Is it possible to tax a car which is already getting taxed without telling the person who’s taxed it?

[CovidCorvid]

Don’t even know how to explain this.

A friend owns a car, in their name. A relative of theirs pays the car tax by monthly direct debit.

Friend wants to start paying the tax themselves but not tell the relative what they’re doing as they think it will all kick off. But I don’t think it’s possible looking at the dvla website. Seems like the person paying the tax has to cancel the direct debit?

Friend is worried that relative is going to stop paying and not tell them. Is the best idea just to keep looking every month to make sure it’s still taxed?

If they’re worried the relative will stop paying can’t they ask them or just tell them they’ll take over the payments?

Or ring DVLA and say they need to change the direct debit details?

I don't understand how someone who is kind enough to pay tax on a vehicle they don't own would kick off if the subject was broached. Your friend just needs to say they're going to take on the bill, and tell the relative they can cancel the direct debit.

Can you go online and ‘update’ bank details?

Or wait till renewal time and update details then.

Is it being paid by a direct debit for awhile now and your friend is worried that when the other person notices they'll stop? Or is it more if a difficult relationship that the friend is having to "play nice" and this (and perhaps other things) is held over them?

@ClaryFairchild

Is it being paid by a direct debit for awhile now and your friend is worried that when the other person notices they'll stop? Or is it more if a difficult relationship that the friend is having to "play nice" and this (and perhaps other things) is held over them?

Yes. Friend doesn’t want relative to notice anything has changed so I don’t think it will work. Obviously they’d notice a direct debit had been stopped. Friend is “getting their ducks in a row” and wants to swap it before leaving. I think they need to leave and then sort it.

Sounds like a wife wanting to leave the husband and not alert him to anything that would make him suspicious.

If that is the case, then she should wait until she's left and then take the steps needed to change the road tax to her own name.

They send an email to the person who set up the original direct debit if there are any changes. I've had this happen when we changed the bank account the car tax got paid from.

I think they need to leave and then sort it.

I agree, leave then sort it, she’ll need to contact DVLA to update her address details too so can do it in one go once she’s left.

Leave it and check each month - your friend will need the log book to set up a new DD when the old one is cancelled.