Car Tax Check

The amount of car tax you owe depends on various factors such as the make and model of your vehicle, its emission levels, and its fuel type and is calculated based on the car’s CO2 emissions and fuel type.

In the United Kingdom, car tax is typically due annually and must be renewed before the end of the previous tax period. If you have a new car, the first payment is due within the first six months of ownership. To find out the specific due date for your car tax please use our free car tax check tool.

To tax your car, motorcycle or other vehicle in the United Kingdom, you can choose from several options: online, at a Post Office, or by phone.

To pay, you can use either a debit or credit card, or set up a Direct Debit. You will need to have a reference number from a recent reminder, your vehicle log book, or a green ‘new keeper’ slip from a log book if you have just bought the vehicle.

If you do not have any of these documents, you will need to apply for a new log book.

You will also need to meet all legal obligations for drivers before you can drive. If your vehicle is exempt from tax, such as if you are disabled, you still need to tax it.

To tax your vehicle at a Post Office, you will need the payment, your bank or building society account details, and either your vehicle log book or the green ‘new keeper’ slip from a log book.

You may also need an MOT test certificate if it is not updated in the system yet.

In Northern Ireland, you will also need an insurance certificate or cover note in paper form. If your vehicle is off the road, you can register it as such and do not need to tax it.

To cancel your vehicle tax, you must inform DVLA that the vehicle has been sold, transferred, taken off the road, written off by insurance, scrapped, stolen, exported, or registered as exempt.

You’ll automatically receive a refund cheque for any full months of remaining tax, sent to the name and address on the vehicle log book.

If you pay by Direct Debit, the Direct Debit will be cancelled automatically. The refund amount will be based on the lower of the first tax payment or the rate for the second payment onwards.

If your refund cheque is in the wrong name or doesn’t arrive after 8 weeks, contact DVLA at the address provided.

If you do not have your vehicle log book (V5C) you will need to apply for a new one from the DVLA in order to tax your vehicle.

Without a V5C, you will not be able to tax your car. If you have recently bought the vehicle and have the green “new keeper” slip from the log book, you can use that to tax your car at a Post Office that deals with vehicle tax or through the DVLA vehicle tax service.

If you do not have any of these documents, you will need to apply for a new log book before you can tax your vehicle.

The tax band for a car in the UK is determined by its CO2 emissions, as determined by official tests. To find out the tax band for your specific car, you can check the UK government’s vehicle tax rate table which is updated annually. This table provides the tax rate for each CO2 emissions band, and you can use your car’s registration number to find the CO2 emissions rating for your vehicle.

If you have recently purchased the car and do not have the CO2 emissions information, it can typically be found on the vehicle log book (V5C) or on the manufacturer’s website.

In the UK, cars become tax exempt when they are at least 40 years old and have not been substantially changed from their original specification.

To qualify for tax exemption, the car must also meet other criteria such as emissions and roadworthiness standards. This tax exemption applies to vehicles that are used for historical or classic car events, displays, and tours. 

Your car tax runs out at the end of the period you paid for, typically either 6 or 12 months.

Use our car tax status tool to check when your car tax runs out.

You’ll need to renew your car tax before it runs out if you want to continue to drive your vehicle legally on public roads in the UK.