Taxing Uninsured Car

Sala

I am trying to sell my car but the tax and insurance has expired. I know I need to tax it as no one will buy it and backdate it, but I can't do it online without a valid policy. Any ideas?

Guy:Incognito

You don't need tax. A new owner is only liable for tax from the month they buy it.

Sala

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

You don't need tax. A new owner is only liable for tax from the month they buy it.

Only if itr's declared off the road, which I didn't do?

Eoin

Sala wrote: »

Only if itr's declared off the road, which I didn't do?

No, that's only if the current owner wants to tax it again. The new owner only needs to tax it from the 1st of the month that they purchased the car. If you download the motor tax PDF form, you'll see the section where the new owner can fill all that stuff in.

As an aside, make sure that the purchaser is covered to test drive your car when there's no current policy on it.

Hal1

Can you declare it off the road now? just ask for a renewal pin number so you can log in and do it yourself.

mickdw

You will be throwing your money down the drain by taxing it as it's of no benefit to new owner.
Any buyer who comes spinning that yarn to get money off needs to be sent on their way.

Sala

Eoin wrote: »

No, that's only if the current owner wants to tax it again. The new owner only needs to tax it from the 1st of the month that they purchased the car. If you download the motor tax PDF form, you'll see the section where the new owner can fill all that stuff in.

As an aside, make sure that the purchaser is covered to test drive your car when there's no current policy on it.

Can they be insured on their own policy? I wanted to just let them drive it around the (large) apartment car park. I have a lot of spammers etc so I am going to reduce the price substantially and hope I can weed out a genuine person and just get rid of it

Sala

mickdw wrote: »

You will be throwing your money down the drain by taxing it as it's of no benefit to new owner.
Any buyer who comes spinning that yarn to get money off needs to be sent on their way.

Thanks, so they can tax it from day 1? And I don't need to worry about them paying backdated from the date I had it and it expired

slimjimmc

Hal1 wrote: »

Can you declare it off the road now? just ask for a renewal pin number so you can log in and do it yourself.

You can only declare it off the road before motor tax expires so he would have to get his tax up to date first and pay arrears if applicable.
Legally you can't even take the car for a test drive on a public road without motor tax, though many people chance it.

corktina

Hal1 wrote: »

Can you declare it off the road now? just ask for a renewal pin number so you can log in and do it yourself.

Nope can't do it....has to be done before the tax expires.

mickdw

Sala wrote: »

Thanks, so they can tax it from day 1? And I don't need to worry about them paying backdated from the date I had it and it expired

They will have to tax it from beginning of month they buy it. No more, no less and just to prove that point, many people are changing ownership within own family to escape tax arrears!

slimjimmc

Sala wrote: »

Can they be insured on their own policy? I wanted to just let them drive it around the (large) apartment car park. I have a lot of spammers etc so I am going to reduce the price substantially and hope I can weed out a genuine person and just get rid of it

They can, so long as their policy allows them to drive other cars. Many policies only provide third party cover so if they wrap it around a lamp post you have nothing.
I doubt a buyer would be content with a spin around a car park, that's not a proper test drive.

dr.fuzzenstein

Sala wrote: »

I am trying to sell my car but the tax and insurance has expired. I know I need to tax it as no one will buy it and backdate it, but I can't do it online without a valid policy. Any ideas?

AFAIK you don't need a valid insurance policy to tax a car, or put it this way, you do and you don't.

Select A.N. Insurance company (I mean just pick any of them) from the dropdown and enter policy number 1234567, bingo, you're sorted.
I tax my car that way every time.
However, if you're selling the car, taxing it is a waste of time and money. New seller only has to tax it from the day he buys it.
The new buyer won't care if it's taxed, unless you want to throw a few months tax in as a sweetener.

Eoin

Sala wrote: »

Can they be insured on their own policy? I wanted to just let them drive it around the (large) apartment car park. I have a lot of spammers etc so I am going to reduce the price substantially and hope I can weed out a genuine person and just get rid of it

It will depend on their policy - some policies might give them 3rd party cover (so no damage to your car will be covered) even if there is no policy on the car at the moment. Some might be stricter and need a policy. I know I've fully comp cover on other cars, but I don't know if they need to be insured or not.

Sala wrote: »

Thanks, so they can tax it from day 1? And I don't need to worry about them paying backdated from the date I had it and it expired

They can tax it once they get the VLC back, which might be a couple of weeks. It might be possible for them to tax it that day if they have the signed VLC from you, but I would never hand that over to the new buyer and insist on posting it myself. The last thing you want is speeding tickets/parking fines/toll fees being sent to you because they're sitting on the VLC.

