# How Much Is Car Tax? UK Road Tax Rates and Bands

Published 14 November 2026. CarCheckUp guide: https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/how-much-is-car-tax-uk-road-tax-rates-and-bands/

> What a car pays in vehicle tax: the first-year and standard rates for cars registered since April 2017, the expensive car supplement, electric cars, the 2001 to 2017 CO2 bands, older cars by engine size, how to find one car's rate and how to pay.

Most cars registered since April 2017 cost the standard rate of £200 a year in vehicle tax (road tax), paid as one 12-month payment. The first year is different: it is set by the car's CO2 emissions and paid when the car is first registered, from £10 for a zero-emission car to £5,690 for the highest emitters. Cars registered earlier pay a rate by CO2 band (March 2001 to March 2017) or by engine size (before March 2001). These are the rates shown in GOV.UK's vehicle tax rate tables, read on 14 November 2026. Rates are set by the Government and usually change each April, so check the table on GOV.UK before you pay.

## How the rate for your car is worked out

Four things decide what a car pays:

- **When it was first registered.** Before 1 March 2001, from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017, or from 1 April 2017. This is on the V5C log book.
- **Its CO2 emissions** (g/km), for cars registered from March 2001. Also on the V5C.
- **Its engine size** in cc, for cars registered before March 2001.
- **Its fuel type and list price when new**, for cars registered from April 2017: diesel, petrol, hybrid, electric, and whether the price was over the expensive car threshold.

## Cars registered on or after 1 April 2017

These cars pay twice over the first years of life: a **first-year rate** that depends on CO2, then the **standard rate** every year after.

### First-year rate (paid at first registration)

| CO2 (g/km) | Petrol, diesel meeting the RDE2 standard, alternative fuel and zero emission | All 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 |

The first-year rate is part of registering a new car and is usually paid through the dealer, so a private buyer of a used car does not pay it. A used car is taxed at the standard rate from the day you take it on.

### Standard rate (second payment onwards)

Petrol, diesel, electric and alternative fuel cars pay the same standard rate. How you pay changes the total:

| How you pay | Standard rate | With the expensive car supplement |
|---|---|---|
| One 12-month payment | £200 | £640 |
| 12 monthly Direct Debit payments (total) | £210 | £672 |
| One 6-month payment | £110 | £352 |
| 6-month Direct Debit | £105 | £336 |

Paying monthly costs more than paying once: £10 more at the standard rate, and £32 more with the supplement. Six months by Direct Debit is cheaper than a single six-month payment.

### The expensive car supplement

If the car's list price when new was more than £40,000 (more than £50,000 for an electric car), you pay an extra £440 a year on top of the standard rate. GOV.UK says you pay it for 5 years, counted from the second time the vehicle is taxed. The list price is the published price before the car is first registered, before any dealer discount, so a car sold at a discount can still carry the supplement. Cars that cost a lot new and are now cheap used are the ones buyers miss it on.

## Electric cars: is there road tax?

Yes. Electric cars pay vehicle tax, and since April 2025 they are in the same system as petrol and diesel cars. The figures above apply to them:

- the first-year rate for a car with 0 g/km is £10;
- the standard rate afterwards is £200 a year, like any other car;
- an electric car with a list price above £50,000 pays the expensive car supplement.

GOV.UK says a zero-emission car registered before 1 April 2025 does not pay the supplement, and that the supplement applies to electric cars registered between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. The rate tables do not spell out a car registered after that, so for a newer electric car check the supplement on GOV.UK before you buy. What to check on a used electric car is in [buying a used electric car](https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/buying-a-used-electric-car-battery-and-history-checks/), and the [electric vehicle check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/electric-vehicle-check) shows a car's fuel type from its reg.

## Cars registered from March 2001 to March 2017

The rate depends on CO2 emissions only. GOV.UK shows twelve-month, monthly and six-month prices for each band; the six-month option is not available for bands A to C.

