Motorists in the UK have been reminded that owning certain vehicles means they are exempt from paying an annual fee. According to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), eight types of vehicles do not require vehicle excise duty.
Also known as vehicle tax or road tax, this fee is a tax for using a vehicle on public roads in the UK. The money is paid to the government fund, which is used for projects that benefit everyone – including road work and maintenance.
The amount you pay will depend on the type of vehicle you drive and the type of fuel it uses. Typically, the more emissions a vehicle produces, the more road tax you will pay.
However, some types of vehicle are “exempt” from vehicle tax. This means that you do not need to pay for the vehicle tax.
But it is important to remember that you must still tax your vehicle even if you do not have to pay. You do not have to pay if you have one of the following types of vehicle:
If your vehicle is used by someone with a disability you can claim disability exemption when you apply for vehicle tax. You’ll need to provide evidence of any eligibility for a disability exemption.
The DVLA says: “You can remove an exemption from a vehicle if it’s no longer being used by a disabled person. You can only use your exemption on one vehicle at a time. If you have more than one vehicle, you’ll need to choose which one will be exempt from vehicle tax.”
Vehicles used by organisations providing transport for disabled people are also exempt. But this does not include ambulances.
Vehicles made before January 1, 1985 are exempt from paying. You can check if your vehicle is eligible at gov.uk/historic-vehicles.
Vehicles are exempt if the following apply:
The DVLA states: “You do not have to pay vehicle tax on a mower that’s designed and used for cutting grass only. This does not include tractors used to tow gang mowers.”
You do not have to pay vehicle tax on any steam-powered vehicle.
This includes:
Electric heavy goods vehicles that weigh over 3,500kg are exempt. Previously, electric cars, vans, motorcycles and tricycles were also exempt from road tax. However, this rule changed on April 1 this year.
Hybrid electric vehicles are also required to pay tax.
For more information and to check if you are exempt, visit gov.uk/vehicle-exempt-from-vehicle-tax.
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