Buying a car with no tax - rules on driving it home

Launch FanLaunch Fan Posts: 5,002
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So I'm going to see a car later that I might have to buy there and then.

It has no tax as the previous/current owner let it run out.

I asked if he'd tax it and be compensated, but he can't that done (chicken/egg on selling it).

Will I be able to drive it home (10 miles) and no get pulled over and fined if sods law has me pass a copper?

Also, how soon can I tax it? Will I have to wait until the new registration document gets posted to me after filling out his document on sale?

Also, there's the insurance situation. How do I insure something I've not yet bought and don't know for sure if I'll buy it? I'd have every intention to insure it online the moment I get it home.

Advice would be great!
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Comments

  • Ethel_FredEthel_Fred Posts: 34,127
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    You can't. It would have to go on a trailer to transport home and kept off road (and declared SORN'd) until you got the tax.

    Your insurance isn't valid either
  • doughnut8doughnut8 Posts: 2,779
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    Just drive it home very fast and you should be okay. ;)
  • chrisbartleychrisbartley Posts: 1,790
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    Will I have to wait until the new registration document gets posted to me after filling out his document on sale?
    No you can tax it with the small slip of the form part 10 new keeper supplement ( plus mot, insurance etc natch !)
  • DaisyBumblerootDaisyBumbleroot Posts: 24,763
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    you can pay your tax online, so take your laptop with you then you can od your insurance and tax in the driveway and drive off legal
  • Launch FanLaunch Fan Posts: 5,002
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    Thanks for all the responses! :)
  • _radioamerica_radioamerica Posts: 4,921
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    DO NOT drive it home. I had a client the other day who had bought a car and had the garage drop it outside his house. He went out the next morning and had planned to get it SORN but when he got home someone had already reported it and it had been towed away.

    He'd left it to the last minute to come to us but in the end would have had to pay just over £700 to get it back (£120 refundable when you have bought the tax which they won't let you take the car without)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,383
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    you can pay your tax online, so take your laptop with you then you can od your insurance and tax in the driveway and drive off legal

    Not if you are the new keeper! That's what the New Keeper supplement is for, otherwise the new tax disc goes to the current registered keeper - which is NOT you!!

    As others have said, you need to take the New Keeper supplement along with valid MOT and Insurance to either a Post Office or DVLA office and you can get a tax disc. What you can't do is go buy the car and drive it away untaxed - not without committing an offence.
  • rickead2000rickead2000 Posts: 728
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    You can only drive a car with no tax when it also has no MOT, and soley for the purpose of driving to a pre-booked test centre.

    It's also illegal to drive without displaying a tax disc, whether or not it is taxed so just buying the tax online isn't good enough sadly
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 73
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    Launch Fan wrote: »
    So I'm going to see a car later that I might have to buy there and then.

    If you like it, wouldn't it be more sensible to put a deposit on it, rather than try and buy it on the spot? For starters it gives you more time to sort the insurance.

    As has been pointed out so long as you have an Insurance cover note/Certificate, the relevant section of the V5 and the MOT, you can purchase tax the old way at a Post Office as the online route won't work.

    To clear up one myth, driving untaxed does not make you uninsured. Your insurers probably will try to wriggle out of a claim for your own car and expenses but will have to honour any third party costs (which is the important bit!). So in the eyes of the law you definitely do have insurance.

    On a side note, because tax discs purchased online are delivered by Royal Fail, you do get a period of grace and won't get done for "failure to display" to protect you if the disc is late arriving.
  • BerBer Posts: 24,562
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    So why can't the current owner tax it?
  • RaferRafer Posts: 14,231
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    Ber wrote: »
    So why can't the current owner tax it?

    Maybe it's a dealership. You can't expect the owner to fork out for 6 monthes tax for every car.

    It's a shame you can't get a tax exemption permit valid for one week. That would make buying cars far less hassle.
  • BerBer Posts: 24,562
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    Rafer wrote: »
    Maybe it's a dealership. You can't expect the owner to fork out for 6 monthes tax for every car.

    Why not if the buyer is happy to cover the cost?
  • RaferRafer Posts: 14,231
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    There's no guarantee that the car will be sold.
  • LION8TIGERLION8TIGER Posts: 8,484
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    You can only drive a car with no tax when it also has no MOT, and soley for the purpose of driving to a pre-booked test centre.

