Car Tax Calculator UK 2026/27: VED by CO2, Fuel and List Price

Find out how much car tax (Vehicle Excise Duty) you pay at the rates in force from 1 April 2026. A new petrol car emitting 120g/km costs £455 for its first year and then £200 a year, or £210 if you pay by 12 monthly Direct Debits. If the list price is over £40,000 you pay an extra £440 a year (so £640) from the second to the sixth year. For electric cars registered from 1 April 2025, the supplement only starts above £50,000.

Car tax for cars registered on or after 1 April 2017

The first payment, made when the car is registered, depends on its CO2 emissions and covers 12 months. Diesel cars that do not meet the Real Driving Emissions 2 (RDE2) standard pay one band higher. Ask the manufacturer if you are not sure whether a diesel meets RDE2.

From the second payment, every car in this group pays the standard rate of £200 a year, whatever its fuel. Cars with a list price over £40,000 (or over £50,000 for zero-emission cars registered from 1 April 2025) add the £440 expensive car supplement for 5 years, making £640 a year. The list price is the published price before the car was first registered, before any discounts, so a discount from the dealer does not take a car below the threshold.

Cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017

These cars are taxed on CO2 emissions alone, in bands A to M. Petrol, diesel, alternative fuel and zero-emission cars all pay the same.

Cars and light goods vehicles registered before 1 March 2001 are taxed on engine size: £230 a year up to 1,549cc and £375 above that.

Electric cars

• Electric cars have paid vehicle tax since 1 April 2025. A new electric car pays £10 for the first year and then the £200 standard rate.
• The expensive car supplement threshold for zero-emission cars registered on or after 1 April 2025 is £50,000. Electric cars registered before 1 April 2025 do not pay the supplement at all.
• From 1 April 2028 a new Electric Vehicle Excise Duty will add a mileage charge of 3p a mile for battery electric and hydrogen cars and 1.5p a mile for plug-in hybrids, paid alongside vehicle tax. For example, 8,000 miles a year in an electric car would add £240. The rate will rise with inflation from 2029/30.

Paying monthly or every 6 months

Paying in one go is cheapest. Paying by 12 monthly Direct Debits adds 5%, so £200 becomes £210. A single 6-month payment costs 55% of the yearly rate (£110 for a £200 car, £220 over a year), and a 6-month Direct Debit costs 52.5% (£105). Bands A to C cannot be paid every 6 months.

Worked examples

FAQs

Do hybrid cars pay less car tax?

No. Hybrids and other alternative fuel cars now pay the same rates as petrol cars, both for the first payment and from the second year. A plug-in hybrid with low CO2 still benefits from a lower first payment because that payment is based on emissions.

Does car tax transfer when I buy a used car?

No. When a car is sold, the seller tells DVLA and gets a refund for any full months left. As the new keeper you must tax the car before you drive it on the road.

Where do I find my car's CO2 figure?

It is printed on the V5C registration certificate (logbook). For a new car, the dealer or manufacturer can give you the official figure, along with the list price that decides whether the expensive car supplement applies.

Related calculators

• Fuel Cost Calculator UKCost of a journey in petrol or diesel
• VAT CalculatorPrices with and without VAT
• Take-Home Pay Calculator 2026/27What you have left to run a car

Sources

• GOV.UK: Vehicle tax rates · rates from 1 April 2026
• GOV.UK: Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) policy paper
• GOV.UK: Cancel your vehicle tax and get a refund