Switching from private > commercial (and back)

Howdy do folks,

Looking to see if anyone could advise me if I'm overlooking or over-simplifying anything here?

Pretty much, I have been driving 5-6 years or so. Have had a fair few cars in that time, but everything has been private. Never owned a commercial.

I'm interested in picking up a crewcab pickup style jeep. I have absolutely no need, nor use, for one. It's completely impractical. However, I like the look of the vast majority of them, and reckon they'd be good craic to spin around in for a year (enough time for the running costs and novelty to wear off, and sell it on). Then I can go and buy a Micra or Clio or something more sensible.


However, unfortunately, I'm not as clued into the tax/insurance side of things. I am self employed, and I would be able to stretch my imagination to justifying the use of a 4x4 crewcab for business purposes. Although I don't actually need one, it wouldn't look odd for me to have one.

So the issue that arises is - Can I maintain a private insurance policy? If not, I believe I can only drive on a commercial policy for 3 or 5 years before my private history is deleted and, when switching back to private, I get treated like I've never drove before? (ie; sky high premiums again).

Also, in relation to the tax, assuming it's already a commercial when I buy it, I just have to tax it as such and the tax office will simply look for my PPS number or somesuch as a box-ticking exercise?

Is it just the insurance that messes it up a bit?

Cheers to anyone with any insight to this. I know there's an insurance forum, but my question is more than just insurance related to figure it'd be best in the general motors forum.

Isambard

there's a bit more to taxing it commercially. You'll have to sign a declaration that you will only use it for business use. You'll also have to show, I believe, that you have a business reason for having a crew cab.

Isambard

Isambard wrote: »

there's a bit more to taxing it commercially. You'll have to sign a declaration that you will only use it for business use. You'll also have to show, I believe, that you have a business reason for having a crew cab.

I can demonstrate a need for business purposes.


However, I see commercials on the school run and popping into tesco daily. Is this just one of those blind-eye things or what's the craic there? For example, if im out for a spin to Tesco and I end up wiping someone out cos i didn't see them on a roundabout, will my insurance say 'lol no' when I ring them up and tell them i was driving?

Or does social and leisure driving still get covered by default anyway?

biko

Motors - Insurance
You can start separate thread for whatever is left

Isambard

Deleted User wrote: »

I can demonstrate a need for business purposes.


However, I see commercials on the school run and popping into tesco daily. Is this just one of those blind-eye things or what's the craic there? For example, if im out for a spin to Tesco and I end up wiping someone out cos i didn't see them on a roundabout, will my insurance say 'lol no' when I ring them up and tell them i was driving?

Or does social and leisure driving still get covered by default anyway?

if you're insured then that's that. How you tax it won't affect that.

All those Commercials are breaking the Law,unless taxed private, always been the case, we all did it.