Boring tax question (purchasing a new car)

davetrace1 · 27 Jan 2020 at 20:35

Hi guys

I'm interested in getting this car

https://www.gumtree.com/p/vauxhall/2011-vauxhall-astra-1.7-cdti-16v-ecoflex-sri-125-bhp-/1364548343

Yes I know, its nothing special however the GOV website is saying the tax ran out 9/12/19.

Would I be able to tax it there and then if i were to purchase the car (private sale)

I don't think the car has been declared as a SORN.

Thank you

Mcnumpty2323 · 27 Jan 2020 at 20:40

I think you can
Using the green new keeper slip
Though hopefully someone
Who knows 100% you can will answer
Did it with mine but wasn't a private
Sale

davetrace1 · 27 Jan 2020 at 20:54

Mcnumpty2323 said:
I think you can
Using the green new keeper slip
Though hopefully someone
Who knows 100% you can will answer
Did it with mine but wasn't a private
Sale

Ok thanks

I'm just worried it not working there and then online so I've got to risk driving a untaxed car to the post office!

Hades · 27 Jan 2020 at 21:02

Yes you can tax it online immediately if you have the V5.

But there is a slightly bigger issue you need to consider. AskMID shows it as not insured. That means the seller can't legally take you for a test drive and if your own insurance covers other vehicles third party then the policy sometimes specifies that the car must already have its own insurance. So you may not be able to test drive it.

Mcnumpty2323 · 27 Jan 2020 at 21:08

davetrace1 said:
Ok thanks

I'm just worried it not working there and then online so I've got to risk driving a untaxed car to the post office!

Check how far away a post office that does tax is
Beforehand if its close just grab a taxi
Though you will have to insure there
And then too online won't you?
Unless you have trade plates

davetrace1 · 27 Jan 2020 at 21:38

Hades said:
Yes you can tax it online immediately if you have the V5.

But there is a slightly bigger issue you need to consider. AskMID shows it as not insured. That means the seller can't legally take you for a test drive and if your own insurance covers other vehicles third party then the policy sometimes specifies that the car must already have its own insurance. So you may not be able to test drive it.

That's fine i'll be insuring it the same day i go to visit the car.

touch · 27 Jan 2020 at 21:45

I wouldn't buy that!

Current MOT showed 79k miles.
Previous MOT had 160k miles

Tee Hee Johnson · 27 Jan 2020 at 23:41

touch said:
I wouldn't buy that!

Current MOT showed 79k miles.
Previous MOT had 160k miles

Wow, I assumed it was just a typo at the 60k mark, but its been worked all the way up to 160k, then pulled back down.

Run a mile from this one.

mikeyw85 · 27 Jan 2020 at 23:56

yeah i'd give that one a miss.

tax isn't transferable from one owner to the next these days, so you'll always need to tax a car as soon as you buy it.

davetrace1 · 28 Jan 2020 at 08:16

touch said:
I wouldn't buy that!

Current MOT showed 79k miles.
Previous MOT had 160k miles

Wow!

Ok thanks guys I’ll leave it.

Jez · 28 Jan 2020 at 08:26

Yeah definitely dont go near that

A note for any other purchases though, tax never follows with a sale, so you'll always need to tax it straight away when you buy a car.

Funky-Melon · 28 Jan 2020 at 09:57

To add to the previous comment.....At the very least always run an MOT history check on it, it's free and will give you an insight to what needs sorting on it.

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

Hades · 28 Jan 2020 at 10:57

Good spot about the MOT mileage drop.

OP I would recommend getting a free app such as Vehicle Smart. You can use them to check MOT history such as mileage each year, failures and advisories. They help when assessing how qeel or poorly the car has been maintained. Plus the mileage drop

SixTwoSix · 28 Jan 2020 at 11:17

I had a minor tax issue when I bought a 2nd hand car a few months ago. The seller had sorn'd it on the thursday, we bought it on the Sunday, the online tax portal won't allow you to buy tax if it's been sorn'd in the last 5 days. We couldn't tax it until the Monday morning in the post office.

Razor-BladE · 28 Jan 2020 at 12:56

Not this car specifically, but in general, is there any genuine reason why the mileage could be lower?

davetrace1 · 28 Jan 2020 at 13:15

Razor-BladE said:
Not this car specifically, but in general, is there any genuine reason why the mileage could be lower?

Engine replacement?

touch · 28 Jan 2020 at 13:34

Sometimes typos or misreading by the tester - but in that case there would be just 1 odd value and it's usually quite obvious that it's a mistake. In this case you can see by the series of past readings that it's not a mistake.
Imported cars can also have odd looking numbers sometimes when their mileage reads in KM. Some testers will convert from KM to miles, some log it in KM and some just log the KM value as miles.
Other than that, changing the clocks on the dashboard will change the mileage shown. There's probably other devious ways to change it also.

Semple · 28 Jan 2020 at 13:50

touch said:
I wouldn't buy that!

Current MOT showed 79k miles.
Previous MOT had 160k miles

I'd very much doubt there's any foul play there. I would bet the mot tester put 79k rather than 179k - which would make more sense.

Another reason to always check your mot sheet after it's been tested as a typo like that could cause all sorts of problems.

TM88 · 28 Jan 2020 at 14:27

Semple said:
I'd very much doubt there's any foul play there. I would bet the mot tester put 79k rather than 179k - which would make more sense.

Another reason to always check your mot sheet after it's been tested as a typo like that could cause all sorts of problems.

They are advertising it at 79k ‘warranted’ miles though. If it was just an MOT mistake then the seller would list it as 179k miles.

coupe69 · 28 Jan 2020 at 15:05

Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole!