How do I tax a car as the new keeper?
As a new keeper, you need to tax the vehicle yourself before driving it — the previous owner's tax doesn't carry over, even if it hasn't expired yet.
What you'll need:
- The new keeper slip (usually the green "new keeper" section of the V5C logbook) from the seller, or the full V5C if it's already been updated
- The vehicle's registration number
- A valid form of payment, plus MOT and insurance already in place, since you'll need both to complete the tax application
How to do it:
- Use the reference number from the new keeper slip or V5C to tax the vehicle online, by phone, or at a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax
- Choose your payment schedule (annual, six-monthly, or monthly by Direct Debit)
- Confirm — tax typically becomes active from the start of the following month, or immediately in some online cases
If the seller hasn't given you a new keeper slip, you won't be able to tax the car until the V5C has been updated with your details, which is worth sorting out with the DVLA as early as possible to avoid delays.