Motor tax - scrap/off the road

ixtlan

Hi,

So I'm helping someone out with this query. They have an old car for which the tax expired at the end of April. They got a replacement, but just left the old one there.

Now the motortax office is demanding payment for the old car. I know they can pay the minimum 3 months tax and work out a scrappage during that period. No refund would be made in that scenario.

What I'm really wondering is whether there is any way to avoid paying that useless 3 months car tax at this point? Since they have not actually paid the tax... would there still be a bill for the whole 3 months even if it was scrapped on Monday? Or would it just be a 2 week arrears period?

Also, even if they decided to tax for the 3 months, there's now no insurance on the car, so it can't be done online.

Ix.

guil

Transfer the car into your name and declare it off the road. You have ten days after change of ownership.

CiniO

ixtlan wrote: »

Hi,

So I'm helping someone out with this query. They have an old car for which the tax expired at the end of April. They got a replacement, but just left the old one there.

Now the motortax office is demanding payment for the old car. I know they can pay the minimum 3 months tax and work out a scrappage during that period. No refund would be made in that scenario.

What I'm really wondering is whether there is any way to avoid paying that useless 3 months car tax at this point? Since they have not actually paid the tax... would there still be a bill for the whole 3 months even if it was scrapped on Monday? Or would it just be a 2 week arrears period?

Also, even if they decided to tax for the 3 months, there's now no insurance on the car, so it can't be done online.

Ix.

Motor tax office can not demand any motortax payments.
If they chose not to tax the car, it's their choice - none of motortax office business.

If car is going to be scrapped, there is absolutely no point in paying any motortax on it now.

Guy:Incognito

Whats the car?

corktina

CiniO wrote: »

Motor tax office can not demand any motortax payments.
If they chose not to tax the car, it's their choice - none of motortax office business.

If car is going to be scrapped, there is absolutely no point in paying any motortax on it now.

resumably the tax office just sent a reminder. If it isn't going back on the road, there is no tax to pay

ixtlan

Thanks for the replies guys. I could be that I am just too by the book.

It's a 99 VG Bora... but is due an NCT and will not pass... I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

If I transfer it into my name I think I'm just transferring the problem, and then there would definitely be arrears due anyhow for the original owners.

I guess what I am thinking is that unless something is done the owners are going to keep getting reminders forever with the relentless patience of the civil service (even if those reminders have no way to be enforced). The only way to stop the reminders would be to scrap the car... but can a proper end-of-life cert be generated if the tax is in arrears?

I'm probably overanalysing. :-)

Ix.

quadrifoglio verde

ixtlan wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys. I could be that I am just too by the book.

It's a 99 VG Bora... but is due an NCT and will not pass... I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

If I transfer it into my name I think I'm just transferring the problem, and then there would definitely be arrears due anyhow for the original owners.

I guess what I am thinking is that unless something is done the owners are going to keep getting reminders forever with the relentless patience of the civil service (even if those reminders have no way to be enforced). The only way to stop the reminders would be to scrap the car... but can a proper end-of-life cert be generated if the tax is in arrears?

I'm probably overanalysing. :-)

Ix.

Arrears aren't due if the car changes ownership. Neither you or the previous owner will be liable for arrears.
End of life can be issued for it from an authorised treatment facility and it doesn't need to be taxed for this to happen.


Its a bora. Whack it up on done deal for 400 and some young lad will snap your hand off

CiniO

ixtlan wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys. I could be that I am just too by the book.

It's a 99 VG Bora... but is due an NCT and will not pass... I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

If I transfer it into my name I think I'm just transferring the problem, and then there would definitely be arrears due anyhow for the original owners.

I guess what I am thinking is that unless something is done the owners are going to keep getting reminders forever with the relentless patience of the civil service (even if those reminders have no way to be enforced). The only way to stop the reminders would be to scrap the car... but can a proper end-of-life cert be generated if the tax is in arrears?

I'm probably overanalysing. :-)

Ix.

Looks like you are trying to create a problem, even though it doesn't exist.

Reminders you are talking about, can't be anything else, than just reminders that motortax office posts to remind vehicle owner that tax expired.

There is no law forcing anyone to tax the car, even if it wasn't declared off the road.

There's absolutely no point in transferring car into anyone's name.

If car is not on the road, then there is no requirement for it to be taxed - over.
There isn't any arrears due on this car at the moment.
Arrears can only appear, if you decide to return this car to the road and intent to tax it in the future.

If car is to be scrapped, you can just literally forgot about any motortax.
You won't need ever to pay any arrears or tax on it.
That's the law.

ixtlan

Thanks guys, you have put my excessively paranoid mind at rest.

Ix.

Merry25

Can I just ask OP if they ended up paying the minimum of 3 months? My car has been off the road for few years now, off the road declaration was due the end of August but submitted to the motortax office few days later after the expiry date. Now they want me to pay the minimum of 3 months for the car that's never been on the road.

colm_mcm

Just change ownership when you're ready to drive it again.

Merry25

Will they keep sending me bills every 3 months that might put me on arrears? I just want to have the off the road declaration done to keep me at peace. Thanks

colm_mcm

You don't have that option now unless you want to tax the car now and then declare it off the road

quadrifoglio verde

Sell car to the dog. When new log book comes declare car of the road for 3/6/12 months.

Tommyboy40

The arrears would only become an issue if your friend tried to tax the car. If it's going to be scrapped, then there's no need to worry.

savagethegoat

....or if it's sold even if that sale is a bogus one. There is no tax payable until the car goes back on the road, so long as it isn't your friend putting it back on the road, there are no arrears.

I don't know how much plainer we can put it...this question gets asked several times a week on here

SixSixSix

Just a flag that "off the road" means exactly that. An untaxed vehicle can't be on a public road - whether driving, parked, on blocks, nada... It must be off the road in a driveway, garden, field, garage - you get the idea...