Last month my Dad lent us his car and we have now bought it from him and are officially the new owners.

However, I've now come to tax the car and it says there was no tax on the car for August (we bought it in the last week of August) and it can only now be taxed from September 1st, leaving a month gap without a SORN.

I realise now that my Dad must have had August refunded but we didn't realise this until now.

Is there any way I can backdate the tax?

that's quite usual if a car is sold

you wont get a fine for it

happens everyday.

they might even backdate it automatically

just fill it in

Thank you. I've set up online monthly payments now but there is still a gap for August that I can't backdate.

I've been driving the car now for a week though without tax as the website wouldn't accept the old ref number so we had to wait for the new V5C to come.

How sympathetic will the DVLA be if I phone and offer to pay for August?

I've been reading how strict it is now and I'm worried we've already incurred a fine.

how do they know its been on the road?

could have been kept off the road till you got the form.

dx

how do they know its been on the road?

If OP has driven through an ANPR camera during the last week in August?

Yea but dvla don't use them for that purpose

Bought\sold cars and had this issue twice since tax disc scrappage

Never been fined get and one has a 3 MTS gap

All of this has crossed my mind but if I'm honest we have used the car and may well have been caught on ANPR camera so I can't think of anything to do other than be honest and say we messed up. I tried to phone them to see if we could pay for August but couldn't get through so I've tried to message them on Twitter and they haven't replied. No idea what to do now!

Yea but dvla don't use them for that purpose

 

They do according to this

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/317087/response/781054/attach/2/FOIR5185%20Donald%20MacKay.pdf

We know but not for 1 MTS missed during sale

Would be very unfair

OP should have taxed it for whole of Aug, on purchase, or used father's DVLA reminder if not SORNed.

Alicat,

your post #1 is a little confusing. You say that you borrowed the vehicle last month, which would be August and later purchased it (still August) Yet you imply that your father Sorned or submitted V5c for change of ownership and obtained a refund for August. This must have been in July, as no part month is refunded.

Can you please give a date/time line :-

a) When you borrowed vehicle.

b) When he sent off the V5c for change of ownership.

c) When you received the new V5c in your name and the date of change shown on it.

d) did he at anytime submit a SORN before you used the vehicle?

There is provision on the DVLA website for new owners to apply for tax using the 12 digit reference number as shown on the V5c/2 'green' slip that he should have given to you before he sent in the V5c.

a) When you borrowed vehicle.

Around the 16th August.

b) When he sent off the V5c for change of ownership.

25th August

c) When you received the new V5c in your name

4th September

and the date of change shown on it.

24th August

d) did he at anytime submit a SORN before you used the vehicle?

No, the car was always taxed and in use.

We tried to use the 12 digit reference number as shown on the V5c/2 'green' slip but it was 'invalid'

we assumed we had to wait for the new one.

With hindsight we should have asked for advice at a Post Office but we thought

- wrongly

- we'd be ok waiting for the new new V5C.

I'm assuming they have refunded him for all of August and we were expected to back date our tax payments.

I'm happy to pay but this but have no idea how to and still can't get through to the dvla.