back to the DVLA before 1st June (a postmark of 30th May will be fine), then you willl get a refund on your old tax from June onwards, less an admin fee.
 
Similar issue for me.

I asked at the post office, and was told that I could tax a car tomorrow (Friday 29th May) from the beginning of next month, June, without losing anything or having to pay anything for the last few days of May.
 
Just to confirm, I've just come back from the Post Office and taxed mine for 12 months beginning 1st June.

I did however have to point the ever so helpful :rolleyes: counter assistant in the right direction, as she was unaware of it... until she lloked at the poster on the wall next to her :rolleyes:
 

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