Taxing a car you've just bought
Tax a car online with the V5C reference number or new keeper slip before you drive it. Tax never transfers, so the seller's tax doesn't come with the car. From the day you buy it, tax is your job.
Check the logbook first. The V5C shows the registered keeper, not the legal owner, so make sure the name and address match the seller's ID, and the VIN on the windscreen matches the one on the V5C.
Check the band with our car tax calculator, then have your V5C reference number or new keeper slip ready. Monthly Direct Debits cost 5% more than one payment, so choose before you pay. Not going on the road yet? A SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) tells the DVLA the car is off the road, so it needs no tax or insurance, but it must then stay off public roads.
How much it costs
Your bill depends on the registration date. Cars registered from 1 April 2017 pay a £200 standard rate. If the list price was over £40,000, you also pay a £440 expensive car supplement in years 2 to 6. For electric cars registered from April 2025, that threshold is £50,000. Electric cars have paid car tax since April 2025, so don't assume a zero bill.
Older cars use different rules: - Registered 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017: by CO2 band, from £20 (band A) to £790 (band M) - Registered before 1 March 2001: £230 (up to 1,549cc) or £375
Paying monthly costs more. Twelve monthly Direct Debits cost 5% more than one payment. Cars built over 40 years ago can use the historic tax class, so there's no tax to pay. Use our car tax calculator to check the figure before you buy, and tax the car yourself before you drive it.
Paying monthly, six-monthly or yearly
Paying in one go is cheaper. Monthly Direct Debits cost 5% more than a single payment for the year. If you can afford the full amount up front, you'll pay less. Not sure what your car will cost? Try the car tax calculator.
Tax never transfers. When you buy a car, you tax it yourself, from the day you buy it. Do it online with the V5C reference number or the new keeper slip, before you drive it. Whichever way you pay, it's your job to set it up.
Ask about refunds when you sell. If you sell a car, or take it off the road with a SORN, ask the DVLA what refund you can get for the months left. A SORN means the car must stay off public roads.