DVLA tax warning as drivers must do one thing or risk fines 'even if you don't have to pay'

Sarah Barltrop & Elysia Taylor-Hearn
·2-min read
Drivers must ensure their cars are correctly taxed - or face large fines
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


Drivers must check that their motoring documents are up-to-date ahead of changes next year, the DVLA has warned.

Motorists could be hit with a maximum fine of £2,500 if a vehicle is untaxed and not declared off-road (SORN).

Owners of the most polluting vehicles could pay up to £5,490 more in tax under Chancellor Rachel Reeves' new Budget, ahead of the 2035 ban on petrol and diesel car sales.

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The rates for cars, motorbikes, and vans, including hybrid motors that are less than one-year-old, will rise from the April 1, 2025, Birmingham Live reports.

Taking to Twitter, the DVLA wrote: "You must tax your vehicle, even if you don't have to pay anything. #TaxItDontRiskIt DVLADigital"

To do this, drivers will need a reference number from a recent vehicle tax reminder letter, a vehicle log book (V5C) or the green "new keeper" slip from a log book.

Man driving a car
The DVLA told drivers they must tax their car "even if you don't have to pay anything" -Credit:Getty Images

Last year, the DVLA launched the "driver and vehicles account" on its website to centralise documents, the Scottish Daily Express reports.

Drivers can use this account to access their driving records, penalty points, MOT status, vehicle tax and the Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

Under Reeves' new tax changes, owners of fully electric vehicles who currently pay a low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rate of 2% will see their payments increase to 5% by 2027/28. This will continue to rise by 2% every year until 29/30.

Meanwhile, the taxing system for hybrid vehicles is set to change significantly.

New rates will be based solely on CO2 emissions rather than the current consideration of zero-emission mileage. Excluding first year rates, vehicles emitting between one and 50 grams of CO2 per kilometre will pay up to 18% more tax in 2028/29 and 19% more tax in 2029/30.

Rates for all other vehicle bands will increase by 1 percentage point annually during these years, with maximum charges reaching 38% and 39%. For first-year rates, zero-emission cars will pay the lowest tax of £10 until 2029/30.

Taxes for cars that release 1-50 grams of CO2 per kilometre, including hybrid vehicles, will increase from £10 to £110 for 2025-26, while cars emitting more than 76 grams of CO2 per kilometre will see the rate double.

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