Scrap metal

Tax Conditionality - Taxi Drivers, Private Hire Operators and Scrap Metal Dealers

The government is putting in place new tax requirements for applications to certain licences from 4 April 2022. This is supported by a new digital service, being developed by HMRC. It helps people in the taxi, private hire, and scrap metal industries to complete a new tax check.

Most people are registered to pay tax, and this is about ensuring everyone pays the tax they should. This creates a level playing field for the compliant majority. HMRC are working with industry bodies to make this as straightforward as possible. The check should take a few minutes every few years and is simply to confirm that someone is appropriately registered for tax.

You’ll need to complete a tax check when you renew your licence as a:

• driver of a taxi (hackney carriage)
• driver of a private hire vehicle (and dual licences)
• private hire vehicle operator
• scrap metal dealer mobile collector
• scrap metal dealer site

Please refer to the Tax Check Factsheet so you understand what is required of you. If a tax check is not completed, the licensing authority will be unable to consider your application to renew your licence.

If you have any further questions, please find more information at Changes for taxi, private hire or scrap metal licence applications from April 2022 or contact the Licensing Team.
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All Scrap Metal Dealer Applications are now dealt with by Licensing under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 legislation. Scrap Metal Dealers were previously registered under the Scrap Metal Dealers Ac​t 1964.

All applications now received for Scrap Metal Dealers Licences will be dealt with as grants. Applicants will be unable to trade until a licence has been issued to them.

Under the new Act, there will be 2 types of licence:

​​Site licence

All the sites where a licensee carries on business as a scrap metal dealer must be identified, and a site manager has to be named for each site.

This licence allows the licensee to transport scrap metal to and from those sites from any local authority area.

​​​Collector's licence

This allows the licensee to operate as a collector in the area of the issuing local authority.

It does not allow the collector to operate in any other local authority area. A separate licence must be obtained from each council the collector wishes to operate in.

The licence does not authorise the licensee to operate a site; to do so they will need a site licence from the relevant local authority.

It should be noted that a dealer can only hold one type of licence in any one local authority area. They must decide whether they are going to have a site or a mobile licence in any one area.

They cannot hold both a site and mobile collector's licence from the same council.

​​Applying for a licence

Apply online

Apply by post or in person

Please complete the application form​. ​Details of the information you need to include with your application are on the form.