Car Tax & MOT due

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I received a reminder today that my car tax is due to renew at the start of June. The MOT expires on 31st May and I can't get a test while the centres are closed. I understood that the UK government had declared an extension of 6 months for MOTs during the Covid outbreak. I tried to renew my tax today believing that the MOT would have been extended but it failed because I didn't have a valid MOT. What is going on?

Is anyone out there in the same situation and has more info?

 Yanis Nayu 06 May 2020
In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

Yes, you have to wait until after the mot auto- extends and then tax the car. Worked for my daughter’s car tax. 

1
 charliesdad 06 May 2020
In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

Had exactly the same problem, but a few phone calls found a local MOT testing centre which had re-opened, because they couldn’t afford to stay shut. Hopefully you’ll find similar near you.

4
russellcampbell 06 May 2020
In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

Your MOT will be extended nearer the MOT renewal date. I had the same problem. To save any problem the garage I use picked up my car and took it away to be serviced and MOT-ed. [I wiped it all down before being picked up and after it was brought back.] This garage has been very good to me over the years and was struggling for custom. 

I've heard rumours that insurance companies might be awkward about insuring cars which have had MOT extended. - Or might not pay out in the event of an accident if car with extended MOT was not judged to be road-worthy.

Post edited at 21:13
2
 Luke90 06 May 2020
In reply to russellcampbell:

> Or might not pay out in the event of an accident if car with extended MOT was not judged to be road-worthy.

I think that's probably true but not unique to special MOT extensions. Insurance companies would probably quibble any time that they thought lack of maintenance caused an accident, regardless of MOT status.

 deepsoup 06 May 2020
In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

> Is anyone out there in the same situation and has more info?

I'm in the same boat with my motorbike.  Apparently the MoT will automatically be extended by 6-months a week before it's due - after which it will be possible to renew the tax online.  (But not before.)

 deepsoup 06 May 2020
In reply to Yanis Nayu:

> Worked for my daughter’s car tax. 

Glad to hear it's working.  I was a bit sceptical when I read about it.

 krikoman 06 May 2020
In reply to charliesdad:

> Had exactly the same problem, but a few phone calls found a local MOT testing centre which had re-opened, because they couldn’t afford to stay shut. Hopefully you’ll find similar near you.


Ours never shut, isn't Halfords open too?

 Dax H 07 May 2020
In reply to Yanis Nayu:

> Yes, you have to wait until after the mot auto- extends and then tax the car. Worked for my daughter’s car tax. 

Didn't work for one of our vans, Mot and Tax ran out on the 31st. We missed it due to short staff etc and realised on the 5th but was unable to tax without a valid Mot. Maybe because its a 3 year old van on its first Mot but it definitely didn't get an extension. 

 Glug 07 May 2020
In reply to Dax H:

I have a 3 year old van and it auto renewed the MOT, if you go to the Government MOT check website it tells you to contact them if it hasn't renewed in the week before the old MOT expires.

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

Thanks for all your responses on this - I will try again nearer to the expiry date.

I have a service plan at the garage where I bought the car and they are only doing key workers cars so I don't want to go elsewhere.

russellcampbell 07 May 2020
In reply to Luke90:

> > Or might not pay out in the event of an accident if car with extended MOT was not judged to be road-worthy.

> I think that's probably true but not unique to special MOT extensions. Insurance companies would probably quibble any time that they thought lack of maintenance caused an accident, regardless of MOT status.

Good point.

 Neil Williams 07 May 2020
In reply to Luke90:

> I think that's probably true but not unique to special MOT extensions. Insurance companies would probably quibble any time that they thought lack of maintenance caused an accident, regardless of MOT status.

Agreed.  You are responsible legally and contractually (to your insurance company) to keep your car fully roadworthy at all times, not just once a year.  The MoT system is just a check and balance to take into account that quite a lot of people would be more than a little negligent about that fact otherwise.

 kylos8048 07 May 2020
In reply to Glug:

Vehicles that never had an MOT (so 3/4 year old ones due their first) can't get an extension. Or at least that was the issue when the Northern Ireland MOT centres closed to to lift failures. 

Post edited at 10:32
 Glug 07 May 2020
In reply to kylos8048:

As I said mine has just renewed and won't need an MOT until November, so maybe you should double check the Government website 😉

 Dax H 07 May 2020
In reply to Glug:

We just got it motd instead. Less faf and it keeps the mot in line with the tax. 

 RedFive 07 May 2020
In reply to Dax H:

They will all be open next week onwards  

Were not legally mandated to be closed anyway. 

1
 Ceiriog Chris 07 May 2020
In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

Mine was due at the end of April and I wasn't aware of the extension thing, I just booked it into Kwik fit as normal (it passed  

 Glug 07 May 2020
In reply to Dax H:

That's fair enough and I wasn't suggesting it was the only option, I just wanted to put the record straight that it should auto renew, even on a three year old vehicle.


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