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[Herald1360]

Does anyone have a definitive answer to this? I have acquired another car from a friend which is already parked, off road at my address. If my friend declares it sold, online, on 28th Feb and I apply for Tax online on 1st March will my friend's unused tax refund include the March amount and will I be able to tax it as from 1st March not 1st Feb?

In other words can we avoid one or the other of us having to pay for an unusable month's tax?

Declaring SORN just now then transferring it to me on 1st March would preclude my being able to use the car next week- at present it's been lent to me and I'm a named driver on the existing insurance policy.

 

[w3526602]

Hi Herald,

The invisible VED expires the day that DVLA become aware that there is a new keeper.

It used to be that a VED disc, did not expire until the disc was received at "wherever". Nowadays, there is no disc, so presumably it expires when DVLA recieve  electronic notification of the virtual disc being "returned".

What day does February 28th fall on this year? I don't know if DVLC are on-line 24/365 Me? If there was any question about DVLC being closed on the 28th, I'd send it a day early, and not drive until your virtual disc takes over.

ALEXA says 28th February 2021 falls on a Sunday. Go figure.

From my days at the "giant cheese grater", provided VED has been paid for February, and your VED application is received on or before March 1st, but starting on March 1st, the vehicle will not have been used between Expiry and Renewal.

I was gone before virtual tax disc came into play so I don't know if the computer recognises weekends. I would hope that if your mate transfers keeper-ship to you on 28th, electonically, and you declare ownership and apply for VED starting on March 1st. everything should be seamless  ... your mate gets a refund for March, and your tax  starts on March 1st. But I'm guessing there.

Try checking rules for VED surrender, seeing as there no longer a physical disc to be received at DLVC. Can you tell DVLC that you want to cancel your VED at a future date ... eg, specifically 28th. Dunno!

But the second that the DVLC computer knows that the car's insurance has expired, it will void the tax disc, and send your neighbour a refund.

And now my brain is starting to hurt ... it's been a smidgen over 35 years since I took the register, told my boss I wasn't coming back, and went home, made a cup of coffee, and sat down. Next thing I knew, I was still sitting in the chair, same position, but my coffee was stone cold ... several hours had passed but I was FREE!

602

[Rog-from-Bix]

I sold my sons polo a couple of weeks ago gave the new owner green slip off log book and put rest in envelope ready to post. Told son to cancel tax which he did next day, he had to fill in online new owner details it then said to destroy old log book which we did when a confirmation letter came in the post.

 If your friend waited until the evening of 28th to cancel tax and declared you new owner and you taxed it 1st thing on morning of the 1st not sure they could argue too much any offence was caused.

[Herald1360]

Hmmmmm...... perhaps that's a resounding maybe, then.

We'll try....

Declare SORN online on 26th Feb (a couple of days after my last need to drive it until 2nd Mar).
Notify transfer online on  1st Mar. Tax online using new keeper reference number 2nd Mar before I drive off in it later that morning.

We'll see if it works.......

[Genem]

^^^^^ That should work,

... maybe

 

[w3526602]

Hi,

Struggling to remember what I would have done in the early/mid 1980s.

Hmmm! There were two offences ... KEEPING AN UNLICENCED VEHICLE ON THE ROAD (Registered keeper offends. And USING AN UNLICENCED VEHICLE ON THE ROAD (Driver offends ... and maybe the keeper too).

Penalties were back dated to either the expiry of the last tax disc (remember those?). or the last change of keeper, whichever occured latest. Any changes in the rate of VED, during the un-taxed period, were factored into the calculations ... we were very fair ... but not only did we collect the assumed unpaid duty, we added an extra percentage, to remind you not to do it again.

You can no longer claim that your un-taxed car was parked in the vicar's garden, even if the vicar writes a corrobatory letter. Your car must be either taxed or SORNed, one or the other, at all times.

Both driver and keeper can be guilty for the one offence, but I can't remember if we did that - It's been nearly 35 years since I medically retired. (Barbara has been happy to "keep" me, and my 50% occupational pension. I picked a "good one" there. The FULL State pension started when I turned 65). I did not claim any State benefits.

Driving without paying VED will come back and bite you.

602

[Old Hywel]

Hmmmmm...... Declare SORN online on 26th Feb (a couple of days after my last need to drive it until 2nd Mar).
Notify transfer online on  1st Mar. Tax online using new keeper reference number 2nd Mar before I drive off in it later that morning.

You may need to use post office, if taxing so soon after SORN.

[diffwhine]

I don't think there's a problem here. The whole lot can be done on line, but in two stages - one as the seller and one as the new keeper.
You do need the V5C and Green slip though.
Transfer the car at the end of the month - that becomes logged effective immediately. If its done on the 28th, the current owner will be credited for March and any other months due or the RFL. You just then tax or SORN it on the 1st March and there shouldn't be any issue.

[autorover1]

I privately purchased a Motorbike in January  and the owner was not too computer literate so I offered to carry out all the transactions online including declaring the change of keeper for  him.  It all took about  5 mins , but you need the refence number off the V5C to declare the change of keeper and then the number off the green slip to subsequently SORN  or Tax . New V5C in my name arrived about 4 later.

[Herald1360]

Well that sounds quite simple, if it works, Feb28 being a Sunday.....

Paperwork isn't an issue, I've got it all anyway- my friend's not well (not  COVID, just anno domini) and the car's parked off road at my sister's  when no-one's using it. Current usage pattern is only on Tuesdays so SORN for a few days would be no problem.