The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has urged drivers to pay their Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) ahead of major changes that are set to be introduced.
Car tax systems are set to undergo changes in a matter of weeks, and as a result thousands of motorists may have to pay more to drive.
The DVLA posted a reminder to drivers on their Twitter and Facebook accounts to make sure that they pay their tax on time.
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As reported by the Daily Record, a tax increase will come into effect in April which will see VED brought in line with inflation levels.
It is set to increase in line with inflation, and owners of petrol or diesel vehicles will face higher taxes as 'punishment' in an effort to match the UK Government's Net Zero target.
The DVLA said: "Untaxed vehicles are hard to hide, easy to tax.
"Remember to always tax your vehicle on time."
Along with the warning, the government agency also shared the hashtags "Tax it don’t risk it" and "Tax it or lose it".
Motorists are able to tax their vehicle on the DVLA's website by using the reference code from the vehicle's log book (V5C), the green "new keeper" slip from a new car.
Those who have been issued a recent reminder (V11) or "last chance" warning letter from the DVLA can also use the reference number they have been given.
Even drivers who do not have to pay anything — including those who have exemptions — still need to tax their vehicle.
The DVLA has also urged motorists to make sure that they meet all of the legal requirements before taxing their vehicle and taking it out onto the road.
The requirements include: having an appropriate licence, meeting minimum eyesight regulations, and having their vehicle registered, taxed and with a current MOT certificate.
Starting April, rising VED rates will mean that the cost of owning a petrol or diesel vehicle will increase.
As inflation hit 5.5 percent in January, experts are predicting it could rise to as high as eight percent by April.
The amount of VED, or car tax, a driver pays will depend on how old the car is and how environmentally friendly it is.
Electric vehicles will continue to pay nothing in VED for the first year, while all other car tax bands will increase.
Vehicles producing over 255g of CO2 emissions will see their first-year rate rise from £2,245 to £2,365.
Those with vehicles which produce very few emissions will see no change or a very small increase in costs.
The smallest increase is for vehicles which release between 76 and 90g of CO2 where drivers will see a first-year rate of £120, up from £115.
Benefit in Kind (BiK) rates are also set to rise by one percent from April 2022.
As a result of this, electric cars and other vehicles producing under 50g of CO2 per kilometre, will now pay two percent BiK instead of one percent.
All other vehicles will pay one percent more, regardless of their CO2 levels.
One exception is for vehicles that produce over 156g per km, with BiK rates remaining at 37 percent.
