Elderly motorists travelling in older models will be hit with higher car tax Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates next spring.
Older drivers could be slapped with car tax rises in months (Image: Getty)
Older drivers could be hit with hefty car tax changes in just a few months with major updates to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) charges set to come into effect.
Almost all motorists will experience a rise in VED fees from April with prices set to rise in line with Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation.
Brand new petrol and diesel car owners are set to be most affected with a staggering rise in first-year costs.
Electric car owners will also pay VED for the first time ever as years of exemptions come to a close.
However, owners of older vehicles will also feel the sting with a separate increase on the cards.
Older drivers are more likely to own slightly more classic models (Image: Getty)
Classic cars registered between 1984 and 2001 pay VED rates based on the size of their engine with bigger vehicles paying more.
Motorists with engines 1549cc or below will pay £220 from April, up from the current £210 fee.
Meanwhile, road users with engines producing above 1549cc will be forced to splash out £360 per annum next spring.
This is a £15 increase from the current £345 charge but less than the £20 rise owners faced in April 2024.
Although older vehicles built before 2001 can be purchased and driven by any age group, older motorists are perhaps more likely to have these vehicles on their driveway.
Previous data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that many older motorists’ tend to get behind the wheel of older “retirement vehicles”.
Analysis found that drivers in their 70s were significantly more likely to own vehicles that have been on the road for 16 years or more.
A study published in the Journal of Safety Research also found that older drivers above 70 were likely to keep vehicles longer than middle-aged drivers.
The study found that middle-aged drivers tend to consider safety ratings and features when buying a model more than older motorists.
Last month, HM Revenue and Customs confirmed that car tax fees would increase as part of the “standard uprating” as in previous years.
They said: “This measure will uprate the Vehicle Excise Duty rates for cars (excluding first year rates) and all other rates for vans, motorcycles and motorcycle trade licences by the Retail Price Index, and will reflect the inclusion of zero-emission vehicles in Vehicle Excise Duty from 1 April 2025.
“This is a standard uprating to comes into effect from 1 April 2025.”
