Car tax
Road tax
Getting Car Tax is a relatively easy task
Unfortunately, car ownership doesn’t end when you finally purchase a vehicle. There are a few things you need to be on top of, to be able to own and drive your car legally.
One of these legal requirements is the road tax. Road tax contributes towards maintaining roads.
Most cars these days are relatively low in road tax, but it’s still essential you factor in the cost.
Your car will need to be taxed every year. It’s illegal to drive an untaxed vehicle, and if caught, you will have to pay a fine. Don’t risk it – stay on top of your tax.
Here’s a quick rundown of how much tax you will pay, and how to pay!
I’ve not yet bought a car – how much tax will I pay?
Most cars these days are relatively low in road tax, but it’s still essential you factor in the cost.
Use Parkers to find out how much tax you’d pay on the car you’re interested in.
Your road tax depends on the CO2 emissions of your vehicle, so smaller-engined (newer) cars will have a road tax of £30, or sometimes even £0.
Hey did you know?
How do I pay my road tax?
It’s super easy these days to tax your vehicle. The best way to do so is online, on the DVLA website. To tax your car, simply enter a reference number from one of these documents:
- a recent reminder (V11) or ‘last chance’ warning letter from the DVLA
- your vehicle log book (V5C) – it must be in your name
• the green ‘new keeper’ slip from a logbook (if you’ve just bought the car) - You can pay your road tax outright for six months, the year, or pay it in 12 monthly instalments. Handy if you’d rather spread out the cost – just make sure to factor it into your monthly budget.
My car is £0 road tax – do I need to do anything?
Yes! Even if your car emissions are so low that you don’t have to pay road tax, you must follow the same steps as above.
You still technically tax the vehicle – it just doesn’t cost you anything. Don’t get caught out – you’ll face the same fines as someone who’s has a car costing £240 in road tax.
Warning!
What happens if you drive without valid car tax?
Being caught driving without road tax will result in an instant fine of £80 to the DVLA. Might not sound too bad, but remember that you could end up with a total fine of up to £1000 – or five times the annual road tax fee! Don’t be daft – pay your tax.
