How to renew car tax (vehicle excise duty)

Taxing and insuring your car are legal requirements. Car tax, also known as road tax and more formally called vehicle excise duty, needs renewing every year.
In this article, we’ll tell you how to pay car tax, how to renew every year, and which documents you’ll need to renew car tax. If you want to pay car tax for the first time, please head to our ‘Tax your car online or at the Post Office’ article. The car tax bands are reviewed annually, and the rates set run from April to March each year. By checking you’re in the right tax bracket and how much you owe this year, you’ll be able to budget effectively.

To renew your car’s tax, you’ll need:
• Your car’s V5C logbook • Valid MOT certificate • Valid insurance certificate • A method of payment such as a debit or a credit card • If you’ve received a reminder letter (V11 form), email or SMS to renew your car tax, you can also use the reference number to get started.

There are various ways you can renew your car tax: online, in-person or by phone.
Here we discuss the three ways you can renew your tax, starting with the easiest method – renewing it online.

Renew car tax online

You can renew car tax online on Gov.uk using the vehicle tax service or by simply setting up a direct debit.

Direct debit

Setting a direct debit up means the payment will be automatically made, so long as there are enough funds in your bank account. It’s easy. Your car tax will renew automatically and you’ll be notified via email or post, whichever is your chosen method of communication.
But if there aren’t enough funds in your bank account, the tax payment will not go through. DVLA will try again within four days – if there aren’t enough funds again, DVLA will inform you via email and your vehicle will no longer be taxed. In such a case, you can renew your tax online, at the post office, or by phone again, and set up another direct debit. If you’re unsure about whether you’ve got a direct debit set up or not, you can contact your bank or building society and ask them, or check your banking app.

Pay online

If you don’t set a direct debit up, you can renew your car tax online and pay on Gov.uk using DVLA’s vehicle tax service.
You'll need your V5C logbook, or your reminder letter (V11) or email to find your car tax details and you'll need your debit or credit card to make the payment.

Renew car tax at the Post Office

If you want to renew car tax in person, you can do so at the Post Office. You’ll need your V5C logbook or one of the reminder letters/ emails to renew your car tax along with a valid MOT certificate. Once at the Post Office, you can use a cheque, direct debit, debit or credit card, cash, or a postal order to make the payment.
To find the closest Post Office, you can use branch finder – make sure to check that the branch offers vehicle tax services before you head there.

Renew car tax by phone

If you prefer to ring up the DVLA to renew car tax, you can contact them on 0300 123 4321. Having all your documents and a debit or credit card ready will help you complete the renewal process quickly.
You can contact the DVLA helpline 24/7 and call charges may apply.

You can use DVLA’s free vehicle enquire service to find out when your car’s tax runs out.
DVLA also send out tax reminder letters known as the V11 form right before your tax is due although it’s not the DVLA’s responsibility to remind you. DVLA are also encouraging drivers to use their digital services to get reminders when their car tax renewal is due. You can sign up to DVLA’s new Driver and vehicles account online to receive reminders via email and SMS.

Car tax needs renewal annually. You should make the payment within one year of the date you made the last car tax payment. You’re also allowed to make the payment up to two months prior to the expiry date in case you’re travelling or not around that time.
For example: If the last car tax payment you made was on 1 July 2023, you must renew your car tax in June 2024 before it expires on 1 July 2024. You can also make the payment as early as 1 May 2024 if you’re not around in June by contacting the DVLA. To pay your car tax two months in advance, you’ll have to send a letter to the DVLA explaining why you’re making the payment early. You'll also have to send your V5C document, a completed V10 form, your valid MOT certificate and a cheque, postal order or banker’s draft payable to ‘DVLA Swansea’ to make the car tax renewal payment.

If you fail to renew tax for your car, you may receive a £80 fine for driving an untaxed car.
If you don’t want to drive the car anymore or park it on a public road, you can declare the car as SORN to take it off the road and stop paying tax and insurance for it.

Did you know, if you’re selling your current car, you need to let the DVLA know so that they can stop charging you car tax? Read our article to find out more about how to transfer ownership and tax when selling a car.
If you’re looking to buy a low-tax car, you can filter your search by the annual tax rate on Auto Trader. With thousands of options available, start browsing on Auto Trader to find your dream car.