OT(ish) - taxing a car bought from a dealer

You can tax it over the phone or online through a smartphone

In theory yes, but IME it takes at least three days for the MIB to update, so surely it would not let you tax it online?

Chris

Dealers don't normally register a car to them. That would add an extra owner to the log book. Only some new pre-registered ones.

Yes. We simply did it online in the dealer's office when I picked up the car. I paid for the VED in the usual way. It was slightly confused by me having my own number transferred to the 'new' car. But I can't see why the dealer couldn't have paid for the VED if he'd wanted to.

Or even using an ancient device, the traditional computer. ;-)

They're hardly going to make it difficult for you to give them money. ;-)

gov.uk no longer mentions insurance in its list of things you need:

Ok, so does that mean it is now possible to tax a vehicle that has no direct insurance in force?

Chris

Good question, don't know. Odd that insurance is omitted from that page. They very specifically say that tax must be bought before driving it away, so they must be aware of the anomaly.

The insurance check when taxing a vehicle was dropped following consultation in 2013. IIRC the main reason was that an awful lot of online applications for tax failed forcing people to go to the post office (or I suppose just not bother). But it was facilitated by the continuous insurance requirement which meant there were fewer uninsured cars.

IIRC Northern Ireland is different and still requires insurance.

Yes, they register the vehicle in your name at the same time.

Yes, 11.5 months ago, for pick-up the first day the dealer was open in January. My insurance was covering my part-ex when the VED started.

Well done, helpful info.

I did wonder about that. I'd contacted my insurance company and told them when I'd be swapping cars - the old one was taken as a trade in. But I also transferred its number so any numberplate recognition camera wouldn't know the difference anyway.

Thanks to all - some useful information here.

Confirmed with the dealer that it can be done on their office computer.

I think this is the first time we will have owned a vehicle new enough to be taxed on emissions (which could have been a good experience but sadly is the opposite).

Cheers

Dave R