    It's also illegal to drive without displaying a tax disc, whether or not it is taxed so just buying the tax online isn't good enough sadly

    Very interesting if that is the case, of course though you would have to tax it before you drove away (after MOT).
  • Bedsit BobBedsit Bob Posts: 24,344
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    Launch Fan wrote: »
    I'd have every intention to insure it online the moment I get it home.

    Driving a vehicle, even for a few yards, without insurance is a very serious offence, and for good reason.

    What if you kill or seriously injure somebody?

    Can you afford to pay a couple of million pounds, to the person you paralyse for life?
  • Bedsit BobBedsit Bob Posts: 24,344
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    LION8TIGER wrote: »
    of course though you would have to tax it before you drove away (after MOT).

    Incorrect.

    You may drive an unlicenced vehicle on a road, when going to, and returning from, a pre-arranged compulsory vehicle test.
  • Bedsit BobBedsit Bob Posts: 24,344
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    Ber wrote: »
    So why can't the current owner tax it?

    Maybe the current owner has no insurance.
  • Prince MonaluluPrince Monalulu Posts: 35,900
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    Bedsit Bob wrote: »
    Maybe the current owner has no insurance.

    or is insured on the current car they're driving.

    Dayinsure or similar for temporary insurance, if you do a quote for the insurance before you buy the car, you can just call them up and activate the policy over the phone, they keep all the details.
    Book your MOT avoid roads where you know there are ANPR camera's.
    That's assuming you've got somewhere off street to park it when you get home.

    Anyone know the legality of a Towing a car without insurance or TnT?
  • Launch FanLaunch Fan Posts: 5,002
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    Ber wrote: »
    So why can't the current owner tax it?

    He claimed it's on "disabled tax" - whatever that's about, and thus can't pass it on with the car and can't retax it for non-disabled me.

    Already looking at another car WITH tax ;)
  • BerBer Posts: 24,562
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    Launch Fan wrote: »
    He claimed it's on "disabled tax" - whatever that's about, and thus can't pass it on with the car and can't retax it for non-disabled me.

    Already looking at another car WITH tax ;)

    Was italemon then? :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,383
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    Launch Fan wrote: »
    He claimed it's on "disabled tax" - whatever that's about,

    That means you would have to go to your local DVLA office to tax it the first time! It requires a change of taxation class (back to PLG) which can only be done there, not online or at a Post Office. I had to do the same when I bought my current vehicle, as the previous owner was disabled. The tax is free for them but they still have to display a tax disc - the taxation class shown on it (and the V5C "log book") is not "PLG" but "DISABLED".
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,555
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    Anyone know the legality of a Towing a car without insurance or TnT?

    If any of the car's wheels are on the road then you are comitting an offence. You can take it home on a trailer but not by towing it.
  • ianradioianianradioian Posts: 74,539
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    They have clamped right down on this in recent years. People are always getting caught out now trying to sell a car with no tax--the car is unsellable without a tax disc. It will need trailering away. if it is driven on the highway anywhere( and the cameras are EVERYWHERE) it will be spotted on the automatic no. plate computer system, and a cross reference automatically made, and a FINE issued. This is why it is paramount that if you sell a car you must send the log book off with the details on it. The buyer can apply for a new log book for free if one doesnt arrive in the post for him, but the road tax cannot be bought with the tear off slip v5/c. car is immobilised, legally.
  • Andy CarltonAndy Carlton Posts: 4,016
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    doughnut8 wrote: »
    Just drive it home very fast and you should be okay. ;)

    Thats whay I normally do and have done many times before as it is a catch 22 situation.

    If the buyer can prove they have just brought it, then i doubt they can do anything.

    The chances of being caught just driving it back are very minimal indeed providing you use normal A roads or side streets.
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    Bedsit Bob wrote: »
    Incorrect.

    You may drive an unlicenced vehicle on a road, when going to, and returning from, a pre-arranged compulsory vehicle test.
    Just in case anyone disputes this...
    Driving an untaxed vehicle to an MOT test

    You can drive your vehicle to and from a pre-arranged test at an MOT test station as long as you have adequate insurance cover in place for the use of that vehicle.


    This is also for vehicles being driven to and from a pre-arranged test at a Vehicle Inspection Check (VIC) test station, an approved weight testing station and reduced pollution test.

    http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_069671


    But note how you have to have insurance cover for the vehicle.
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