My company bought a van on 26 July. It is still at the main dealer being MOT'd and having some bits fitted. We intend to tax it from 1 August.
The van was not taxed when we bought it, the previous owner (not the dealer) had let it lapse at least a month ago.
I have just been warned that as there is a gap between acquiring the vehicle and taxing it, we are responsible either for tax or declaring SORN for the period from acquisition up to 1 August. Also there is a risk of becoming liable for the previous owner's failure to tax or SORN it.
Is this true?
Can/should we declare SORN retrospectively for 5 days?
Can/should we declare SORN retrospectively for the whole month, even though mostly not owned in that period?
If we have to tax it for the 5 days, ie the whole month of July, how do we get insurance cover for the retrospective period?
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IMHO the period before you bought it is not your worry, it is the responsibility of the registered keeper at the date when the tax ran out.
Make sure the invoice from the dealer states the date of delivery, as opposed to the date of purchase.
No insurance can be retrospective. You only need insure it from the point at which you put it on the road.
You don't say if you bought it from the main dealer doing the work or elsewhere. If you drove it from a place of purchase to the dealer yourself you would have been untaxed and uninsured on that journey.
I suggest that you arrange to collect it from the dealer doing the work on 1st August then you are in the clear if yoy have insured it from that date (or before) and you can then do the tax.
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C.P.
It was up to the old owner when the tax expired to declare SORN.
Your obligation is immediate to advise DVLA of the new owner.
New owner if you are using the vehicle from date of purchase to end of the month then you will have to take out an Excise Licence to cover these dates and they do not do it in days but by the month.
Warning: If you have used it on a road before the start of August then do not chance your arm by saying the first date of use was 1.8.02 as it is a very serious offence to make a false declaration. There are silent checks so be warned.
Insurance already covered.
DVD
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No, we haven't used it on the road, and don't intend to until 1 August. (The dealer has, but presumably his trade plates cover that ?)
It's just that there is a period of 5 days when it is in our ownership but the vehicle has neither tax nor SORN. However, I think that point has been covered.
Thanks.
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Did the previous keeper follow correct proc. with the Reg. Document ? If so it will be currently "in trade" so it should be ok. Have you registered it ???? When do you "acquire" it for registration purposes ? So many questions on this I suggest you phone the LVLO and let them sort it but I shouldn't worry.
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