How To Check Whether Your Car Is Taxed

An 8-step guide to checking your vehicles tax status

Whether you call it ‘road tax’, ‘car tax’, or the proper name, ‘Vehicle Excise Duty’ (VED), vehicle tax is something we all have to pay.

For car owners, it is just another necessary expenditure that allows us to keep our cars on the road, like servicing or taking out car insurance. But how do you know when to tax your car and if it’s been taxed successfully? Read on to find out more.

What is car tax?

Car tax or road tax is an annual fee that vehicle owners must pay for parking or driving their cars on public roads in the UK. The taxation on vehicles is just one of the ways in which the government collects tax, alongside income tax or inheritance tax. 

Every driver must purchase tax for their car on an annual basis. This money is then pooled into a central government fund, which is used for projects such as road maintenance, (EG: pothole repair) that benefit all road users.

How much car tax will I pay?

Car tax will vary for different vehicles. The two primary factors that determine what band your car tax will fall under are:

• Your car’s age
• The emission levels of your car

Car tax exemptions

Some vehicles are exempt, including vehicles made before 1st January 1985, disabled passenger vehicles, vehicles used by a disabled person, and agricultural vehicles. Electric vehicles used to be exempt too but, as of the 1st of April 2025, they now also have to pay a tax of £10 in the first year, along with low-emission vans and motorbikes, before switching to the standard VED rate. 

Car tax rates

On the other hand, some vehicles must pay several hundred pounds of car tax each year.

• Cars registered before 1 March 2001: Tax is based on engine size. Vehicles with engines up to 1,549 cc pay a lower rate, while those above this threshold pay a higher rate.
• Cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017: Tax is based on the car’s official CO2 emissions. The lower the emissions, the lower the annual tax band.
• Cars registered on or after 1 April 2017: In the first year, tax is calculated using CO2 emissions. From the second year onwards, a standard flat rate applies (£195 as of 2025).

You can find out exactly how much your road tax will cost with GOV.UK’s Road Tax Calculator or by using our handy guide below. We also have a guide on how to pay your car tax.

How to check if your car is taxed

Keeping on top of your vehicle tax is essential if you want to remain on the right side of the law. If you’ve declared your car off the road (SORN), it’s just as important to make sure the registration has gone through correctly.

You might also need to double-check the tax status if you’ve recently bought a car, or even if a friend or family member has borrowed yours. Whatever the reason, knowing how to check your car tax is simple, and there are two main ways to do it.

1. Get a dealer to check if your car is taxed

You can ask a registered dealer to check whether your car is taxed or not. Dealers have access to the registration database of the government, so they can help you find out whether your car is taxed.

All you have to do is use their website to log in and enter your car’s details. Then, you can see a history of information about your car. Sometimes, this is free (EG: We Buy Any Car), other times there is a small fee. Be careful, though, not all dealers are legitimate.

2. Use the Government’s Vehicle Enquiry Service to check your car tax 

You can also check whether your car is taxed by using the free Vehicle Enquiry Service run by the Government. Make sure you have your registration number handy - this is all you’ll need to get started. You may also want to dig out the 11-digit reference number from your vehicle log book (V5C), as this is required if you want to check the current tax rates for your vehicle.

The Government’s tax checker allows you to find out the following things about your car: 

• Whether your car is taxed or successfully SORN.
• The date your car tax is due.
• The current tax rate options that apply to the vehicle.
• The MOT status of your car and when the next test is required (though, you can use our MOT reminder service for this, too).
• The make, colour, body type, and registration date of your vehicle.
• Technical details such as CO2 emissions, fuel type, and engine size (cc) for your vehicle.

Simply navigate to the Check Vehicle Tax page, press “Start Now”, type in your registration number, and click continue to be met with tax and MOT status - above a list of all of your car’s features. 

Stay compliant with Kwik Fit

It’s never been easier to check whether your car is taxed in order to stay on the right side of the law - and it pays to be doubly sure. 

But there are also plenty of other legalities to consider when owning a car; your tyres must have a tread depth of over 1.6mm, and you must have a recent MOT certificate.

Luckily for you, Kwik Fit can help with all of these things. Get in touch with your local Kwik Fit centre, book in for a free tyre check or vehicle safety check, and keep up to date with regular servicing at Kwik Fit.