They'll be taxing it from the 1st of that month (not the day they buy it - tax is done from the 1st of a month, not a portion of a month) so they won't have to tax it for any of the time before that.

Sala

Grand, so if anyone gives out about paying the extra tax etc, there is no need, they are not liable? I will reduce the price to make up for the pain of the tax

Eoin

Sala wrote: »

Grand, so if anyone gives out about paying the extra tax etc, there is no need, they are not liable? I will reduce the price to make up for the pain of the tax

Correct, although they might not like the idea of driving the car untaxed until the VLC is posted to them.

Sala

Eoin wrote: »

Correct, although they might not like the idea of driving the car untaxed until the VLC is posted to them.

How would I work this? I am a bit nervous about showing it and organising viewings (have been lazy until now) because I know about scammers (I got a few messages and what appear to be dodgy voicemails). Do I insist on a draft first and send the form off myself, in the meantime they tax and organise insurance and then collect?

Eoin

They won't be able to tax it before the VLC is put in their name, posted off and issued to them - that's normally up to 2 weeks. They can insure it though. The only legal way around the tax thing is for you to tax it. I think the buyer would be unlucky to get a fine by a Garda if they had recent proof of purchase and were waiting for the form - but you never know.

You can get a bank draft and arrange the handover once it's cleared, or just take cash on the spot (somewhere safe).

For viewings & test drives, it'll either have to be on private property, or technically it shouldn't be driven on public roads. Whatever about the tax, not having it insured would be a big no-no for me.

Sala

Eoin wrote: »

They won't be able to tax it before the VLC is put in their name, posted off and issued to them - that's normally up to 2 weeks. They can insure it though. The only legal way around the tax thing is for you to tax it. I think the buyer would be unlucky to get a fine by a Garda if they had recent proof of purchase and were waiting for the form - but you never know.

You can get a bank draft and arrange the handover once it's cleared, or just take cash on the spot (somewhere safe).

For viewings & test drives, it'll either have to be on private property, or technically it shouldn't be driven on public roads. Whatever about the tax, not having it insured would be a big no-no for me.

Thanks a mil. Just to check, if someone has open drive policy can they drive it or does it need to be independently insured?

Eoin

Sala wrote: »

Thanks a mil. Just to check, if someone has open drive policy can they drive it or does it need to be independently insured?

I am pretty sure it varies from policy to policy.

Sala

Eoin wrote: »

I am pretty sure it varies from policy to policy.

Thanks I think I'll say no, around grounds only. I reckon if I price it low enough someone will be happy with those terms

slimjimmc

Sala wrote: »

Thanks I think I'll say no, around grounds only. I reckon if I price it low enough someone will be happy with those terms

An apartment car park could still be a public place even if privately owned in which case you will still need insurance.

corktina

Don't forget , hang on to the VLC and you post it. Don't hand it over in any circumstance. I'd fill it in with the new owner and if they like they can come to the post box to see I've posted it.

djimi

Sala wrote: »

Thanks a mil. Just to check, if someone has open drive policy can they drive it or does it need to be independently insured?

Open drive relates to who can drive a specific car; it doesnt apply here.

If they have third party extension then they can probably drive your car, but it will depend what their policy says; they might need your car to be insured first (unlikely) and they also might require your car to be road legal (ie taxed and NCT).

djimi

Sala wrote: »

Thanks I think I'll say no, around grounds only. I reckon if I price it low enough someone will be happy with those terms

It depends on the car and the price, but assuming its not a €500 car and assuming the car park isnt the size of Liffey Valley or the likes then I doubt too many people will be happy with just a spin in 1st/2nd gear and low speeds around an apartment complex.

Gumbo

Sala wrote: »

Thanks a mil. Just to check, if someone has open drive policy can they drive it or does it need to be independently insured?

It depends on their policy.
My policy allows me to drive other cars fully compy once its NCT'd at a minimum. (RSA)

Sala

djimi wrote: »

It depends on the car and the price, but assuming its not a €500 car and assuming the car park isnt the size of Liffey Valley or the likes then I doubt too many people will be happy with just a spin in 1st/2nd gear and low speeds around an apartment complex.

So what should I do, tax and insure it? Or what's the best way to get rid of it with as little expense

Sala

Thank you all for the advice, I managed to sell my car :-) sorted out insurance and vrt so no tax is their own head