Road Tax and Toll Tax

In India, each highway being a national or state highway is taxed by the Government of India for raising the cost of making as well as maintenance of the roads. This road taxation helps in ensuring that the cost of road safety and security must be maintained. The road tax is levied in varied forms, the most commonly collected from vehicles, is the toll tax.

Who are liable to pay Road Tax? :

Any individual who purchased a vehicle for commercial or personal use is liable to pay road tax in India. The vehicle could be a trailer, commercial truck, two-wheeler, three-wheeler, or four-wheeler.

The Process to pay Road Tax Online :

Log on to the official site at https://parivahan.gov.in/parivahan/.
Under the 'Online Services' section, choose the option 'Vehicle Related Services', click on it.
In case the vehicle is registered in Delhi or Sikkim, click on 'Delhi & Sikkim State'. In case the vehicle is registered in any other state, and click on 'Other States'.
Enter the registration number, and click on 'Proceed'.
On the next page, you will find the option to pay the road tax online.

Road tax in some Indian states :

Road Tax in Maharashtra :

Vehicle Cost	Road Tax
Up to Rs. 10 Lakh	CNG - 7%, Petrol - 11%, Diesel - 13%
Rs. 10 to 20 Lakh	Petrol - 12%, Diesel - 14%

Road Tax in Kerala :

Vehicle Cost	Road Tax
Upto 5 Lakh	6%
5 Lakh-10 Lakh	8%
10 Lakh- 15 Lakh	10%
15 Lakh- 20 Lakh	15%

Road Tax in Tamil Nadu :

Vehicle Cost	Road Tax
Up to Rs. 10 Lakh	10%
Above Rs 10 Lakh	15%

Road Tax in Uttar Pradesh :

Vehicle Cost	Road Tax
Up to Rs. 10 Lakh	8%
Above Rs 10 Lakh	10%

The Documents required to pay Road Tax :

An Invoice copy of vehicle
Vehicle registration certificate
No Objection Certificate
Valid insurance copy of the vehicle
Form number KMVT14 (if your vehicle is from different state)
Proof of address such as Aadhaar, Passport, Voter ID, ration card, rental agreement, utility bill, etc.

What is Toll Tax?

Toll tax is mandatory and is applicable in all toll Plazas including highways across India. The taxation does is exempted for certain people including VIPs in the country of certain officials who have been listed in the last section.

Toll Tax Rates :

Exemption List of Toll Tax :

Any vehicle which has the following people will be exempted toll tax across India:

President of India
Prime-Minister of India
Vice-President of India
Chief Justice of India
Governor of any State in India
Speaker of the House of People
Cabinet Minister of the Union
Judge of the Supreme Court
Governor of any State in India
Minister of State of the Union
Member of Parliament
Lieutenant Governor of any Union Territory in India
Chief of Staff holding a full General or equivalent rank
Chairman of the Legislative Council of a State
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of any State in India
Chief Justice of a High Court
Judge of a High Court
Army Commander or Vice-Chief of Army Staff and equivalent in other services
Foreign dignitary on State visit
Chief Secretary to a State Government within concerned State
Secretary to the Government of India
Secretary, Council of States
Secretary, House of People
A Member of Legislative Assembly of a State in the state premises, with identity proof
A Member of Legislative Council in the borders of their respective State, with identity proof
Awardees of the following recognition, with adequate identity proof:
Param Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra
MahaVir Chakra, Kirti Chakra
Vir Chakra
Shaurya Chakra

Exemption List of Toll Tax :

Vehicles under or with a passenger associated with the Ministry of Defense are eligible for toll exemption based on the provisions of the Indian Toll (Army and Air Force) Act, 1901, and laws including the Navy.

Central and State armed forces in uniform including para-military forces and police
An executive Magistrate
The vehicle belonging to the fire-fighting Department or organization
The vehicle belonging to the National Highways Authority of India
The vehicle belonging to any other Government agency or organization for purposes of survey, inspection, operation or construction and maintenance of national highways
The vehicle used as an ambulance
The vehicle used as funeral van

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Frequently Asked Questions

Factors affecting the toll tax amount charged on vehicle?
Factors such as engine capacity, weight of the vehicle, seating capacity, etc. are the factors that affect the amount of toll charged on vehicle.
What is the difference between road tax and toll tax?
Toll tax is collected on inter-state highways while road tax is collected on roads within states.
Which state in India has the highest amount of road tax?
The Indian state of Karnataka charges the highest amount of road tax.
Is there a time limit defined for applying tax refund?
Yes, there is a time limit regarding the application for a refund of road tax. However, the time limit will differ from one state to another.
What will happen if I don't pay my road tax?
You cannot travel with your vehicle registered in one state in another state for more than 30 days, in case you deny for road tax. For example, if your vehicle was registered in Delhi, then you cannot drive it in Karnataka for more than 30 days. It is mandatory to pay your road tax so that you can continue driving your vehicle in Karnataka. In case you fail to pay the road tax, you will have to pay lifetime road tax with penalty.