Certain drivers can ‘get free road tax until 2026’ | European Markets

A budgeting knowledgeable has shared a intelligent trick for electric vehicle homeowners to keep away from paying street tax in 2025.

From April 1, EV homeowners shall be required to begin paying the tax, however Beth Turbutt-Rogers has revealed a easy technique to secure one other yr of no price. In a TikTok video, she assured her followers that the method is totally legal and suggested: “Go on to the government’s website and renew your car tax – even if you’re not due to do this until the end of the year.”

By doing so, you’ll be able to guarantee one other 12 months of “totally free” tax, she defined. “Mine isn’t due until November, but I’ve just been online and taxed my car for another year from today and it means I won’t have to pay any tax until February 2026,” Beth added.

The federal government introduced modifications to the Automobile Excise Obligation (VED) final April, stating on their web site: “From 1 April 2025, registered keepers of electric, zero or low emission cars, vans and motorcycles will need to pay vehicle tax in the same way as registered keepers of petrol and diesel vehicles. This change will apply to both new and existing vehicles.”

It additional clarified that for electric, zero or low emission automobiles registered on or after 1 April 2025, the bottom first yr price of vehicle tax can be set at £10 from 1 April 2025. From the second tax fee onwards, the usual price of £195 would apply.

Motorists who registered their autos between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025, in the meantime, shall be subject to the usual price of £195 for vehicle excise responsibility (VED). And for these with autos registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017, they’ll transition to the primary band that has a VED worth, beginning at £20.

The loophole permitting electric vehicle (EV) homeowners to keep away from car tax sparked heated debate amongst drivers. One motorist retorted: “Great hack, but you should be paying,” including, “You use the roads like the rest of us.”

One other fumed: “Why shouldn’t EV car users pay any car tax? You use the exact same roads I use and many do more than my 5-6000 per year and I have to pay for this.”

And a third expressed frustration: “Another reason NEVER TO GET AN electric car! Can’t wait for mine to go back!”

Others questioned the timing of Beth’s advice on TikTok, pondering whether or not it could be higher to attend till late March for max financial savings. “Thanks for the tip but wouldn’t it be better to wait until March/April to renew it or did I miss something?” one TikTok person inquired. One other clarified: “In March there’s a risk you will miss the cut off – do it in February.”

Cash Saving Professional Martin Lewis has additionally identified the identical technique on ITV’s Cash Present Dwell, advising: “If you re-tax now on gov.uk it’s free. So you get a year from the date that you re-tax. So, you might want to leave it until the last day of March and then it would be perfect but if you just wanna do it, do it now and you get a year longer.”

He added: “Now the crucial thing of this is, you can re-tax at any time, even if you only did it two months ago. You can do it again now. You have to pay each time, but it’s currently free so there’s nothing to pay. So effectively this is a loophole that says, just go and do your retaxing as near to that deadline as possible and you get an extra year for free.”