Driving Without Tax

EDGE · August 03, 2006, 07:53:43 AM

What's the official deal....

not what we've heard or what our mates say.. the actual deal.. on buying a car without tax and driving it home..

EDGE

Kenny · August 03, 2006, 08:09:42 AM

Well, until your name is registered with the DVLA as owning the car (usually a few days after sending the forms off), being untaxed is the responsibility of the previous owner - not the current driver.

But thats all i could find on the DVLA's site - might not be true for purchased vehicles. I've never had a problem though, even when buying a car from a main dealership...

Jamieg285 · August 03, 2006, 08:12:13 AM

I'll ask Debs, she's bound to know.

ianjpage · August 03, 2006, 08:30:04 AM

From what i know its illegal to drive it anywhere without tax, unless you are going to a PRE arranged MOT station to get MOT to enable you to get tax (and obviously home again)......

EDGE · August 03, 2006, 08:30:24 AM

ahhhh yeah, Deb's might.. ta dude

EDGE

Jamieg285 · August 03, 2006, 08:32:20 AM

Quoting: ianjpage

From what i know its illegal to drive it anywhere without tax, unless you are going to a PRE arranged MOT station to get MOT to enable you to get tax (and obviously home again)......

That would be my understanding, but again, that's just hearsay, not concrete fact.

Incursus · August 03, 2006, 08:34:37 AM

Quoting: Jamieg285

Quoting: ianjpage
From what i know its illegal to drive it anywhere without tax, unless you are going to a PRE arranged MOT station to get MOT to enable you to get tax (and obviously home again)......

That would be my understanding, but again, that's just hearsay, not concrete fact.

Same, I read it on DVLA's website when I was looking to SORN the Duster.

Incursus · August 03, 2006, 08:35:55 AM

Quoting: Kenny

I've never had a problem though, even when buying a car from a main dealership...

Ditto. Even drove it around for a week while waiting for the insurance cover note to arrive.

F Body · August 03, 2006, 08:39:50 AM

Quoting: Incursus

Even drove it around for a week while waiting for the insurance cover note to arrive.

Be careful these new cameras that they have read your number plate and within 4 seconds know if the car is taxed, MOT's & insured

Don't think Beds/Bucks Police are standard fitting to their cars them yet like some other forces, but didn't seem to bother that BMW driver yesterday.

Oh and the penalty is up to £4,000 fine and they crush your car

Incursus · August 03, 2006, 08:46:38 AM

Quoting: F Body

Quoting: Incursus
Even drove it around for a week while waiting for the insurance cover note to arrive.

Be careful these new cameras that they have read your number plate and within 4 seconds know if the car is taxed, MOT's & insured

was a good 4 years ago....

EDGE · August 03, 2006, 12:34:58 PM

i think ill phone the DVLA tomorrow and get the official line

cheers for the tips though guys..

EDGE

Pod · August 03, 2006, 04:01:48 PM

Quoting: F Body

Be careful these new cameras that they have read your number plate

Well, if you're going to drive around without tax, you might as well change or remove the number plates...

Lusty Lass · August 03, 2006, 04:34:11 PM

Thought I ought to post on this one. (Jamie is right - I do know the legal position for driving without a tax disc! - He had to be right once you know...

)

Anyway, to business,

If you drive a motor vehicle on a road, without tax, a driving licence, insurance (or MOT if relevant to the vehicle) then you would be committing a criminal offence. It is not the case that you are exempt if you are driving to an MOT station. The only exemption I think there is is if you failed your MOT and are driving it back for a pre arranged MOT. (I would need to check on this last point so don't drive to MOT on my say so).

If the Registered Keeper has not changed his details with the DVLA and has allowed you to drive away with an untaxed motor vehicle then it could be argued that he also has committed an offence. Certainly, if an RK allows another to drive a motor vehicle (which has not been sold on) then he would definitely have committed an offence. This is the case if an RK allows someone to drive their vehicle without adequate insurance or a driving licence. This is something you have to watch when people want to test drive your car!!

The Police do not arrest for driving without tax. You would normally receive a fine/summons in the post. FBody is absolutely correct - there are numerous digital cameras all over the place (not necessarily the speed cameras that you are looking for) and they will take down all the details of the vehicle and will know in seconds if you do not have the appropriate documentation. This will then get relayed to the appropriate authority and hey presto! you have a criminal conviction and a fine. (Without looking up the Road Traffic Act I can't remember if you can also get penalty points or not).

