Car Tax Calculator 2026/27: UK Road Tax Rates

Car tax calculator 2026/27

Work out vehicle excise duty (road tax) for any car, using the rates that apply from 1 April 2026. Choose when the car was first registered and fill in the details from the V5C logbook.

Fill in the details to see the car tax.

How car tax is worked out

Vehicle excise duty (VED), usually called car tax or road tax, depends on when a car was first registered. There are three systems.

Cars registered on or after 1 April 2017

The first payment, made when the car is new, depends on CO2 emissions. From the second year, almost every car pays the same standard rate of £200 a year. Cars with a list price over £40,000 (or over £50,000 for electric cars registered from April 2026) also pay an expensive car supplement of £440 a year for five years, from the second payment, making £640.

CO2 (g/km)	Petrol, RDE2 diesel, hybrid, electric	Other diesel
0	£10	£10
1 to 50	£115	£135
51 to 75	£135	£280
76 to 90	£280	£365
91 to 100	£365	£405
101 to 110	£405	£455
111 to 130	£455	£560
131 to 150	£560	£1,410
151 to 170	£1,410	£2,270
171 to 190	£2,270	£3,420
191 to 225	£3,420	£4,850
226 to 255	£4,850	£5,690
Over 255	£5,690	£5,690

First-year rates from 1 April 2026. Standard rate from the second year: £200. With the expensive car supplement: £640.

Cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017

These cars pay every year by CO2 band, from A to M.

Band	CO2 (g/km)	12 months
A	Up to 100	£20
B	101 to 110	£20
C	111 to 120	£35
D	121 to 130	£170
E	131 to 140	£200
F	141 to 150	£225
G	151 to 165	£275
H	166 to 175	£325
I	176 to 185	£360
J	186 to 200	£410
K	201 to 225	£445
L	226 to 255	£760
M	Over 255	£790

Bands L and M only apply to cars registered on or after 23 March 2006. Cars over 225g/km registered before that date pay the band K rate.

Cars registered before 1 March 2001

Tax depends on engine size: £230 a year for engines up to 1,549cc and £375 above that. Cars made more than 40 years ago can be registered in the historic vehicle class and pay nothing, though they still need to be taxed.

Paying monthly or every six months

Paying by 12 monthly Direct Debits adds 5%: the £200 standard rate becomes £210 a year. Six-month payments also cost slightly more overall than paying for a year at once.

Electric cars and car tax

Electric cars have paid car tax since 1 April 2025. A new electric car pays £10 in its first year and £200 a year after that. Electric cars registered between April 2017 and March 2025 pay the £200 standard rate, and those registered between March 2001 and March 2017 pay £20. The government has also announced a pay-per-mile charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars from April 2028, on top of VED.

Sources

Rates and rules last checked 15 October 2026. These figures are a guide. For a decision that matters, confirm with the official source.

Questions

How much is car tax in 2026?

Most cars registered since April 2017 pay £200 a year from the second year, or £640 if the list price was over £40,000 (£50,000 for electric cars registered from April 2026). Older cars pay by CO2 band or engine size, from £20 to £790.

How do I find my car's CO2 emissions?

It is printed in section V.7 of the V5C logbook. For cars registered before March 2001 you need the engine size instead, in section P.1.

Do electric cars pay road tax?

Yes, since 1 April 2025. A new electric car pays £10 in year one and £200 a year after that. Expensive electric cars also pay the £440 supplement if the list price was over the threshold.

Is it cheaper to pay car tax annually?

Yes. Paying in 12 monthly Direct Debits costs 5% more in total: £210 instead of £200 for the standard rate.

What is RDE2?

Real Driving Emissions step 2, a cleaner standard for diesel cars. Diesels that meet it pay the same first-year rate as petrol cars. It is shown on the V5C or on the manufacturer's certificate of conformity.