The DVLA has issued a new car tax warning to road users ahead of the New Year with motorists at risk of fines if they ignore the message.
The motoring experts urged road users to “tax their vehicle online” if it is due for renewal in the coming weeks.
With the excitement of Christmas and the anticipation of the New Year, it may be easier than ever to forget to tax a vehicle ahead of the deadline.
Everyone will have a different due date meaning agreements are likely to expire over the holidays.
The DVLA posted on social media site X: “You can tax your vehicle online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on http://gov.uk/dvla/tax. Do it now. #TaxItDontRiskIt #DVLADigital.”
The latest update comes just days after the DVLA confirmed that thousands of individuals had renewed their tax online on Christmas Day,
Earlier this week, they wrote: “How did you spend your Christmas day? 13,258 vehicles were taxed or SORN and 2305 people applied for their first provisional licence!
“Our online services are still available 7 days a week throughout the festive season – just go to https://gov.uk/browse/driving #DVLAdigital.”
According to GOV.UK, motorists who know they are exempt from paying fees still need to legally tax their vehicle.
This applies to older classic vehicles above the age of 40 due to the historic tax exemption scheme.
Some disabled motorists are also exempt while EVs are still not charged anything up until April 2025.
Failing to tax a vehicle is a major problem with road users likely to be issued severe penalties if caught out.
Drivers will receive a late licensing penalty (LLP) of around £80 which can be reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days.
Motorists who continue to ignore the rules will be slapped with a £1,000 fine or five times the amount of tax chargeable, whichever is greater.
Vehicles can also be clamped by law enforcement officers with additional fees payable to remove the lock.