In other words Edge, I would either get a tax disc before driving away the car or borrow a trailer and put the car on it! Don't forget you have to make sure a motor vehicle is properly off the road if you have declared it so!

Hope this helps

Lusty Lass · August 03, 2006, 04:36:35 PM

Quoting: Pod

Well, if you're going to drive around without tax, you might as well change or remove the number plates...

er, criminal offence (and a more serious one than no tax) - I hear HMP Bedford calling.....

Lusty Lass · August 03, 2006, 04:41:41 PM

Quoting: Incursus

Even drove it around for a week while waiting for the insurance cover note to arrive.

It is not a problem, as such, to drive a motor vehicle whilst waiting for the insurance cover note although you should know that if a police constable gives you a HORT1 (a producer) it is a criminal offence to fail to produce your documents. (You are only given 7 days to produce, which is why some people call them a 7 day wonder!)

Not only that, should you be required to produce an insurance document and say there was a problem with a direct debit, which means that the insurer is not willing to cover you over the necessary period, then you would be stuffed! The only way you can guarentee that you are legal is to have all documents in your hand.

I accept that some people may not have faced problems, but like many of my clients, there is a difference between those who have committed offences, those who have not and those who have just not got caught!!

VIPER · August 03, 2006, 05:47:19 PM

When i bought the viper i called the DVLA and asked that question and the answer i got was no untaxed car should be driven on the road unless going to an MOT centre....
I then said it had only just landed in the UK and i need to get it home and SVA'd befor i can tax it..She said i would have to get it transported home..
So i called the POLICE to get there story and guess what???? They said as it was not UK regestered i could drive it home WAHOOOOOOO....

55starchief · August 03, 2006, 05:56:04 PM

Quoting: VIPER

So i called the POLICE to get there story and guess what???? They said as it was not UK regestered i could drive it home WAHOOOOOOO....

Got to love it almost as good as when i called up about the new computer MOT that was suposed to stop dodgy mot's and ringer cars only to be told that you can get around the system by entering the information 3 times at which point the computer creates a new car making any dodgy ringer legal

EDGE · August 03, 2006, 06:41:18 PM

hmmmm, just had a message from the car seller, lookslike its taxed until December... very strange as yesterday he said the tax had expired, he says he got confused with the insuranse expiring etc.. either way, im not buying it on sunday, just having a look and a data aquisition 10 minutes...

EDGE

ianjpage · August 04, 2006, 03:51:23 AM

Quoting: EDGE

hmmmm, just had a message from the car seller, lookslike its taxed until December... very strange as yesterday he said the tax had expired, he says he got confused with the insuranse expiring etc.. either way, im not buying it on sunday, just having a look and a data aquisition 10 minutes...

EDGE

nice n dodgy!!

EDGE · August 04, 2006, 05:03:32 AM

lol... thats what i thought... but apparently he got confused as to the expiration dates of his insurance and tax.. turns out he's not insured anymore but the car is still taxed.. I'll have a proper look at the tax disc, will the hpi check show up tax ?

EDGE

ianjpage · August 04, 2006, 05:19:49 AM

Quoting: EDGE

lol... thats what i thought... but apparently he got confused as to the expiration dates of his insurance and tax.. turns out he's not insured anymore but the car is still taxed.. I'll have a proper look at the tax disc, will the hpi check show up tax ?

Not AFAIK, its more for Finance and accidents etc not to say if tax, mot etc valid or not.....

so what is the car u seeing then???

EDGE · August 04, 2006, 06:01:33 AM

hehehehehe... i could tell you... but then i'd have to kill you

EDGE

EDGE · August 04, 2006, 06:06:30 AM

it's this...

a 1990 oldsmobil toronado trofeo... with all the options..

EDGE

ianjpage · August 04, 2006, 11:07:16 AM

Quoting: EDGE

a 1990 oldsmobil toronado trofeo... with all the options..

Hmm looks a nice car

EDGE · August 04, 2006, 12:29:25 PM

yeah, on face value it looks good, but then again, so does communism !

EDGE