Tax And Mot

[mitsy26]

I'm looking at buying a car this week but the MOT is up next month - someone told me I'm unable to tax it if there is less than a month left on the MOT. Can someone advise me on this? Thank you

[tonyav]

Thats the first I've heard of that one, mitsy.

[SlackAlice]

To be quite honest, I wouldn't buy a car with only a months MOT left. Get the seller to obtain a new MOT then negotiate from there.

[furrypusscat]

As you will have to tax it as of beginning of December, there will be an mot in force so I cannot see a problem.

[hc4361]

There only requirement is that the car is MOT'd at the time of taxing.

I'm sure you have good reasons to buy a car with such a short MOT. It's not something I would do

[furrypusscat]

I agree with SlackAlice, an MOT can be done 1 month prior to expiry so get the seller to get the MOT done.

[EDDIE51]

You have to tax it from the beginning of the month you buy it, so that is from Dec 1st. As long as the MOT is valid to at least 1st Jan ( next month)it will be oK.

[New Judge]

Your MoT certificate must be valid when the tax starts. That's the only stipulation. Explained here:

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax

[THECORBYLOON]

There only has to be a valid MOT on the day it is taxed so you could tax it on the day the MOT expires if you wanted.

[Baldric]

Your MOT test certificate needs to be valid when the tax starts, that's it

[Baldric]

And unless the seller is prepared to give it a years MoT I'd walk away, could be an expensive mistake.

[Davemano]

You really need to know when the VEL (tax) expires, and the date the MOT expires, but beware, you may be buying a vehicle unable to pass an MOT. Get the seller to do the MOT before you buy it. It doesn't matter of the current MOT does not expire next month. How well can you trust the seller.

[mitsy26]

Thanks everyone

[New Judge]

"You really need to know when the VEL (tax) expires,..."

The VEL ("tax") becomes void when the vehicle is sold. Unexpired months cannot be transferred to the new owner who has to buy a new VEL from the first day of the month in which the transfer is effected.

[Davemano]

NJ Perfectly correct as usual - my oversight.

[Old_Geezer]

Going back some years I had someone at the post office point blank refuse to tax my car as the MOT was only valid for a few more days. You may encounter resistance.

[THECORBYLOON]

You can tax a car online, there's no need to use the Post Office.

[Old_Geezer]

There was no Internet when I had the issue :-)
See, society does make some progress thanks to science & technology.

[douglas9401]

I had the same problem O_G, solved by going to a more rural location where things were altogether less hidebound and judgemental. :-)

[New Judge]

You should have asked to see the manager (or "overseer" as I recall them in those days) OG. In fact, for renewals at the Post Office some years ago the rules were even more lenient - the MoT (and insurance) had to be current only on the day the tax was renewed (meaning it may have expired by the time the tax became effective). I know this for an absolute fact as I was involved in that business myself.

[Davemano]

Now the computer has allowed me to, I'll properly finish my 23.03 post. The point regarding the VEL (tax) if it were to expire at the end of the month when the MOT expired, it could be that the seller may be being a bit cagey in selling, knowing or suspecting the it could fail its next MOT. This is why I said can you trust the seller.