HOW MUCH IS MY CAR TAX?

Checking whether your car is taxed isn't the most exciting way to spend your time. But, given that summer is (finally!) on its way, giving rise to the idea of hitting the road and heading off on holiday, it's worth checking whether your car is taxed, and keeping tabs on exactly how much you spend on your car tax year-on-year.

Did you know, for example, that car owners with the highest emissions typically receive the steepest hikes in car tax? Or that you still have to tax your car even if there's no tax to pay?

Knowing exactly how much car tax you have to pay with your current car will help you cope with other motoring costs, such as rising petrol prices or the cost of car insurance, and you'll know where to cut back and whether perhaps it's time to consider buying a new (electric?) model...

Here's everything you need to know about car tax!

How do I check if my car is taxed?

Once you have the registration number (ie the number plate of a car), you can check if a vehicle is taxed online. Simply enter the car's registration, confirm the make and colour, and then it will tell you whether the car is taxed, when the tax runs out, and also when the MOT is next due on that car.

If you want to check the current tax rates you will need the 11-digit reference number from your car's logbook (V5C). Remember it can take up to two working days for the records to update.

How often is my car tax due?

Your car needs to be taxed every year but it can be paid in a single payment for the whole year, once every six months or monthly.

How to tax your car online

Tax your car, motorcycle or other vehicle using a reference number from:

• a recent vehicle tax reminder (V11) or ‘last chance’ warning letter from DVLA
• your vehicle log book (V5C) – it must be in your name
• the green ‘new keeper’ slip from a log book if you’ve just bought it

How to tax your car at the Post Office

Go to a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax. If there is tax to pay then you'll need to take the means to pay or your bank or building society account details to set up a Direct Debit.

You will also need to take one of the following:

• your vehicle log book (V5C) in your name
• the green ‘new keeper’ slip from a log book, if you’ve just bought it

If you don’t have any of these, you’ll need to apply for a new V5C. Fill out a V62 form, which you can buy for £25 at the Post Office.

You might also need to show evidence of an MOT (it must be valid when the tax starts) such as a screenshot of your vehicle’s MOT history or your MOT certificate.

Is my vehicle exempt from tax?

Some vehicles are exempt from vehicle tax which means you still have to tax your vehicle but there will be no charge. Vehicles exempt from car tax include:

• classic cars aged 40 years or older
• electric cars (not hybrids)
• agricultural vehicles used in farming such as tractors
• a vehicle used by a disabled person if they are claiming a disability benefit
• cars which were registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 and produce less that 100g/km of CO2 are exempt from car tax, including petrol, diesel and hybrid cars

How much is my car tax?

If you are a new car buyer then you will pay road tax based on the system that was first introduced on 1 April 2017. Check the Government's vehicle tax rates here. However, if your car has already been registered, then apart from inflationary increases, a car's road tax doesn't change once it's on the road.

Zero-emission electric cars will cost you nothing to tax. For petrol and diesel cars the more CO2 a car emits per kilometre, the greater the increase in road tax.

Cars registered on or after 1 April 2017 pay tax the first year based on the carbon dioxide emissions of the vehicle. Subsequent tax payments are determined by the fuel type.

If your car was registered between March 1 2001 and March 31 2017, the rate of vehicle tax is based on fuel type and CO2 emissions. CO2 emission details are shown on the car’s V5C registration certificate.

From April 1 2021, only electric cars are exempt from paying car tax with the first-year rate of car tax based on CO2 emissions.

Am I entitled to a tax refund?

If you have sold your car or you have taken it off the road (known as a statutory off road declaration or SORN), or it has been stolen, written off, scrapped or exported, you are entitled to a vehicle tax refund for any full months of remaining tax. Your vehicle tax will be cancelled by DVLA and you'll get a refund cheque, sent to the name and address on the vehicle log book. If you pay by Direct Debit, it will be cancelled automatically.

2024-06-03T14:51:46Z dg43tfdfdgfd