New tax disc - possible to display it early?

Yakuza

Hi folks, a quick question,
I managed to be organised this year and got my tax disc early (current one expires at the end of July), the new one (expiring in 07/16) came a few days ago.

My question is - is it legal to display it now or do I have to wait until August 1st to swap them out? I would imagine insurance discs have a very defined start and end date. However it's possible to get an NCT early, but if a tax disc is displayed early, is this breaking the letter (but not the spirit) of the law?

There is a date on it (presumably the date I applied for the disc), could this be the effective start date of the new one?

No real reason to ask, just idle curiosity mostly.

K.Flyer

You have paid for it, so no reason not to display it.

Yakuza

Yes, but would some over-zealous guard or parking warden (do they even exist now?) do you as technically the displayed disc doesn't begin until August 1st. We love our technicalities in this country!

Gumbo

Of course you can. The disc displays an expiry date not a start date. You can bin your current disc now.

Skuxx

I think you are way overthinking things! Stick up the disk and forget about it!!

K.Flyer

I imagine it would have to be a serious jobs-worth to do you for it.
I wonder if the Garda did a check on your reg today would your tax expiry come up as expiry 2015 or 2016. If it came up as different to thd displayed one, then technically you are not displaying a valid tax disc.
Certainly an interesting point, but doubt it would be a problem putting up the new one.

ironclaw

Keep the old one behind the new one for a week or so. If you get pulled, show it. Job done.

Do people actually bin their old discs? I always keep them in the folder.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Yakuza wrote: »

Yes, but would some over-zealous guard or parking warden (do they even exist now?) do you as technically the displayed disc doesn't begin until August 1st. We love our technicalities in this country!

The car is taxed and so therefore there is no offence. Even the most over-zealous guard couldn't find an offence to prosecute. Display it.

Yakuza

Thanks for the replies.

Skuxx wrote: »

I think you are way overthinking things! Stick up the disk and forget about it!!

It wouldn't be the first time in my life it had been suggested I'd over-thought something!

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

The car is taxed and so therefore there is no offence. Even the most over-zealous guard couldn't find an offence to prosecute. Display it.

I'm petty sure not having the car taxed and not displaying the disk are separate offences, but my gut instinct does go along with the consensus of the thread, in that it's fair enough to go ahead and pop it in the holder (with the old one behind it (I actually keep old discs (for some inexplicable reason)).

slimjimmc

Your renewed tax disc is valid from the date of issue (shown in small print) until the end of the month shown in large print. There is an overlap period during which both discs are valid.
Just stick the new one up and forget about it.

Atlantic Dawn

There is no valid from date only a valid to date, it's not like an insurance disc, you can put it up even if it's a month "early", no issue, tax is registered to the car not the person.

blackbox

How did you manage to get it early. I tried this before with a car that had been off the road so I could drive it on the first of the month (a Saturday) and they wouldn't give it to me before the first working day of the month.

I feel I was diddled out of 2 day's tax.

Lissavane

There is a commencement date shown on the tax disc - in small print.

I think the legal requirement is to display a current tax disc.

Suppose a car was declared off the road with no current tax but driven today 26 July displaying a disc commencing August 15 and expiring July 16?

CiniO

Lissavane wrote: »

There is a commencement date shown on the tax disc - in small print.

I think the legal requirement is to display a current tax disc.

And the one OP received is the current one now.
He can easily get rid of old one and put up the new one.
New one means vehicle is taxed until end of July 2016. That's all what's relevant.

Suppose a car was declared off the road with no current tax but driven today 26 July displaying a disc commencing August 15 and expiring July 16?

That's impossible

CiniO

blackbox wrote: »

How did you manage to get it early. I tried this before with a car that had been off the road so I could drive it on the first of the month (a Saturday) and they wouldn't give it to me before the first working day of the month.

I feel I was diddled out of 2 day's tax.

Because you can't get it early if vehicle is declared off the road.
F.e. your vehicle is declared off the road until end of July.
If you could apply for tax disc f.e. on 10th July for period of August, September, October (3 month), then you could stick that disc up on 10th July and drive even though car is declared off the road. And for that reason they won't issue you new disc until first day of the month.

However OP's case is different, as tax is paid for July, so no reason not to issue in July one starting in August

starlit

Should be no problem, once its up to date and paid for. I often put mine up early or near enough to the time it expires. Usually pay for mine in good time during the course of the month.

savagethegoat

stick it up in front of the old one , any query, you can whip it out..... (it really isn't a problem to worry about)

Yakuza

blackbox wrote: »

How did you manage to get it early. I tried this before with a car that had been off the road so I could drive it on the first of the month (a Saturday) and they wouldn't give it to me before the first working day of the month.

I feel I was diddled out of 2 day's tax.

Renewal always comes about a month (by post) before old disc expires, I applied online on a Sunday evening, new disc hit the doormat Wednesday morning.

savagethegoat wrote: »

stick it up in front of the old one , any query, you can whip it out..... (it really isn't a problem to worry about)

Wasn't worried per se, just curious. New tax disc now in the window!