Car Tax Check

Enter your reg to find out if a car is taxed, untaxed or on SORN. Also, find out how much it will cost to tax your car.

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Vehicle Identity Make, Model, Type... check check
Vehicle Details BHP, Engine, Max Speed... check check
Vehicle Specifications Dimensions, Economy Rating, Engine Spec... close check
Standard Factory Spec List Exterior & Interior Features close check
Tax Status & MOT History check check
Running Costs check check
Emission Zone Charges ULEZ & Clean Air Zone Compliance check check
Recall Alerts See if a vehicle has an outstanding recall check check
MOT Mileage Details Mileage records based on MOT check check
National Mileage Registry Readings from sources such as DVLA, Manufacturers & Garages. close check
Stolen Includes data from PNC & MIAFTR close check
Outstanding Finance Powered by Experian close check
Written-Off Identity if written off by insurer close check
Salvage History Check if a vehicle appeared at a salvage auction close check
Ex-Taxi, Ex-Police, Ex-NHS Check if a vehicle was used as an ex-taxi or for public services close check
Scrapped/Unscrapped close check
Exported/Imported close check
Mileage Alerts Detect mileage rollbacks close check
VIN Check VIN check to prevent cloning close check
Ownership History Timeline Check number of previous owners close check
Valuation 5 Band Valuation close check
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Guide to checking your vehicle’s car tax

Vehicle tax, vehicle excise duty or commonly known as road tax is the tax you must pay on a vehicle in order to use it on a public road. This tax is applicable to motor vehicles that include cars, vans, goods vehicles and motorcycles. Even though it is commonly referred to as “road tax”, not all road users (such as cyclists, pedestrians or horse riders) need to pay it.

Car tax is one of the legal obligations required to use a car on public roads in addition to being registered with the DVLA, having a valid MOT (if it needs one), roadworthy and the insurance.

What’s required to tax a car?

In order to tax your car, motorcycle or any other vehicle you will need either one of these:

  • A recent reminder (V11) or ‘last chance’ warning letter from DVLA
  • Your vehicle’s log book (V5C) – This must be in your name
  • The green ‘new keeper’ slip from a log book if you’ve just purchased it

If you don’t have one of these you will need to apply for a new log book from the DVLA.

All vehicles on the road must need to taxed even if it is exempt from road tax or if you don’t need to pay anything.

How much does it cost to tax my car?

The question might seem simple, but the answer isn’t. The quickest and easiest way to find out how much it costs to tax your car is by entering your vehicle’s registration number into our free car check. Based on your vehicle’s specification and emissions data we will calculate exactly how much your vehicle tax is and if you need to pay any additional rate of tax if the vehicle’s list price was over £40,000.

The alternative way is to refer to the government’s vehicle tax bands. As vehicle tax is dependent on several different factors, including how environmentally friendly the car is, what type of fuel it runs on and the engine size. You will need to gather this data and compare it against the rate table.

If you’re buying a high-end new car or used car an additional rate of tax will apply if the vehicle’s list price is over £40,000. You’ll pay an extra £325 in car tax for five years from the second time the car is taxed (unless you have a zero-emission vehicle). After the five-year period ends you will have to pay the normal road tax listed on the government’s vehicle tax band table. It’s easier to just enter your reg and check how much road tax costs using our free check service.

How to tax car?

The easiest way to tax your car is by doing it online using the official GOV.UK website. It takes only a few minutes and can be done 24 hours a day. You can also use the 24 hours phone service. More details can be found here.

The second option is to take your required documents and payment for car tax and visit your local post office.

How to get a refund for your vehicle’s road tax?

If you no longer own the vehicle or if it’s off the road you can cancel the vehicle tax and get a refund any full months of remaining tax. In order to cancel your tax you will need to contact the DVLA and let them know if:

  • You’ve sold or transferred the vehicle someone else
  • The vehicle has been taken off the road, for example you’re keeping it in a garage – this is called a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)
  • The vehicle has written off by your insurance company
  • You’ve scrapped the vehicle at a scrapyard
  • Your vehicle was stolen – you’ll have to apply for a refund separately
  • The vehicle was exported out of the UK
  • You’ve registered as exempt from vehicle tax

What is Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)?

If you decide to stop driving your vehicle, you will need to register its status as SORN. This is a legal obligation and you must notify the DVLA. If you declare the vehicle as SORN, you won’t need to pay for tax (VED) or insurance. You must keep the vehicle off public roads, this may be your driveway, garage or private land. if you stop paying for road tax, you must declare that your car is off the road using the SORN scheme, if you don’t you will automatically be fined £80 by the DVLA.

If you get caught driving with a car that is declared as SORN you may face a harsh penalty as the vehicle would be uninsured. You could be fined up to £1,000 and have your car clamped, seized or crushed.

How to check if a car is on SORN?

You can check if a vehicle is on SORN by using our free car check feature, simply enter your reg and we’ll let you know how much it will cost to tax a car, the tax status and handy running costs.

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