Officials have reminded forgetful road users they can set up a Direct Debit for Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) payments in a few simple steps.
A Direct Debit will automatically take money directly from a bank account when fees are due ensuring no charge is ever accidentally missed.
They posted on X: “When you set up a Direct Debit for vehicle tax, it will renew automatically when it’s due to run out – so there’s no need to worry.”
Direct Debit payments can be set up online or through the Post Office if drivers provide bank or building society account details.
However, GOV.UK stresses that individuals “cannot pay by Direct Debit over the phone.”
It’s also important to note that the first Direct Debit payment will not be taken until the vehicle tax has started.
Motorists have been warned that it can take up to 10 days for payments to be made, but motorists can still use their car before money is taken out.
Drivers should be aware there is a 5% surcharge for individuals who pay their vehicle tax on a monthly or six-monthly basis.
There is no extra surcharge for those who decide to pay the entire bill upfront every 12 months.
GOV.UK added: “You do not need to be the vehicle’s registered keeper to set up a Direct Debit. Emails and letters about Direct Debit payments are sent to the account holder.”
Tax evasion remains high, with an estimated 1.3% of vehicles in UK traffic thought to be unlicensed in 2023.
This would suggest that there were around 498,000 unlicensed vehicles among active stock in the UK.
