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Car Tax Check: Free Road Tax Checker

Car tax, officially known as Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), is a mandatory fee that all vehicle owners must pay to drive their vehicles on public roads legally. A Road tax check ensures that you are up to date with your payments and your vehicle remains roadworthy. Check now for free!

What is a Road Tax Check?

A road tax check is a simple process for verifying a vehicle’s tax status in the UK. It involves confirming the vehicle’s registration number, checking whether the required tax has been paid, and determining the tax expiry date.

This free check helps to ensure that vehicles are legally allowed to be driven on public roads. With this check, you can find out when a tax payment is due, but a detailed report can give you even more information about the tax status and rate.

This includes:

VED current validity
VED days remaining
VED expiry date
MOR SORN in place
Standard and premium VED rates for six months and twelve months

Why Do You Need a Road Tax Check?

Simply put, it is illegal to drive in the UK without road tax, and it could lead to various fines. These are reasons to check your vehicle’s taxation status:

Legal compliance

Driving without valid road tax is illegal and can result in fines of up to £1,000 if it is booked into court. If this happens, DVLA will always look for cars on the highway without any Vehicle Excise Duty so that untaxed ones can be either clamped or impounded.

Avoiding penalties

When you fail to renew your tax on time, you face penalties, such as an initial £80 fine, which increases if not paid promptly. To stay compliant, it’s best to renew before the expiration date.

Transferring Ownership

When buying or selling a car, transferring ownership requires both parties to ensure that the road tax remains valid. Unpaid tax can complicate the transfer process.

Returning a Vehicle to the Road

If your car has been declared off-road (SORN), you must re-tax it before driving it again, even if the tax was previously paid.

How to Check Road Tax Status Online?

Several tools, including ours, allow you to check the road tax status of any vehicle online and for free. To get a road tax check with Smart Car Check, these are the steps you need to follow:

Enter the vehicle registration number in the form on the page.
Click the “Check Vehicle” button to initiate the search.
View the tax status, indicating whether the vehicle is taxed or not.
You can also check the tax expiry date to ensure the vehicle remains compliant.

Alongside the road tax status, we will also show you the MOT status of the vehicle and the vehicle specifications for free. Some data shown here are:

Alternatively, you can get a road tax check using the official GOV.UK vehicle enquiry service. To get a check, visit the website and enter your vehicle’s registration number. There, you can learn about road tax regulations and requirements.

What is Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)?

SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification. It is a declaration made to the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) when a vehicle is taken off the road and not used or kept on public highways.

For example, you need to make a SORN to keep the vehicle in a garage, on a driveway, or on private land without using it on public roads. By making a SORN, vehicle owners can stop paying road tax and avoid the legal requirement for insurance while the vehicle is off the road.

Checking the SORN status of a used vehicle is important for the following reasons:

Avoiding fines: A vehicle without SORN and road tax is eligible for an automatic £80 fine. If you continue to drive the vehicle without a SORN, you could incur fines of up to £2,500.
Legal compliance: Ensuring your vehicle is correctly declared off the road helps you comply with UK laws and prevent potential legal issues.
Tax refunds: If you declare SORN while you still have time left on your road tax, you can reclaim the remaining amount, but only for full months.

Vehicle Excise Duty (Road Tax) Rates

The amount of vehicle tax depends on several factors:

CO2 Emissions

Vehicles with lower emissions typically incur lower tax rates. For instance, cars emitting less than 100g/km of CO2 may qualify for reduced or zero tax.

Fuel Type

Diesel vehicles not meeting the latest emissions standards may face higher tax rates than petrol or alternative fuel vehicles.

List Price

Vehicles with an original list price exceeding £40,000 incur an additional tax charge for the first five years after registration.

Our tool also allows you to find a vehicle’s VED rates and current tax status. You can check the standard and premium rates for six and twelve months.

Road Tax Renewal and Payment

If your vehicle tax is expired or due, you will typically receive a reminder from the DVLA. When you get this reminder, it is important that you make the necessary payment as soon as possible to avoid being fined or going against the law.

You can use any of the following payment methods to renew your vehicle’s tax:

Pay online through the DVLA website.
Set up a direct debit for monthly or annual payments.
Pay in person at a Post Office using cash, debit, or credit cards.

One recommendation is to set reminders and renew your taxes at least two months before expiry. Also, check for exemptions to see if you qualify for any.

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Car History Reports For Much More Information!

A free check gives you tax status and expiry dates, but a vehicle history report provides much more history records and data to help you make the right choices. View all of these records with a car history report.

Outstanding Finances	Insurance Written Off	Stolen Records	Color Changes	High-Risk Records
Vehicle Specifications	Vehicle Log Book Details	Number of Previous Keepers	Number of Plate Changes	Mileage Records
SMMT Details	MOT Status/History	Tax/VED Rates	Exported	Recalls (When Available)
Scrapped	Imported/Imported Non-EU	Certificate of Destruction Issued	Electric Vehicle Charging Data	ULEZ Compliance
Running Costs	Vehicle Performance	Fuel Economy	CO2 Emissions	VED Band

Outstanding Finances	Insurance Written Off
Stolen Records	Color Changes
High-Risk Records	Vehicle Specifications
Vehicle Log Book Details	Number of Previous Keepers
Number of Plate Changes	Mileage Records
SMMT Details	MOT Status/History
Tax/VED Rates	Exported
Recalls (When Available)	Scrapped
Imported/Imported Non-EU	Certificate of Destruction Issued
Electric Vehicle Charging Data	ULEZ Compliance
Running Costs	Vehicle Performance
Fuel Economy	CO2 Emissions
VED Band

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I check my car's road tax expiry date?

You can check your car’s road tax expiry date by visiting the Smart Car Check reg number check tool. This way, you can gain full access to your vehicle’s tax information. If you need a free car check, you can utilize the DVLA website. However, the results from a free tax check will not be as comprehensive as our concise reports.

How do I renew my road tax?

You can renew your road tax online, by phone, or at a post office. To renew online, you need to visit the DVLA’s website (gov.uk) and follow the instructions. You will need your vehicle’s registration number, MOT test number (if applicable), and a valid insurance policy.

What happens if I don't renew my car's road tax?

If you don’t check the car tax and renew it, you may be fined, receive penalty points on your license, or even have your vehicle clamped or seized. It is a legal requirement to have a valid road tax to use your vehicle on public roads in the UK.

Can I get a refund on my car's road tax?

If you sell your car or take it off the road (SORN), you may be eligible for a road tax refund for any full month of remaining tax. To claim a refund, you need to notify the DVLA of the sale or SORN status and provide the vehicle’s registration certificate (V5C).

Is road tax the same as car insurance?

No, road tax and car insurance are two separate things. Road tax is a tax that you pay to use your vehicle in the UK, while car insurance is a policy that protects you financially if you are involved in an accident or your car is stolen. Both are legal requirements for using a vehicle on public roads in the UK.

Do you pay road tax on electric cars?

In the UK, electric cars that produce zero emissions are exempt from road tax, also known as vehicle excise duty (VED). This exemption was introduced to encourage people to switch to cleaner, more environmentally friendly vehicles. However, electric vehicles with a list price of over £40,000 are subject to a supplementary luxury car tax for the first five years of registration, which is currently £335 per year. This means that if an electric car’s list price exceeds £40,000, the owner will need to pay the supplementary tax in addition to the standard road tax if they wish to drive the car on public roads.