| Band | CO2 (g/km) | 12 months | 12 monthly payments (total) | 6 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to 100 | £20 | £21 | Not available |
| B | 101 to 110 | £20 | £21 | Not available |
| C | 111 to 120 | £35 | £36.75 | Not available |
| D | 121 to 130 | £170 | £178.50 | £93.50 |
| E | 131 to 140 | £200 | £210 | £110 |
| F | 141 to 150 | £225 | £236.25 | £123.75 |
| G | 151 to 165 | £275 | £288.75 | £151.25 |
| H | 166 to 175 | £325 | £341.25 | £178.75 |
| I | 176 to 185 | £360 | £378 | £198 |
| J | 186 to 200 | £410 | £430.50 | £225.50 |
| K | 201 to 225 (and over 225 if registered before 23 March 2006) | £445 | £467.25 | £244.75 |
| L | 226 to 255 | £760 | £798 | £418 |
| M | Over 255 | £790 | £829.50 | £434.50 |

## Cars registered before March 2001

The rate depends on engine size, with two rates for a car (private or light goods):

| Engine size | 12 months | 12 monthly payments (total) | 6 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not over 1,549cc | £230 | £241.50 | £126.50 |
| Over 1,549cc | £375 | £393.75 | £206.25 |

Many older vehicles are exempt from tax by age; GOV.UK has the rules. Even an exempt vehicle must be taxed (at nil), so it still needs a tax record.

## Car tax by reg: how to find the rate for one car

Two details give you the rate: the date of first registration and the CO2 figure (or engine size). The V5C has both. From a reg alone, the [free car tax check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/dvla-tax-check) shows whether the car is taxed, untaxed or on SORN, and the date the tax runs out. The full report adds the 12-month and 6-month tax cost for that car, worked out from its own CO2 figure and registration date, which saves reading a table when you are comparing cars.

## How to pay car tax

- **Online:** on GOV.UK's vehicle tax service, by debit or credit card or Direct Debit. You need a reference number from a recent DVLA tax reminder or "last chance" letter, the V5C log book (in your name), or the green "new keeper" slip if you have just bought the car.
- **By phone:** the DVLA's 24-hour vehicle tax line, 0300 123 4321. You cannot set up a Direct Debit over the phone.
- **At a Post Office:** bring the payment (or bank details for Direct Debit) and the V5C or new keeper slip. You may need evidence of a valid MOT from the day the tax starts.

If you bought the car from someone else, the old owner's tax does not carry over: see [why vehicle tax doesn't transfer when you buy a car](https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/vehicle-tax-doesnt-transfer-when-you-buy-a-car/). A car you will not drive can be put on [SORN](https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/what-is-a-sorn-and-can-you-buy-a-sorn-car/) so no tax is due, and tax you no longer need may be refundable: [car tax refunds](https://carcheckup.co.uk/blog/car-tax-refund-when-you-get-one-and-how-it-works/).

## Before you buy: what the tax tells you about the car

- **The tax band is a clue to the engine.** A band that does not fit the model (very low for a big engine, or high for a small one) can mean the car has been modified or the record is wrong. Compare with the [car spec check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/car-spec-check).
- **Tax status is not the tax bill.** A "taxed" car tells you nothing about what it will cost you next year, and the seller's tax ends when you buy.
- **Check the supplement.** A car that cost over the threshold new is likely to carry it for the first years you own it.

Tax is one record among several. Outstanding finance, an insurance write-off or a stolen marker will not show in it; those are in the [full car history check](https://carcheckup.co.uk/car-history-check), which is the check to run before you pay.

## Car tax FAQs

**How much is car tax?** For a car registered since April 2017 the standard rate is £200 for 12 months, or £210 in 12 monthly Direct Debit payments (GOV.UK rate tables, read 14 November 2026). Older cars pay by CO2 band or engine size: see the tables above.

**How much is road tax on a new car?** A first-year rate set by CO2, from £10 (0 g/km) to £5,690 (over 255 g/km), then the standard rate from the second payment.

**How much is road tax for an electric car?** £10 in the first year (0 g/km), then the standard £200 a year. An electric car with a list price over £50,000 also pays the expensive car supplement of £440 a year, and GOV.UK says it applies to electric cars registered between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.

**What is the expensive car supplement?** An extra £440 a year, for 5 years from the second time the car is taxed, on cars with a list price over £40,000 new (£50,000 for electric).

**Is it cheaper to pay car tax monthly or yearly?** Yearly. Twelve monthly Direct Debit payments cost £10 more than one 12-month payment at the standard rate.

**How can I check how much tax a car needs by reg?** Use the V5C's registration date and CO2 figure with the tables above, or run the free car tax check for its status and due date and the full report for its tax cost.

**Do I have to pay car tax on a car I'm not using?** Not if you make a SORN and keep the car off public roads.