Is it just me missing the point>>>>> no where I've posted have responded

UK 1/10/14 - road fund licence paper discs will no longer be supplied by the 'DVLA' - saves oodles of dosh in admin, post and printing paper slips to display in the windscreen

BUT -- private sellers are going to have issues

* 'tax disc' - any remaining value goes back to the registered keep on sale - OK so far - just adjust the sale price of the vehicle
* scenario - I've agreed to buy a pre-owned car from a private seller - got the cash - want to take it now
* BUT - at the point of sale the car becomes untaxed
* OK lets tax it on line
* Problem 1 - the car has to be insured - you cannot in the UK drive a car on '3rd party insurance' unless it is insured by the owner
* OK lets say it is still insured in the sellers name - a request to tax it will be in the sellers name which he cannot transfer
* OK let's insure it - DONE - all sorted Er NO - takes 48 hours to be recorded on the DVLA before you can then 'tax' it
* possible workaround is ---- seller agrees to keep their insurance valid (if they've already got another new car and transferred the insurance this will not work) for say 24 hours and as DVLA won't get the 'sold' advice for 3-4 days via postal services (Q - why is this bit of the transaction not computerised as well - OK if you declare SORN - statutory off road notification but stuffed in a sale situation) then you may just about about remain legal possibly to drive it home but I for one won't be risking £1000 fine and 6 out of a maximum 12 penalty points on my licence to buy a replacement car - I'll simply deduct the cost of heavy duty trailer hire £100 per day + additional fuel from the sale price

OR

Have I got this totally wrapped around my neck

You tax & insure it with the New Owners chit from the V5

:yeahthat:
I hadn't given it any thought yet but as posted above you could get taxed at the post office like you can now, but just not get a paper disc, then you get insured?

Or ask the seller to drive the car to where you need it and give them a lift back ;-)

The gov.uk website did say something on this, might be worth a look!

2nd response a good point well made - maybe I'm fearing the worst and thinking IF I buy a second hand car privately it will likely be in the evening when PO's are closed and zillions of miles away from home

You can still do it online - if you were to get caught in the time between buying the car and the owners database being updated - don't worry. By the time you receive notification of it, the records will more than likely be updated...with the date of purchase being the start date.

You can tax it and insure it with a smartphone over a coffee sat in Maccies.

Honestly, I think you are just fearing the worst. Whilst it's not unheard of for the Government to try and screw the people...let's face it - by the time they're through their own bureaucracy (even without it, they're not that quick!) you'll be down as the registered owner.

This year, my Dad forgot to tax the car. Suddenly realised a week & half late - taxed it online and never heard anything about deiving for 2 weeks with no tax/SORN. Doubt that dropping the tax disc will speed them up at all