Buying car that hasn't been taxed in a while

smtdos

Just looking for your opinions on this:

Going to look at a car in Dublin this evening from a dealer.

I've done the €35 motorcheck which showed that the tax expired in 01/2011 meaning the car "has not been road legal for a total period of 287 days and may have been off the road for some or all of that period".

Everything thing else is in order e.g odometer reading and NCT valid till 06/2013.

I'll query it when I meet the dealer but should this ring alarm bells? Or could there be a genuine reason?

hi_im_fil

It could simply have been at the dealers since then. He's not going to tax it if it's just sitting there on the forecourt. Nothing to worry about at all

smtdos

Ya the fact that the NCT passed since the tax ran out reassures me somewhat that there's nothing major wrong

ThisRegard

Could well be genuine, I have a car parked up since the start of the year so hasn't been taxed since March. Nothing wrong with it, just have no need for it at the moment but probably will after Christmas. If it turns out I don't need it I will probably sell it and any checks will tell a potential customer similar to what you got back on your checks.

Danbo!

Similar situation here, my gf is buying a car and the tax is out 3 months. What's the story with taxing it? Is it just a matter of the dealer send off the vlc, and when she gets it back in the post she goes to the tax office with the receipt for the car and pay from the start of November? Or will the fact it changed ownership during November be enough for the tax office?

smtdos

My understanding of it is that unless the previous owner registered a bone-fide non-use period with the Gardai, you are liable for the arrears.

seamus

Danbo! wrote: »

Similar situation here, my gf is buying a car and the tax is out 3 months. What's the story with taxing it? Is it just a matter of the dealer send off the vlc, and when she gets it back in the post she goes to the tax office with the receipt for the car and pay from the start of November?

Yep.
When renewing the tax, she notes the "Past Owner Period" as the period from the date is was last taxed, up to the end of October. Then she pays tax for November onwards.

The VLC can take a few weeks to come through, so always best to keep a copy of the receipt from the dealer in the car in case the Gardai stop her.

Legally she shouldn't drive the vehicle until it's taxed, and the Gardai do have the right to seize the vehicle and hold it, but they can be flexible. They're looking for tax evaders, not to just catch people out.

My understanding of it is that unless the previous owner registered a bone-fide non-use period with the Gardai, you are liable for the arrears.

This is incorrect. A new owner is never liable for the arrears, under any circumstances.

aristotle25

smtdos wrote: »

My understanding of it is that unless the previous owner registered a bone-fide non-use period with the Gardai, you are liable for the arrears.

Just to confirm as well that the above is incorrect. Previous owner is liable for tax up to the date\month of sale.

McCrack

You are not liable for back tax of any vehicle when you were not the owner. Once the change of owner is registered to you then you are liable from the date of purchase.

smtdos

McCrack wrote: »

You are not liable for back tax of any vehicle when you were not the owner. Once the change of owner is registered to you then you are liable from the date of purchase.

Ok, thanks for clearing that up. It's confusing on the motorcheck website!

Please Kill Me

McCrack wrote: »

You are not liable for back tax of any vehicle when you were not the owner. Once the change of owner is registered to you then you are liable from the date of purchase.

What he said!

smtdos wrote: »

My understanding of it is that unless the previous owner registered a bone-fide non-use period with the Gardai, you are liable for the arrears.

Not necessarily. I bought a car in February, that hadn't been taxed in 18 months. I left the car in the driveway until September while I was working on it (I got it as a non-runner, it was a steal LOL) and just taxed it in October. So it was over two years since it was taxed. I only had to tax it from October this year, even though it hadn't been taxed for 2 years in total previously.

voojeq

Danbo! wrote: »

Similar situation here, my gf is buying a car and the tax is out 3 months. What's the story with taxing it? Is it just a matter of the dealer send off the vlc, and when she gets it back in the post she goes to the tax office with the receipt for the car and pay from the start of November? Or will the fact it changed ownership during November be enough for the tax office?

my experience with buying out of tax vehicle was straight forward

i bought the car, went on to motor tax website, registered for new pin, and few days later it arrived and i was able to pay tax for my car, as people menioned here you are not liable for previous tax peroids if you were not the owner