Taxing a vehicle

The secondhand vehicle I have bought is currently at the dealers, I presume either SORN or still registered to the previous owner. I was hoping to be able to pick it up tomorrow while i’m down in the area but as the vehicle is not taxed this is not looking possible. The finance should all be approved and the vehicle paid for by tomorrow morning but one problem I have is that it isn’t taxed. I cant tax it online because the tax disc will go to the previous owner and also its unlikely the proof of insurance will have been uploaded on to the DVLA database. The post office and DVLC office local to the dealer (Wye Commercials) are currently shut for refurbishment/permanently which means I cant really do it in person unless there is another post office capable of taxing hgv’s locally. My first thought is the only way I can pick it up without tax is on trade plates, which I obviously haven’t got and I wouldn’t expect anyone to lend me theirs. So my question is…is there any legal loophole around this to transport an untaxed vehicle home without tax? Or, does anyone know of a suitable post office in the Ross on Wye area where I could take the V5 document and my insurance cover note to tax the vehicle on the day as the new registered keeper?

Thanks,
Matt

as far as i am aware, you can now tax it at ANY post office that does road tax

not all post offices issue tax discs

This isn’t a legal loophole but it would just be a £60 fine if you were pulled and you can then wait until the o-licence came though and you can put it to work before paying for road tax you aren’t really going to use.

If you stick to A/B roads low odds of being pulled and ANPR struggles with square numberplates.

If you had the docs with you and explained the post office was unexpectedly shut you might (not likely I know) get a sympathetic copper.

Risk it mate and drive it at night keeping to the back roads.

Won’t the seller help you out here.

You should be ok to drive it home, As you have just bough the truck, you will have the bill of sale on you etc,and the date stating you have just collected it, most enforcements would give you the run downs on it not been taxed and been anawty boy! and for back duty not much is there one day ! just drive it home we all no a un taxed vehicle can be seized etc but you have a decent valid reason as to why it isn’t taxed yet, you have just bought it xf, plus local post office is closed where you bought it from…you would have to get a proper knarcky copper to report you for prosecution…

Plod do not really have a lot to do with Vehicle excise these days. It is down to DVLA to prosecute the registered keeper.

It is an offence not to have a current tax disc in force under section 29 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994, as amended. The responsibility for pursuing the owners of unlicensed vehicles rests with the DVLA. The police, traffic wardens or local authority parking attendants may inform the DVLA, but the Agency is responsible for any prosecution.

Amended 20th March 2014

Ring Wye Commercials and get them to do it for you. This must surely happen every other week at a dealers.

cav551:
Ring Wye Commercials and get them to do it for you. This must surely happen every other week at a dealers.

Said they couldnt do it mate?? Got sorted anyway and ran into Hereford to tax it. Got it home safely last night albeit later than I wanted!

Matt