The old school windscreen tax disc may have disappeared from view, but people failing to pay for their car tax hasn’t stopped according to data which suggests that there was £30m of unpaid car tax in 2020.

The shocking figures come despite the fact that the move to digital car tax registration makes it easier than ever for the DVLA to know exactly who has and hasn’t updated their documents. The initial fine of £80 can rise to £1,000 if you do get taken to court, and if things get real bad then your car could be clamped or seized.

But motorists in Belfast, Northern Ireland seem oblivious to the enforcement, as they lead a list of UK cities which are being chased for unpaid bills. According to analysis by insurer Veygo, there are 38,223 untaxed cars, with a total unpaid tax bill of £5.73m.

Birmingham is just edged out by Belfast in the list of car tax dodgers with 37,907 fines handed out, while those scamps from Manchester look way behind with just 19,058 unpaid fines.

While the bigger cities and their postcodes certainly have an unfair advantage due to their large populations, the analysis singles out Worcester as having the most fines per capita, with almost 28 fines issued per 1,000 people.

“Paying your vehicle tax is a legal requirement. Thankfully, it is a simple and straightforward process. Simply visit the government website, enter your details and you will be prompted to pay the appropriate rate of tax for your vehicle.

“If you don’t intend to drive your car at all on public roads then you don’t need to have it taxed. Instead, you can register a SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notice). However, as soon as your car goes on a public road, even if it’s just parked there, then it will need to be taxed.”

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