How to drive car from seller without motor tax?

summereire

I understand from previous threads and checking on gov sites that if a used car isn't currently taxed that the new owner won't be liable for the back tax.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057049522?fuid=86759850

What I'm trying to figure out though is how I buy it and drive it. Do I just have to do this without motor tax? The tax office seem to require you to be the registered owner to tax it, yet technically I suppose you need to have it taxed already to drive it.

How, at very least, can I legally drive it from the seller back to my place? Is it just a matter of trying to please your case? It's a classic (pre-1980) car if that makes any difference too.

Thanks

Cantona's Collars

Drive it home and then tax it. If stopped (unlikely) just explain that you bought it and will be taxing it. At worst you might be asked to present evidence of taxing it at your local Garda station.

blindside88

AFAIK you have 3 options

1) chance your arm and drive it home without tax (most guards will give you time to produce tax at your local station if it's a genuine case) this option is not without risk
2) pay the seller the extra and have him/her tax it online before you drive it home (this may not be an option if back tax is owed)
3) take the car home via trailer (most unlikely of the 3)

There may be something I'm missing though

CiniO

To be 100 legal, you can't drive it.
Options are
1. Seller can tax it before he sells it to you - but considering there might be arrears he might not be happy to do it.
2. You can tow it on a towing truck, and only start using it once you receive tax disc which might take up to couple of weeks.
3. You can leave it at sellers premisses until you have it taxed.

In real life though, everyone is going to drive it home untaxed.
There are no severe penalties in Ireland for driving untaxed (usually max is €60 fine for non-display of tax disc). Gardai will most likely not bother you if you can show you just bought the car.

Silly system, but that's what it is.

_Kaiser_

Bought one last week and have been driving it since (bad boy I know ) I have a copy of the invoice/receipt in the car as well as a letter confirming insurance cover and it's NCT'd till 2018 so unlikely to be a problem.

Will be taxed anyway this week. As an aside I asked a Traffic Garda yesterday what to do in regards the insurance - keep the letter as I have until the paperwork arrives, or stick up the old disc? Both good apparently (but of course and as always in this country, it very much depends on who you get!)

summereire

Thanks everyone, good advice. I'm a bit rusty on the changing ownership process for older vehicles (1970's)- they still have a log book right, and the seller signs that somewhere and hands it over to the buyer (me)? I then fill in a form and submit it and keep the log book?

dashoonage

Flat out.

hullaballoo

Just be careful that you only have 21 days from purchase to get the tax issue sorted otherwise you're liable for back tax. I learned that the expensive way when I went into the motor tax office on the 22nd day. :eek:

ShadowHearth

Almost always when I bought car, it had no tax.

Legally yes, you can't drive it, but very very rarely garda will actually fine you if you do say, you just bought it, or even better: got evidence of it.

It's kind of common sense thing.

summereire

Cool, yeah sounds reasonable if I've got all the evidence of having just bought it. 1970's cars still have a log book right, and the seller signs that somewhere and hands it over to the buyer (me)? I then fill in a form and submit it and keep the log book?

grogi

summereire wrote: »

What I'm trying to figure out though is how I buy it and drive it. Do I just have to do this without motor tax?

Yes. Drive carefully, be very polite and smile to every Garda that stop you. Explain the situation.

How, at very least, can I legally drive it from the seller back to my place?

You can not. But you'll be fine, unless you drive without insurance.

Isambard

dashoonage wrote: »

Flat out.

with Dixie horn