There are few numerical techniques available to solve the Bagley-Torvik equation which occurs considerably frequently in various offshoots of applied mathematics and mechanics. In this paper, we show that Chelyshkov-tau method is a very effective tool in numerically solving this equation. To show the accuracy and the efficiency of the method, several problems are implemented and the comparisons are given with other methods existing in the recent literature. The results of numerical tests confirm that Chelyshkov-tau method is superior to other existing ones and is highly accurate.