DVLA's new car tax plan confirmed after 2,500 Brits lose vital document

Drivers issued with demands to pay their vehicle tax are being urged to use a new, much simpler, system put in place by the DVLA.

Suppose you’ve lost your documents and are trying to lodge your annual . Don't worry; you're not alone. The (DVLA) has recently updated its lodging process to ensure a more streamlined system, which will allow drivers to stay on the road while they wait for their new documents.

Every year in the UK, it’s essential that you tax your , regardless of whether you have to pay anything. However, if you’ve misplaced your documents and don’t have the necessary information to lodge your vehicle tax, this now will not stop you from doing it.

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These lost documents can often make it difficult to make the payment on time. Additionally, if you’ve received a vehicle tax reminder (V11) or a ‘last chance’ warning letter in the post, you need to act fast. Luckily, these letters will include a reference number, which is required to lodge your vehicle tax. You can also apply for a new logbook (V5C) online at GOV.UK if you haven't received any of these documents.

After you’ve applied for a new logbook, you’ll be asked if you need to pay the tax on your vehicle; if so, you’ll be directed to the vehicle tax service. Once your request is confirmed, you should receive your new logbook in five working days.

In the past, drivers were typically unable to drive while waiting for their new logbook. However, this latest update removes the driving ban, allowing Brits to hit the road legally while they await their new documents.

This major update to the DVLA services reflects overwhelming feedback from Brits saying that they wanted to tax their vehicles but didn’t have any documents. A statement from the DVLA said: "Your feedback on the vehicle log book service told us many of you were applying for a new log book because you wanted to tax your vehicle but didn’t have any documents. Insight also showed that, because of this, many of you ended up calling our contact centre instead – around 2,500 of you a month in fact."

Previously, car owners would have had to wait for a replacement logbook to arrive before they could tax their vehicle. This new service update will ensure drivers can continue to use their cars instead of keeping them off the road.

Therefore, this new online service hopes to tackle this issue by linking the online vehicle logbook service to the online vehicle tax service, allowing Brits to tax their vehicles at the same time.