Taxing a car with short MOT....

Scania · 25 Feb 2010 at 13:32

Is my garage right in telling me that I can't tax my car with less than 7 days left on my MOT certificate? - The car has just failed on suspension links and play in one of my rear wheels, not too bad, £200 including the MOT cost, trouble is, they can't fit it in until Monday.

Here lies my problem, the MOT expires March 1 and my tax expires at midnight on the 28th of this month!

I'd always assumed as long as the MOT & Insurance were valid at the time of issue, there would not be a problem..... :confused:

Good job I'm off work for 11 days I suppose!

Its no major problem, I can leave the car at the garage on Sunday night and tax it Monday after its fixed I suppose, its more of an inconvenience more than anything else.

Thoughts appreciated.

[TW]Fox · 25 Feb 2010 at 13:34

They are wrong - you can tax it as long as the MOT is valid.

PS: Thats £700 over 9000 miles now, you know I was right

Scania · 25 Feb 2010 at 13:47

[TW]Fox;16036830 said:
They are wrong - you can tax it as long as the MOT is valid.

Thanks, I thought that was the case.....

[TW]Fox;16036830 said:
PS: Thats £700 over 9000 miles now, you know I was right

Oh shut up!

Serpantine · 25 Feb 2010 at 13:55

What car is this R420LA6X2/4MNA?

agw_01 · 25 Feb 2010 at 14:15

[TW]Fox;16036830 said:
They are wrong - you can tax it as long as the MOT is valid.

You sure? I thought you couldn't tax a car if the MOT was due to expire in 30 days.

I've certainly had this problem in the past, maybe they changed it recently.

Cyanide · 25 Feb 2010 at 14:22

agw_01 said:
You sure? I thought you couldn't tax a car if the MOT was due to expire in 30 days.

I've certainly had this problem in the past, maybe they changed it recently.

But then you'd have to go 30 days without tax

Fuzz · 25 Feb 2010 at 14:42

How about waiting for the car to pass it's MOt and then Tax it..
:confused:

Scania · 25 Feb 2010 at 15:09

Serpantine said:
What car is this R420LA6X2/4MNA?

1996 BMW e36 328i SE Auto 128k Miles.

Scubascorpion said:
How about waiting for the car to pass it's MOt and then Tax it..

Thats a tad difficult, the garage I use is about 20miles from where I live (but about a mile from my parents house), if they MOT it on Monday when its booked in to have the suspension sorted (which is why it failed) the Tax will have expired so I can't legally drive it to the garage for its repair work & re-test hence me wanting to get it taxed first ideally.

My plan is, assuming I can't tax it tomorrow (when I get paid ), to drop the car off at the garage on Sunday night, get a lift down to collect the MOT after its sorted,then tax it, then return to collect the car.

Another issue is I still have no V5 for the car (and have not had one since I bought it nearly 12months ago!) so taxing it is probably going to be fun in itself! - Hopefully, I'll be able to tax it like I did last time using the old Tax disc, and I will be applying for a new V5 for the THIRD time!

I just hope the DVLA get their act together and sort it, this is becoming beyond a joke!

agw_01 · 25 Feb 2010 at 15:24

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
the Tax will have expired so I can't legally drive it to the garage for its repair work & re-test hence me wanting to get it taxed first ideally

Course you can

You only need insurance to be able to drive the car to a pre-booked MOT.

Scania · 25 Feb 2010 at 15:35

agw_01 said:
Course you can

You only need insurance to be able to drive the car to a pre-booked MOT.

So your telling me I can drive on the public highway without tax to get the car MOT'd?

I think your confusing Tax with MOT's here mate, you can drive a car without a valid MOT to a pre booked MOT test (which I have pre booked) but this in no way excludes you - as far as I'm aware - from driving on the public highway minus a valid Tax disc.

Confused · 25 Feb 2010 at 16:01

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
So your telling me I can drive on the public highway without tax to get the car MOT'd?

I think your confusing Tax with MOT's here mate, you can drive a car without a valid MOT to a pre booked MOT test (which I have pre booked) but this in no way excludes you - as far as I'm aware - from driving on the public highway minus a valid Tax disc.

It's fine - you require a valid MOT certificate to purchase tax, so if your tax AND MOT have expired, then you're OK to drive it to/from a pre-booked MOT test.

(For example if you were MOTing a car that's been SORN'd)

Mucky_Pup · 25 Feb 2010 at 16:02

Can't you just order the tax online? They must use an MOT database to check if I can is within it's MOT or something? (I dunno, I've only done it at the post office) Then there's just the formality of waiting for a disc to be delivered?

Scania · 25 Feb 2010 at 16:05

Confused said:
It's fine - you require a valid MOT certificate to purchase tax, so if your tax AND MOT have expired, then you're OK to drive it to/from a pre-booked MOT test.

(For example if you were MOTing a car that's been SORN'd)

I'd like to think your right, but am extremely wary of driving an un-taxed car regardless of the circumstances. It would be just my luck that I'd get a pull and have the car seized or something like that! - I'll do some digging....

Mucky_Pup said:
Can't you just order the tax online? They must use an MOT database to check if I can is within it's MOT or something? (I dunno, I've only done it at the post office) Then there's just the formality of waiting for a disc to be delivered?

If only it was that simple mate, as I mentioned in a previous post, I have had an issue with regard to never receiving the V5 for the car, despite applying for one twice, and as far as I'm aware its still not registered to me, so that option is a non starter unfortunately.

OllyM · 25 Feb 2010 at 16:11

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
I'd like to think your right, but am extremely wary of driving an un-taxed car regardless of the circumstances. It would be just my luck that I'd get a pull and have the car seized or something like that! - I'll do some digging....

Driving an untaxed vehicle to an MOT test
You can drive your vehicle to and from a pre-arranged test at an MOT test station as long as you have adequate insurance cover in place for the use of that vehicle.
This is also for vehicles being driven to and from a pre-arranged test at a Vehicle Inspection Check (VIC) test station, an approved weight testing station and reduced pollution test.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_069671

Scania · 25 Feb 2010 at 16:14

OllyM said:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_069671

Cheers Olly, that makes things a lot easier.

Fuzz · 25 Feb 2010 at 16:29

Just drive the sodding thing

and tax it on Monday.
Or do it online Monday morning then you are all nice and legal
"tax is in the post orificer"

Lopéz · 25 Feb 2010 at 17:36

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
Here lies my problem, the MOT expires March 1 and my tax expires at midnight on the 28th of this month!

I'd always assumed as long as the MOT & Insurance were valid at the time of issue, there would not be a problem.....

You can. However, say your MOT expired March 1st and the tax expired end of March, you couldn't tax it now ready for when the tax runs out.

gbradders123 · 25 Feb 2010 at 23:33

been pulled a couple of times going to mot's with not ticket or rent, not a problem, even in a car that blatently wasnt going to pass!

so long as the test is booked, they will call the garage and check this, you not got a problem.

unlikly to get booked for no ticket if it is only just out anyway.

Scania · 26 Feb 2010 at 17:01

Got it taxed no problem today, sent off again for my V5 (and had to fork out £25) 3rd time lucky !

Scania · 1 Mar 2010 at 18:19

Final update, got it MOT'd today....

Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement

The above plus MOT £190.... Could have been worse!