How Do I Tax A New Car Before I Collect It?

Car tax payments are essential for all road-worthy vehicles in the UK. Through this blog post, we aim to learn how a new vehicle owner can tax their car before collecting it from a dealership. We will also discuss the registration process of a new car and how to get a new car taxed through the dealer from whom you’ve purchased the vehicle.

How Do I Tax A New Car Before I Collect It?

If you are buying a new car from a dealership, you can check with them if the car tax has already been paid before you collect it.

Most car dealerships will manage the registration of your car as well as the payment of your car tax for the first year. They will then include it in the total price of the vehicle that you are purchasing and inform you and you can expect your vehicle logbook to arrive in the next 6 weeks.

If the seller has not clarified these details to you, you should ask them whether the price of your car includes car tax or not.

If your car tax is not included in the price of the car, you will need to follow the below steps in order to have your car tax updated before you collect it and drive on public roads:

Register your new car (this includes imported and new kit cars as well) with the DVLA using the V55/4 form on their website.
If you need guidance on how to fill the V55/4 form, you can use the V355/4; also available on the DVLA website.
If you are registering an imported vehicle, you will need to inform the HMRC about the vehicle and its details (in case the dealer has not done so already).
Confirm your name and identity by sharing a copy of your photocard driving license along with the V55/4. Otherwise, you can also send a copy of your birth certificate or passport.
In order to confirm your postal address, you will need to add copies of utility bills or council tax bills along with your submission.
Once your application is processed (it usually takes 4 to 6 weeks) at the DVLA, they will send you your Vehicle Registration Certificate of V5C which mentions you as the registered keeper of the vehicle.

You must assure that the vehicle that you are purchasing is registered in your name before you collect it. If you are registering and taxing a vehicle for the first time, you will need to pay a fee of £55. You can pay this amount via cheque or postal order and send it to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BE.

How Do I Register A New Car?

If you need to register a new car, you should follow the below steps:

Firstly, the dealer or seller should complete the required sections in the vehicle logbook (section 2 for the new style log book and section 6 for the older style log book), sign the declaration and ask you to do the same, fill in the new keeper slip and hand it over to you and send the V5C/vehicle logbook to DVLA.

While the DVLA sends out new vehicle logbooks within 4 to 6 weeks; if you do not receive yours within this time period, you should inquire about the status of your V5C from the DVLA. Alternatively, you can fill in form V62 “Application for a vehicle registration certificate” and send it to the DVLA to register your vehicle. This form is available both online as well as at the nearest post office in your area that deals with car tax.

In addition to this, you should also send the new keeper’s slip or V5C/2 that you would have received from the seller/dealer. If you do not have this slip, you will be asked to pay a fine to the DVLA.

Once you receive your vehicle registration certificate, you should check the details mentioned in it for accuracy and inform the DVLA if you need any corrections to be done.

How Do I Get The Dealer To Tax My New Car?

If the car dealer who is selling a new car to you does not offer you offer to have your car tax paid, you can ask them to do so and provide them with the following documents for the purpose:

In this case, the dealer will require the following information to proceed with car tax payments:

Name of the vehicle owner
Address of the vehicle owner
V5C/2 registration or New Keeper Supplement of the vehicle

When someone buys a new car through a car dealership, the dealer usually arranges for the car tax to be paid, manages the paperwork on behalf of the car owner and adds the vehicle registration fee of £55 to the price of the car.

Car dealers can make car tax payments on your behalf in any of the following ways:

online
over the phone
at the local post office

Once your car tax is paid, the dealer will share your vehicle logbook or V5C registration certificate with you.

However, car tax payment is primarily the responsibility of the vehicle owner. Therefore, if the car dealer does not make car tax payment arrangements for you, you must make sure that your car tax is paid before your drive it away from the dealership premises. The same condition applies if you are purchasing a car privately.

Conclusion:

While car tax payments of new vehicles are taken care of by dealers in most cases, should that not be applicable in your situation, this article has shared the details of the registration and car tax payment process of a new vehicle. Primarily you would need to first register your car with the DVLA using a V55/4 application for first vehicle tax and registration of a new motor vehicle, provide supportive documents and wait for them to send your V5C showing that the car is registered to your name. You can then pay your car tax, arrange its insurance and drive it on public roads.

FAQs: How Do I Tax A New Car Before I Collect It?

Can I tax a car online if I have just bought it?

Yes, you can tax your car online if you’ve just bought it as long as you have your V5C. In the case of a brand new car, first, check with your dealer/seller if they have built-in the car tax with the price of the car. In the case of a second-hand car, you can use the 12-digit number that appears on your green slip (also termed as your V5C2 reference number) to pay your car tax.

Can I tax my car while waiting for the logbook?

Yes, you can tax your car while waiting for your car logbook. Payments can be made through local post offices registered for car tax. You may use a debit card, credit card or direct debit facility to make your car tax payment(s). You will need either your V11 reminder notice, a V62 logbook application form or a V5C/2 Green slip that is issued to new car owners while the ownership of their vehicle is transferred from the previous owner.

Can you drive a car home from a dealer without tax?

Unless you are driving your untaxed car to a pre-booked MOT test, you cannot drive an untaxed car on public roads. Therefore, it is best to make sure that your vehicle’s tax is paid before you drive it away from the car dealership site.

Can I drive a new car home without insurance?

No, you cannot drive your new car home without getting into legal trouble unless you have valid insurance in place. Therefore, it is advisable to have your registration and insurance in place before you drive a new car on public roads.