taxed online today, drive today?

j.col · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:05

Hi guys, my first foray into motors so be easy on me

i need your advice

like an idiot, i forgot to tax my car, i just realised this morning.
i have gone onto the DVLA website and taxed it online, as i couldn't find the insurance or MOT

as today is a Friday, the tax will not be here until Tuesday-Wednesday at the earliest.
my question is
am i allowed to drive my car over the weekend?

Deleted User 234324 · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:07

Yeah you'll be fine, just pop a message on window sayig "tax in post" and you'll be good to go.

Police can check to see if it is in the post anyway.

j.col · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:09

i actually printed off the receipt from DVLA.
my only concern is one of my neighbors mentioned you have first 5 days of month as grace and also its an offence not to "display" the disc

johnny6 · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:18

60 quid find for failure to display after the 5th of the month. Just go for it I say.

[TW]Fox · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:19

MadMossy said:
Yeah you'll be fine, just pop a message on window sayig "tax in post" and you'll be good to go.

This is wrong and misleading advice and such a sign has no legal basis.

There is a 5 working day exemption for people who tax online but it specifically states this ONLY applies if you purchase the new tax online BEFORE the old one runs out.

In the case of the OP this hasnt happened therefore it is not legal to drive the car until the tax disc arrives. The offence is failure to DISPLAY a valid excise license, remember.

Morba · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:25

You can drive your car, though you might get done for failure to display.

apatia77 · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:30

You'll be better at going to a local post office and getting your tax disc from there. As other have said it's an offence not to display tax disc.

j.col · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:32

[TW]Fox;18597875 said:
There is a 5 working day exemption for people who tax online but it specifically states this ONLY applies if you purchase the new tax online BEFORE the old one runs out.

In the case of the OP this hasnt happened therefore it is not legal to drive the car until the tax disc arrives. The offence is failure to DISPLAY a valid excise license, remember.

Morba said:
You can drive your car, though you might get done for failure to display.

thanks guys, and the other answers
yeah i thought that.
i only have to drive my son to footie on Sunday in the car, about 5 miles away, so i will chance it,
and his coach is a policeman

Pete19s · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:41

[TW]Fox;18597875 said:
This is wrong and misleading advice and such a sign has no legal basis.

There is a 5 working day exemption for people who tax online but it specifically states this ONLY applies if you purchase the new tax online BEFORE the old one runs out.

In the case of the OP this hasnt happened therefore it is not legal to drive the car until the tax disc arrives. The offence is failure to DISPLAY a valid excise license, remember.

Without wanting to take this thread too far off topic, bar the 5 day grace for taxing online there is no other exemptions?
I only ask because we have had incidents at work with not receiving tax discs for our vans. My stance has always been, no tax disc me no drivey because the offence is failure to display a valid tax disc. Management are adamant that it is all fine and dandy and should we get pulled we wont get into trouble because "The van is taxed."

mattyfez · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:45

If taxed online you will get a reference number - keep a copy in the car.

Its still technically an offence not to display, but you will show as taxed on the database, I would be very supprised if got pulled up on it, well unless theres other 'offences' comitted at the same time.

[TW]Fox · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:45

Pete19s said:
Without wanting to take this thread too far off topic, bar the 5 day grace for taxing online there is no other exemptions?

There is one other exemption - driving to or from a prebooked MOT test or a garage for the purposes of repairs to enable the vehicle to pass an MOT test.

I only ask because we have had incidents at work with not receiving tax discs for our vans. My stance has always been, no tax disc me no drivey because the offence is failure to display a valid tax disc. Management are adamant that it is all fine and dandy and should we get pulled we wont get into trouble because "The van is taxed."

Unless:

a) They taxed the van online before the tax expired

AND

b) It is within 5 working days of the 1st of the month

No tax disk, no drivey van. I suspect you are talking about discs received late from leasing companies?

InvaderGIR · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:46

Management are wrong, the offence is "Failure to display" not "failure to have".

Souleh · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:50

Honestly - I cant see it being a problem.

If youre not rude to any officer who queries you on it then you shouldnt have a problem. Push comes to shove you might get a producer where you have 14 days to show the tax to the officer in the station.

I cant promise immunity but i'd like to think theres a certain amount of common sense left in the world ( lol )

I'd say 50% of sports bikes dont display tax on their bikes and never have a problem even when pulled.. simply explain the situation.

PMKeates · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:52

Drive car and if someone questions go "tax is in the post here's receipt". Most won't bother to check nor care beyond that. If you get Adolf you may have to pay a fine; move on.

bledd · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:54

I wouldn't drive it unless you're 100% sure. Also, depends where you live too. Around here, you could probably get away with no tax, no plates and a smashed bloody windscreen

PMKeates · 4 Mar 2011 at 12:59

Life's a risk. Unless you drive megamiles or hang around dodgy areas the chances of having a problem in a few days are slim.

Wicksta · 4 Mar 2011 at 13:00

Souleh said:
If youre not rude to any officer who queries you on it then you shouldnt have a problem. Push comes to shove you might get a producer where you have 14 days to show the tax to the officer in the station.

Producers aren't for tax, but aside from that the Police will already know the car is taxed - the offence is not displaying!

As mentioned though you'd have to meet a particularly nasty policeman to not get away with it if you explain it hasn't arrived yet.

Pete19s · 4 Mar 2011 at 13:09

[TW]Fox;18598086 said:
No tax disk, no drivey van. I suspect you are talking about discs received late from leasing companies?

Yup, regular tax discs and not the sort you get sent if taxed online. Had one that was out and about for nearly 2 weeks because the person driving it never bothered to check the tax disc during the daily van checks :rolleyes:

Sagalout · 4 Mar 2011 at 13:09

Souleh said:
Honestly - I cant see it being a problem.

If youre not rude to any officer who queries you on it then you shouldnt have a problem. Push comes to shove you might get a producer where you have 14 days to show the tax to the officer in the station.

I cant promise immunity but i'd like to think theres a certain amount of common sense left in the world ( lol )

I'd say 50% of sports bikes dont display tax on their bikes and never have a problem even when pulled.. simply explain the situation.

I agree with this.

Fox is absolutely correct legally, but as Souleh says, most bikes don't display the disc as they get nicked. The Police will just check the plate.

It is a risk, but its one I'd take (and do on my bike all the time)

godinman · 4 Mar 2011 at 13:34

It seems silly having to display a tax disk at all, surely they can find out instantly if you're taxes via your reg?