The DVLA issued a new warning to drivers on Wednesday, telling them ‘don’t risk it’. The message centred on vehicle tax.
The authority, which is responsible for dealing with the road tax on millions of vehicles across the UK, reminded drivers to renew their tax before it runs out. This can be done online, over the phone or at a Post Office.
In a tweet on Wednesday, it simply said: “Remember to pay your vehicle tax before it runs out. Do it online at: http://gov.uk/dvla/tax. #TaxItDontRiskIt#DVLADigital ”
DVLA vehicle tax explained
Officially known as Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), most vehicles in the UK have to pay it. How much you have to pay depends on what type of vehicle you are driving – or riding – and other factors such as its age, or how much it pollutes the air. Some vehicles, such as historic cars, are exempt. However, even exempt vehicles will still need to be taxed, even if it doesn’t cost anything.
Rates vary considerably. As described by the RAC, the more emissions a vehicle produces, the more VED its owner will pay. Cars registered after March 1, 2001, have their tax calculated based on their CO2 emissions. This information is taken from the manufacturer’s CO2 emissions figures and is then broken down into different bands.
Of these bands, A is the lowest and M is the highest. CO2 emissions are worked out on the amount emitted per kilometre, known as g/km. Older cars registered before March 1, 2001, have their tax based on the engine size of the vehicle in question.
The full rates can be found on the UK government website and vary from year to year. They currently range from £0 per year for ‘clean’ vehicles such as EVs, up to £2,745 a year for heavily polluting vehicles.
How to renew car tax and penalties for not having tax
The simplest way to keep your car taxed these days is online via the gov.ukwebsite. Payment can be made with a credit card or with direct debit. Using direct debit means your car will keep being taxed on a rolling basis, ensuring you never need to worry about remembering to renew each year. Those not wanting to tax their car online can phone the DVLA on 0300 123 4321 or go to a Post Office.
It’s important to remember that vehicles need to be taxed even if there’s a £0 ‘fee’. It may be free, but it still needs to be done. If your car is off the road for an extended period of time, it can be declared SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification). This tells the DVLA that the car is off the road and is not in use. This means there is no tax to pay, but the car must remain off the public highway.
Not taxing your car can result in a myriad of penalties. These range up to as much as £2,500 or five times the amount of tax chargeable, whichever is greater, if you use an untaxed vehicle on the road. A vehicle must either be taxed or declared SORN – if you don’t do either, you face penalties.