Delay paying £190 car tax on EV until April 2026 (action needed before the end of March 2025)

[Lovemyev]

I have the same question. I've just had my renewal and the tax is now due 1st April 2025 yet the car was registered and taxed on the 30th March 2023.

Recheck yours again Ian, as mine states the following.

 

[siteguru]

If your tax is valid from 1st April, then when it comes to pay your tax next year you'll be liable for the £180 charge (or whatever it is by then). You need your tax to be valid from 1st March to avoid paying next year, and delaying the payment until February 2026 (to be valid from 1st March 2026).

I suspect people whose tax is due around now may find that they can't get any refund for March so the system just renews from April. So you may need to use the SORN process to break the link.

 

[forestedge]

Great piece of info fully worked lets hope the DVLA dont cotton on!

 

[Jef]

Thanks MartinSEsr, mine was due 1st November but now is 1 March - Cheers!

 

[Lovemyev]

If your tax is valid from 1st April, then when it comes to pay your tax next year you'll be liable for the £180 charge (or whatever it is by then). You need your tax to be valid from 1st March to avoid paying next year, and delaying the payment until February 2026 (to be valid from 1st March 2026).

I suspect people whose tax is due around now may find that they can't get any refund for March so the system just renews from April. So you may need to use the SORN process to break the link.

I suspect that if your tax reminder has been generated ready for renewal on the 1st April you have missed the boat ( so to speak ).
SORN may work I guess, but this will take your car off the road for a few days until the system then catches up.

 

[siteguru]

My understanding is that removing SORN via the Post Office allows you to drive the car whilst the paperwork is processing (you keep your copy in case). If true then you only lose the car for a day or so.

 

[Enquirer 62]

very pleased to help! You don't often get an easy win saving £180

My renewal is 27th September. Is it possible to still renew for only 6 months and then renew for the full year again in March 2025?

 

[Buchanty]

My renewal is 27th September. Is it possible to still renew for only 6 months and then renew for the full year again in March 2025?

As far as I understand, yes, we can choose to re-tax our cars whenever we want.

 

[siteguru]

My renewal is 27th September. Is it possible to still renew for only 6 months and then renew for the full year again in March 2025?

Your renewal is not due on 27th September ... it'll be 1st September, not the anniversary of when your car was registered.

So why not just do it now? I have, and my VED renewal was previously due on 1st November 2024 (and was renewed last October use the letter so as to start on 1st November 2023).

As the cost is £0 then you're not losing 6 months of tax money, just resetting the date when your tax is due so as to gain a longer period without having to start paying actual money in future.

PS - this all assumes that VED in NI works the same way as the rest of the UK.

 

[Kithmo]

I suspect that if your tax reminder has been generated ready for renewal on the 1st April you have missed the boat ( so to speak ).
SORN may work I guess, but this will take your car off the road for a few days until the system then catches up.

I SORNed online then went (walked) round to the post office and retaxed it less than half an hour later. Receipt from post office showed it taxed until 1st March 2025
The DVLA database updated with SORN the next day then updated with taxed the day after.

 

[Lovemyev]

I SORNed online then went (walked) round to the post office and retaxed it less than half an hour later. Receipt from post office showed it taxed until 1st March 2025
The DVLA database updated with SORN the next day then updated with taxed the day after.

Thank you for that information @Kithmo.
I renewed the VED only on Friday.
Before the reminder that landed on the door mat on Saturday morning ?.
I understand that I can SORN from home on line, but if I am then going off to the post office in person, what items of (paperwork) will I need ?.
Not the reminder of course ?.

 

[Rolfe]

I SORNed online then went (walked) round to the post office and retaxed it less than half an hour later. Receipt from post office showed it taxed until 1st March 2025
The DVLA database updated with SORN the next day then updated with taxed the day after.

That's encouraging. It's looking as if I will need to SORN mine. I don't need it tomorrow, but I'm nervous because I definitely need it on Thursday. If I SORNed it this evening, could I walk round to the Post Office tomorrow or Wednesday and be sure of being legal to drive on Thursday?

What do I need to do at the Post Office?

 

[REDLeader]

Just done mine. Was due August

 

[Ian Key]

That's encouraging. It's looking as if I will need to SORN mine. I don't need it tomorrow, but I'm nervous because I definitely need it on Thursday. If I SORNed it this evening, could I walk round to the Post Office tomorrow or Wednesday and be sure of being legal to drive on Thursday?

What do I need to do at the Post Office?

If like me you get:

Successful application already completed
This vehicle has been taxed or notified as off the road within the last 5 days.

Try again 6 days after you taxed it before going down the SORN route. My 5 days are up tomorrow so I'll soon find out if that works.

 

[Lovemyev]

If like me you get:

Successful application already completed
This vehicle has been taxed or notified as off the road within the last 5 days.

Try again 6 days after you taxed it before going down the SORN route. My 5 days are up tomorrow so I'll soon find out if that works.

Hi Ian - Is this a thing ?.
Please let me know if it successful ?.

 

[Kithmo]

Thank you for that information @Kithmo.
I renewed the VED only on Friday.
Before the reminder that landed on the door mat on Saturday morning ?.
I understand that I can SORN from home on line, but if I am then going off to the post office in person, what items of (paperwork) will I need ?.
Not the reminder of course ?.

That's encouraging. It's looking as if I will need to SORN mine. I don't need it tomorrow, but I'm nervous because I definitely need it on Thursday. If I SORNed it this evening, could I walk round to the Post Office tomorrow or Wednesday and be sure of being legal to drive on Thursday?

What do I need to do at the Post Office?

I initially asked for a tax form and the postmaster said I just need the V5 and he did it with that.
@Rolfe you can drive it as soon as you tax it at the post office as it's covered from the 1st of March 2024, it says so on the receipt.

 

[GhostOfClayton]

Just stumbled across this on Youtube. All very easy, and will save me about 5 months road tax. Apologies if it has already been posted elsewhere on this forum.

 

[siteguru]

Been posted before

Delay paying £190 car tax on EV until April 2026 (action needed before the end of March 2025)

Hi, in April 2025, EV cars switch from £0 per year car tax to £190. If your car is registered in March, you'll avoid paying it next year. But if registered in April, May or after, you just miss the cut-off and will pay £190 on renewal next year. This method delays it for a year to March 2026...

www.mgevs.com

 

[Rolfe]

Merged.

 

[ashok198311]

Interesting, I have my V11 received just a couple of days back and when I go to tax using V5C details it is saying Your vehicle will be taxed from 01 April 2024. What happens if I just re-tax in Feb 2025 or is it worth going down to SORN route and re-tax..? Can I keep my vehicle in my drive way if the vehile is SORN?