UPDATE: |Use car reg number plate checker to see if yours is exempt from £150 tax hike News

The tool has been immensely helpful for motorists left confused following the latest car tax hikes that the DVLA introduced on April 1, 2025

DVLA changes to car and road tax has meant that some motorists are now liable for up to £150 more Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) tax this year. If you’re unsure if this applies to your vehicle, you can use a handy online tool that checks your car’s CO2 emissions from just your number plate.

Available via the Webuyanycar website, the tool has been immensely helpful for motorists left confused following the latest car tax hikes that the DVLA introduced on April 1, 2025. The VED car tax price hikes will see the amount of tax you pay increase depending on when your car was registered and how much CO2 it emits.

According to the AA, these changes are likely to come as a ‘major financial shock’ for some motorists. In a statement, the AA’s Jack Cousens said: “VED changes and future increases threaten a major financial shock to the finances of millions of car owners whose vehicles are still paying VED under the 2001-2017 CO2-banded system.”

Individuals driving older, low-CO2 vehicles could face a sharp rise in their annual car tax, he noted: “For those with ageing low-CO2 small family and city cars, the transition to the current standard VED rate could see a hike of £150 or more a year on their motoring tax.”

Cousens also highlighted the existing financial burden for motorists, “With the average car currently paying £436.84 in fuel duty a year – or £524.21 when VAT is added at the pump – a £150 increase in the VED they will pay represents a 34% hike (29% with VAT) on top of what they are paying in fuel duty.”, reports Liverpool Echo.

According to government figures, a significant portion of UK drivers—58%—are subject to the older vehicle VED scheme based on CO2 emissions.

Motorists can swiftly determine the engine size (cc), power (kw) and CO2 (g/km) of their vehicle using WeBuyAnyCar’s free online number plate checker.

This tool can assist drivers in quickly figuring out how much they’ll have to shell out for Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) over the next year. The number plate checker also provides information on tax status, tax due date, and MOT history.

This means that road users won’t risk forgetting to renew their car tax before the deadline.

Additionally, vehicles registered between 1985 and 2001 will face an increase of up to £20 in VED charges, with costs determined by the size of their engine.

Full list of tax changes from April 1

New standard road tax rate: The new annual standard rate for road tax has now increased from £190 to £195. This will now apply to all vehicles that have been first registered after April 1, 2017, and before March 31, 2025.”

New EV taxtes: The road tax exemption previously enjoyed by all electric vehicles (EVs) has now been scrapped. As of April 1, new EVs will be subject to a £10 ‘showroom tax’ in their first year. Furthermore, any EVs registered between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2025, will have to pay the new standard rate road tax of £195 annually. However, those registered before March 31, 2017, will enjoy a lower annual rate of £20.

The £10 discount on the standard rate road tax for alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrid, bioethanol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cars, has also been discontinued. These vehicles are now subject to the new standard annual rate of £195.

Electric vans haven’t escaped the changes either; they’ll now be taxed at an annual rate of £355, the same as petrol and diesel light goods vehicles. Additionally, any electric vehicles with a list price over £40,000 will incur an extra £425 per year between the second and sixth years of ownership, a levy known as the ‘expensive car supplement’.

Doubling first-year rates for higher-polluting new cars: In a move aimed at discouraging high-polluting vehicles, first-year rates for cars in all other road tax bands, those emitting 76g/km or more, have now doubled. New cars in the highest band, those emitting 255g/km or more, will now face a hefty £5,490 tax in their first year. This top rate will affect 59 new models from 24 car manufacturers, including the Bentley Continental W12, Porsche 911 Turbo and Land Rover Defender V8. The tax landscape for low-emission vehicles has seen some changes.

Tax hikes for low-emission vehicles: First-year road tax rates for vehicles emitting between 1 and 50g/km of CO2 have risen to £110. Previously, most plug-in hybrids in this band were exempt from first-year road tax, while petrol and diesel cars paid just £10. For new cars emitting 51-75g/km, the first-year road tax has jumped to £135, a significant increase from the previous £20 for hybrids and £30 for petrol and diesel vehicles.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom with tax hikes. There are still some exemptions to car tax…

Vehicles with a Statutory Off-road Notification (SORN) won’t need to pay road tax for that specific vehicle. Plus, they can claim a road tax refund from the DVLA for any full months’ tax remaining.

Historic vehicles, typically those over 40 years old, may be eligible for road tax exemption. However, this isn’t automatic – drivers must apply once their car meets the criteria.