Taxing a 4.5 year old car with a surcharge

[fatboy b]

Hi all.

Road tax due soon with a surcharge of £390 (so £570 total) a year payable until 31st Oct 2024. The re-taxing website doesn't do a pro-rata rate for the last partial year.

Is it a full charge for the year still regardless of when it's taxed in that partial year? The 6-month rather falls 2 months short as well. It's not a lot of £££s, but not paying any unnecessary money to the Guv is always a bonus

[MitchT]

I'm interested to know this too.

I assumed they'd charge you an amount that reflected the number of months remaining at the higher rate, but if they charge the higher rate for the whole year then paying monthly, and then buying a year's tax once the car is old enough to escape the higher rate, might be the answer.

[paradigital]

Are you sure the surcharge stops this year? I was under the impression you stopped paying it in the sixth year, as it’s payable for five years from the second year onwards.

[MitchT]

Actually I believe that's correct - the first year in which you don't have to pay the surcharge is the one commencing on the sixth anniversary of the car's registration. Still curious to know what happens if you buy a car that reaches that age part way through a "tax year".

[fatboy b]

paradigital said:

Are you sure the surcharge stops this year? I was under the impression you stopped paying it in the sixth year, as it’s payable for five years from the second year onwards.

You're right - I misread it hoping it stopped this year

It's 2025.

As you were.

[Steve57]

In nov i had a renewal for my march registered 2018 discovery, expecting a full charge but nope it was around £290 for the year. so yes they do actually pro rata at the rate required.

[No ideas for a name]

If paying monthly, the charge drops on its sixth birthday.
This happened for my 2017 car last year.

[EU_Foreigner]

Not just monthly, my annual renewal had X number of months at the increased rate, and Y number of months at the reduced rate.

[chopper602]

Nice to see this awful tax has increased it's £40k threshold, for a 'luxury' car with the current rate of inflation . . . oh wait

[joropug]

No ideas for a name said:

If paying monthly, the charge drops on its sixth birthday.
This happened for my 2017 car last year.

Yep same for me paying monthly - no action required DD automatically adjusted.

I enjoyed the lower rate for all of 2 months before buying a 2020 car with the levy again!

[fatboy b]

Cheers all, exactly what I was after, but next year perhaps