Car Tax (VED) Calculator UK (2026/27)

Your UK car tax depends on when your car was first registered. Cars registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate based on CO2 emissions (£10 for 0g/km up to £5,690 for 256g/km+), followed by a flat £200.00 annual standard rate from year 2. Cars with an original list price over £40,000 (or £50,000 for zero-emission vehicles) pay an extra £440.00 expensive car supplement in years 2 to 6, bringing their total to £640.00 per year. Use the calculator above to get your exact figure based on your car’s registration date, CO2 output, fuel type, and list price.

For cars registered on or after 1 April 2017, VED is split into two phases: a first-year showroom tax graduated by CO2 emissions (from £10 up to £5,690), followed by a flat standard rate of £200.00 per year from year 2 onwards across all fuel types. Cars with an official list price exceeding £40,000 (£50,000 for zero-emission vehicles) pay an extra £440.00 annual supplement in years 2 to 6.

For cars registered after April 2017, first-year VED is grouped into 13 CO2 bands: 0g/km (£10), 1–50g/km (£115), 51–75g/km (£135), 76–90g/km (£280), 91–100g/km (£365), 101–110g/km (£405), 111–130g/km (£455), 131–150g/km (£560), 151–170g/km (£1,410), 171–190g/km (£2,270), 191–225g/km (£3,420), 226–255g/km (£4,850), and over 255g/km (£5,690). From year 2 onwards, all cars fall into a single £200 standard band. Cars registered between 2001 and 2017 use historic Bands A–M (£20 to £790) based on their certified CO2 reading.

Car tax is officially named Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and is administered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). It is also commonly called road tax, road fund licence, or simply car tax. The physical paper tax disc was abolished in October 2014, but the duty itself continues. Vehicles are taxed via the DVLA’s online service, by phone, or at a Post Office using a valid MOT, insurance certificate, and V5C logbook.

In the 2026/27 tax year, the standard annual rate for post-April 2017 cars is £200.00, covering all fuel types including petrol, diesel, hybrid, and zero-emission electric vehicles. Brand-new cars pay a first-year rate based on CO2 output, ranging from £10 for zero-emission vehicles to £5,690 for cars emitting over 255g/km. Cars with an original list price exceeding £40,000 (£50,000 for EVs) pay an additional £440.00 expensive car supplement annually in years 2 to 6, for a total of £640.00 per year.

From 1 April 2025, DVLA extended Vehicle Excise Duty to zero-emission electric vehicles for the first time. In 2026/27, the rates that apply are: new zero-emission cars pay £10 first-year tax; from year 2 onwards all zero-emission cars pay the £200 standard rate, and those with a list price above £50,000 pay the £440 expensive car supplement on top. These rates continue into 2026/27 with no further scheduled changes. The standard and supplement rates are fixed in legislation and subject to future Budget announcements.

The expensive car supplement is £440.00 per year. It applies from year 2 through year 6 of registration (five years in total) to cars with an official manufacturer list price — including factory-fitted options — exceeding £40,000 for petrol, diesel, and hybrid vehicles, or exceeding £50,000 for zero-emission electric vehicles. Combined with the £200 standard annual rate, the total annual VED for an affected car is £640.00.

Any car registered on or after 1 April 2017 that had an original manufacturer list price (including factory-fitted options) exceeding £40,000 is subject to the £440.00 per year expensive car supplement in years 2 to 6 of registration. For zero-emission electric vehicles, the threshold is higher at £50,000. Note that the relevant price is the manufacturer’s list price at the time of first registration, not the current market value or the price you paid second-hand. If you buy a used car that originally listed above these thresholds, the supplement still applies for any remaining years in the 2–6 window.

The only way to avoid the £440 expensive car supplement is to choose a new car with an original manufacturer list price at or below the threshold: £40,000 for petrol, diesel, and hybrid cars, or £50,000 for zero-emission electric vehicles. Prices cannot be reduced by negotiating a lower purchase price — it is the list price at first registration that counts, including any factory-fitted options. After six years of age, the supplement is no longer charged regardless of list price, so buying a used car that is already 6 or more years old sidesteps the supplement entirely.

Cars that do not require VED include: (1) Vehicles more than 40 years old from the date of manufacture, classed as “historic vehicles” and exempt on a rolling annual basis from 1 April each year. (2) Vehicles registered as disabled under the Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment concession. (3) Agricultural and horticultural vehicles (tractors). (4) Certain crown-exempt vehicles. Note: zero-emission electric cars are no longer VED-exempt — since 1 April 2025 they have paid £10 first-year tax and £200 from year 2.

