A budgeting expert has shared a clever trick for electric vehicle owners to avoid paying road tax in 2025.
From April 1, EV owners will be required to start paying the tax, but Beth Turbutt-Rogers has revealed a simple method to secure another year of no cost. In a TikTok video, she assured her followers that the process is completely legal and advised: « 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 can guarantee another 12 months of « totally free » tax, she explained. « 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 government announced changes to the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) last April, stating on their website: « 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 further clarified that for electric, zero or low emission cars registered on or after 1 April 2025, the lowest first year rate of vehicle tax would be set at £10 from 1 April 2025. From the second tax payment onwards, the standard rate of £195 would apply.
Motorists who registered their vehicles between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025, meanwhile, will be subject to the standard rate of £195 for vehicle excise duty (VED). And for those with vehicles registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017, they will transition to the first band that has a VED value, starting at £20.
The loophole allowing electric vehicle (EV) owners to avoid car tax sparked heated debate among drivers. One motorist retorted: « Great hack, but you should be paying, » adding, « You use the roads like the rest of us. »
Another 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 it would be better to wait until late March for maximum 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 user inquired. Another clarified: « In March there’s a risk you will miss the cut off – do it in February. »
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has also pointed out the same method on ITV’s Money Show Live, 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. »
