Since we lost paper tax discs more than 10 years ago, it’s become harder to keep track of when your tax is due, or even just remember you’re supposed to tax your car at all!
And if you’re using a service like meet and greet parking at the airport — or a car park that requires you to leave your keys — it’s important that the chauffeur is driving a properly taxed and MOT’d car!
There are loads of services that say they’ll help you sort your car tax, but the only way to officially check tax is through the gov.uk website.
Any other websites that claim they can do it for you are just taking extra money off you for something you can do yourself!
We’ll take you through the whole DVLA tax check process to show you just how easy it is! This blog uses screenshots from GOV.UK under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
For more help with car admin, visit our guide to changing the address on your driving licence, or find out if it’s really illegal to drive with your interior light on.
1) Access the Government Road Tax Checker
Head over to gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax and you’ll see something like the below:
2) Enter Your Registration Number
Input your car’s number plate into the box and then click continue.
3) Check the Information They Have is Correct
You should be able to see at a glance if the database lists the correct car for your number plate. If not, check you’ve put the right registration, and if the information is still incorrect, you should report the error along with your log book to:
CCG
DVLA
Swansea
SA99 1BA
However, if everything looks good, select Yes and Continue.
4) If You’re All Up-to-Date…
The next screen you’ll see will hopefully look similar to the above. The MOT box will typically tell you the date of expiry of your vehicle’s MOT, which is also an added bonus! This way you can plan accordingly and get it booked in.
I have removed my vehicle registration just for privacy purposes, so this will normally appear in the yellow box.
5) If You’re Not Up-to-Date…
If everything isn’t up-to-date with your car, you could see a number of things on the next screen, depending on what you’re required to do next.
The screenshot above is from an old car that has been declared off-the-road. As you can see, its MOT has expired, which you would need to sort if you would like to start driving it again.
However, the green SORN box shows that it has been legally declared it off the road, and therefore it is exempt from tax.
If you’ve simply let your tax lapse, you’ll see a red box on the left with the date of expiry.
Although your car’s tax should be renewed before expiration, there’s no time like the present! You can pay for car tax in monthly, six-monthly or annual instalments, and making sure you’re taxed will help you avoid a nasty four-figure fine!
Curious about cars? Check out SkyParkSecure‘s list of car hacks, tips to stay cool while driving, and what your car says about you!
Main image: Ben Griffiths – Unsplash
