Can I tax my car without an MOT?
You cannot tax your car without an MOT - it is against the law, and in most cases, it will cause your insurance to be invalidated.
Why do I need an MOT to tax my car?
Your vehicle tax isn't used for road maintenance - instead, it is an 'excise duty', which is a tax on services that damage the environment or consumer health. As part of your MOT checks, the tests also consider your car's environmental impact to the atmosphere. The amount of carbon emissions your car releases is factored into the overall tax amount you pay.
It is required by UK law that you must have an MOT conducted on your car every year at a certified garage after the vehicle is over three years old. This is to ensure your car fits the legal driving standards. You cannot continue on the roads until you have fixed any flagged issues during an MOT test.
However, if your car fails its MOT, and you do not wish to continue driving it, you can reclaim unused road tax. You will still have to pay tax in the months when your certificate was valid - but not any time after that.
Will I get an MOT extension because of the COVID pandemic?
At the beginning of the pandemic, the government allowed a six-month extension. However, these time allowances stopped on the 1st of August 2020 - and there have not been any more since. It is recommended to book your car in for its MOT as early as possible, as there has been a backlog of customers waiting for garage services due to the pandemic.
Do I need a valid MOT certificate to renew my insurance?
The answer mainly depends on your insurance policy - the majority of policies will become invalid if your MOT is expired, which essentially means you are breaking the law twice. You will also not be able to claim the insurance on your expired MOT.
However, in some policies, not having an MOT at the time of your claim does not affect your policy. Instead, it will be up to the insurer's discretion to conduct their investigations and decide whether to accept your claim.
If your car is due its MOT, pop into a local garage today. For any additional information, contact our helpful team.
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