Am I in trouble (car tax question)?

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M0T

M0T

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My car tax ran out at the end of september, and since the engine blew up I sorned the car whilst I was repairing it.

I fixed the car and took it for an MOT with no tax on the 29th (legal) which it passed, so on the way home I popped into the post office and bought car tax for it. The conversation went like this:

'Hi, I need to buy some car tax'
'When does yours expire?'
'It ran out at the end of september'
'So you have been driving with no tax?'
'No, it was sorned, but now I need some car tax so I can drive today'
'You want to drive it today? So you need some tax from october'
'Can I have some car tax that will allow me to drive it from now?'
'Yes'

Cue me buying said tax and driving off happy as larry. I then drove to my girlfriends house past a load of ANPR cameras. When I got there I discovered that the car tax didn't start until today, so does this mean I should be expecting a fine?

Also does anyone know if the speed cameras on the a20 towards london (near eltham) are working? I saw the white lines on the road as I went over (a little bit fast) but saw no flashes and couldn't see any camera in my mirrors.
 
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They would surely have run after you? And tried to crush your car.

If you do get a fine, can you say the place you were caught is between the MOT station and your place of residence? Because you can prove you took it for an MOT.
 
Technically yes, but IME ANPR camera's seem quite hit and miss, so you will probably get away with it.
 
Thats quite...annoying.

Whats the penalty for driving with no tax? Would they show lenience if I produced the receipt showing when I taxed the car as well as the mot certificate (showing it being taxed about 20 minutes after the certificate was issued)? It was obviously a mistake on my part not to check that the woman had given me the tax I asked for, she seemed to have trouble with english :(
 
I wouldn't argue that you bought the tax 20 mins later. Because you still drove on it before it was valid.

I'd argue that you were driving back from an MOT, and that the car was being kept at your girlfriends at the time. Because you may drive the car without tax under that circumstance.
 
Well I am not sure that they would buy that, my girlfriend lives about 40 minutes drive away from the mot test station.
 
I doubt it, Speaking from experience you would have been stopped by an interceptor had they thought you worthy of a stop.

Its surprising how many no tax markers there are on vehicles.
 
I've never understood why Tax can't be looked on in the same way as insurance, for example.

Why does it have to be displayed if the DVLA know its been purcahsed and its on the system?
 
Phil W said:
I've never understood why Tax can't be looked on in the same way as insurance, for example.

Why does it have to be displayed if the DVLA know its been purcahsed and its on the system?
Click to expand...

Basially because the system is new and not 100% bulletproof therefore they're keeping the legacy system in place. Gives them twice the chance of raping your bank balance and seizing your car.
 
Ah, i suppose theres no way you could ever not display it too, or Police would have to check every car they went past (unless they set up a shed load more detector cameras :D)
 
On checking the DVLA web page it states if you want to tax a sorn'd car form the 1st of the next month you can do this from two days in advance. The rules state you need to have a valid tax disc on display which you did, as has been said tax discs don't have a start date they are valid from when they are issued. From reading this I would say you should be fine.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_069680
 
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