Drivers with 34 number plates face £600 car tax bill within weeks

While some drivers may avoid the upcoming tax hikes, others could face significant costs, particularly owners of older vehicles, road users up and down the country have been warned.
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


Older cars with these number plates face a £600 car tax bill. While some drivers may avoid the upcoming tax hikes, others could face significant costs, particularly owners of older vehicles, road users up and down the country have been warned.

Leasing experts at Cars2Buy warn that models registered between 2001 and 2017 may be hit with a substantial tax increase, with Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) adjustments taking effect in April. "Cars registered between 2001 and 2017 will continue to be taxed based on their CO2 emissions, with rates ranging from £20 to £600 per year depending on the vehicle's environmental impact," explained Cars2Buy.

Your car's number plate can help you identify its age. Vehicles registered between March and August typically have plates that directly reflect their year of manufacture. But cars produced between September and February use plates that add 50 to the year of production.

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For example, in 2001, '01' and '51' registration plates were introduced, followed by '02' and '52' in 2002 and beyond. From 2010, cars registered in the second half of the year received '60' plates, a pattern that continued with '70' plates in 2020.

Vehicles with '17' or '67' plates will also face increased rates under the VED shake up. For cars registered between 1st March 2001 and 31st March 2017, rates are based on CO2 emissions – the lower the emissions, the lower the tax.

The following number plates could face the £600 tax bill:
01/51, 02/52, 03/53, 04/54, 05/55, 06/56, 07/57, 08/58, 09/59, 10/60, 11/61, 12/62, 13/63, 14/64, 15/65, 16/66, and 17/67. In order to tax a vehicle, suitable car insurance cover must be in place, while the vehicle must also have a valid MOT if it is over three years old (four years in Northern Ireland). Both are checked electronically when you apply for car tax.