Genuinely tax-free cars (paying £0 VED) in 2026/27 include: vehicles manufactured before 1986 (40+ years old) claiming the historic vehicle exemption; vehicles registered as disabled-exempt under DLA or PIP concessions; and certain crown-exempt vehicles. All other cars, including zero-emission electric vehicles, now pay VED: £10 first-year and £200 from year 2. Note that hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and mild hybrids are not tax-exempt — they pay the standard rates based on their CO2 figure.

The cheapest car to tax in the UK in 2026/27 is any zero-emission electric vehicle registered from 1 April 2017, which pays £10.00 in its first year of registration. From year 2 onwards it pays the standard £200.00 annual rate — the same as all other post-2017 cars. For cars registered between 2001 and 2017, Band A vehicles with CO2 of 100g/km or less pay the cheapest rate of £20.00 per year. Genuine £0 VED now only applies to historic vehicles (40+ years old) and disabled-exempt vehicles.

Cars paying £20.00 per year road tax are those registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 with CO2 emissions of 100g/km or less (Band A or Band B). These cars were locked into their historic CO2 band at first registration and retain it throughout their life. Many small petrol and diesel cars from this era, including popular models with eco engines, fall into this category. Cars registered after 1 April 2017 do not use this band system — they all pay £200.00 per year from year 2 (or £10.00 first-year for EVs).

Any new petrol, diesel, or hybrid car emitting over 255g/km of CO2 registered on or after 1 April 2017 incurs the maximum first-year VED rate of £5,690.00. This applies to certain large-engined performance cars, SUVs, and supercars. From year 2, those cars drop to £200.00 per year standard (or £640.00 including the expensive car supplement if the list price exceeded £40,000). Under the 2001–2017 band system, the highest rate is Band M at £790.00 per year for cars emitting 226g/km or more.

The vast majority of cars on UK roads registered after April 2017 pay the flat standard rate of £200.00 per year (plus £640.00 for luxury-band cars), so £200 effectively represents the average annual VED cost for most motorists. Cars in the 2001–2017 era face rates from £20 to £790 per year depending on CO2 band, with many popular family cars in the £175–£225 range. Pre-2001 cars pay £230 or £375 by engine size. The Office for National Statistics does not publish a single VED average, but £200 is the reference rate used for standard planning purposes.

You can pay VED monthly by Direct Debit at a 5% surcharge on the annual rate. For most post-2017 cars, the annual standard rate is £200.00, making the monthly Direct Debit equivalent £17.50 per month (£210.00 total per year). Cars subject to the £440 expensive car supplement pay £640.00 annually, or £56.00 per month by Direct Debit (£672.00 total). Alternatively, you can pay six months at a time, also with a 5% surcharge, or pay 12 months in full at the undiscounted annual rate.

You can tax your vehicle through three official DVLA channels: (1) Online at gov.uk/tax-your-vehicle using your V5C logbook (V11 reminder), valid MOT and insurance details. (2) By phone on 0300 123 4321. (3) In person at a Post Office that offers DVLA vehicle licensing. Payment can be made annually (cheapest), every 6 months, or monthly by Direct Debit (with a 5% surcharge for anything other than annual). You will need a valid MOT, current motor insurance, and either the V11 renewal reminder or the V5C logbook reference number.

Car tax (VED) must be in place before you drive or park your vehicle on a public road. You can start taxing a new car before you collect it or immediately upon purchase using the V5C/2 new keeper supplement. Your VED expires at the end of the month shown on your tax. DVLA sends a V11 renewal reminder before expiry. There is no grace period — driving an untaxed vehicle on a public road is an offence even for a single day. However, you can declare a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) if the vehicle is not being used on public roads, which suspends the VED requirement entirely.

Yes, every vehicle driven or parked on a public road in the UK must be taxed (VED). If you fail to tax your car, the DVLA can issue an £80 penalty notice (reduced to £40 if paid within 33 days). The police can clamp or seize untaxed vehicles, and persistent offenders face a £1,000 fine at court. DVLA’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras can detect untaxed vehicles 24 hours a day. The only legal exemption is declaring a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification), which means the vehicle must be kept off all public roads entirely.

The physical paper tax disc, which drivers had to display in their windscreen, was abolished on 1 October 2014. However, Vehicle Excise Duty (the tax itself) did not end — it simply became entirely digital. Drivers must still pay VED before driving on public roads, and DVLA’s national database and ANPR cameras enforce compliance without the need for a physical disc. The term “road tax” is still widely used informally even though the official name is Vehicle Excise Duty.

Yes. In the 2026/27 tax year, zero-emission electric vehicles pay £10.00 in first-year VED upon initial registration, followed by the standard £200.00 annual rate from year 2 onwards. Electric cars with a list price exceeding £50,000 also incur the £440.00 expensive car supplement in years 2 to 6, for a total of £640.00 per year. EVs were fully exempt from VED until 1 April 2025; they have been subject to VED since that date.