Car tax bands 2026/27: how much will I pay?
Key takeaways
Your car’s first registration date will decide which car tax rules apply
Most cars registered from April 2017 pay a £200 standard annual rate after their first tax payment
You can check your exact rate using your registration and V5C, then tax your vehicle through the UK government website
How much car tax will I pay in 2026/2027?
How much car tax you'll pay depends mainly on when your car was first registered. This will determine which of the three main Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates apply.
Your car tax can also be affected by the following factors:
Your car’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
Its engine size
Its fuel or power type
Its original list price
Whether you pay annually, every six months or monthly
Which car tax rules apply to my car?
The rules that apply depend on your car’s first registration date, not when you bought it.
Before 1 March 2001: Your rate is based on the car’s engine size
1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017: Your rate is based on the car’s CO2 emissions and tax band
On or after 1 April 2017: A new car’s first tax payment is based on its emissions. A standard rate usually applies after that
You can find the first registration date on your V5C logbook or through the DVLA vehicle information service.
What are the 2026/27 car tax rates?
The current car tax bans apply from 1 April 2026. Unless stated otherwise, the figures below show the cost of paying for 12 months in one payment or by annual Direct Debit. Paying in instalments will cost a little extra.
Cars registered on or after 1 April 2017
Cars registered from April 2017 have a first tax payment followed by a different standard rate - the first payment for a new car is based on its CO2 emissions and fuel type.
Cars with higher emissions pay more, and diesel cars that don't meet the Real Driving Emissions 2 (RDE2) standard also pay a higher first-year rate.
First payment
CO2 emissions | Petrol, RDE2 diesel, alternative fuel and zero-emission cars | Diesel cars that do not meet RDE2 |
0g/km | £10 | £10 |
1 to 50g/km | £115 | £135 |
51 to 75g/km | £135 | £280 |
76 to 90g/km | £280 | £365 |
91 to 100g/km | £365 | £405 |
101 to 110g/km | £405 | £455 |
111 to 130g/km | £455 | £560 |
131 to 150g/km | £560 | £1,410 |
151 to 170g/km | £1,410 | £2,270 |
171 to 190g/km | £2,270 | £3,420 |
191 to 225g/km | £3,420 | £4,850 |
226 to 255g/km | £4,850 | £5,690 |
Over 255g/km | £5,690 | £5,690 |
Second payment and onwards
From the second vehicle licence, most cars registered from April 2017 pay the £200 standard annual rate.
Rate | Annual cost |
Standard rate | £200 |
Standard rate plus the £440 Expensive Car Supplement - for new vehicles with a list price of £40,000 (or £50,000 for electric cars) | £640 |
The standard rate applies regardless of the car’s emissions - however, the Expensive Car Supplement may be added for five years from the start of the second licence.
Will I pay the Expensive Car Supplement?
You may pay an extra £440 a year if the car’s original list price exceeded the relevant threshold:
- Over £40,000 for petrol, diesel, hybrid and other non-zero-emission cars
- Over £50,000 for zero-emission cars first registered from 1 April 2025
The original list price is the car’s published price before it was first registered. It is not the price you paid for a used car or its current market value.
Cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017
Cars registered during this period are placed in bands A to M according to their CO2 emissions, while zero-emission cars registered during this period now pay the Band A rate of £20 a year.
CO2-based tax bands
Cars registered during this period are placed in bands A to M according to their CO2 emissions.
Band | CO2 emissions | Annual price |
|---|---|---|
A | Up to 100g/km | £20 |
B | 101 to 110g/km | £20 |
C | 111 to 120g/km | £35 |
D | 121 to 130g/km | £170 |
E | 131 to 140g/km | £200 |
F | 141 to 150g/km | £225 |
G | 151 to 165g/km | £275 |
H | 166 to 175g/km | £325 |
I | 176 to 185g/km | £360 |
J | 186 to 200g/km | £410 |
K | 201 to 225g/km | £445* |
L | 226 to 255g/km | £760 |
M | Over 255g/km | £790 |
*Band K also includes cars with CO2 emissions over 225g/km that were registered before 23 March 2006.
Cars registered before 1 March 2001
Car tax for vehicles registered before March 2001 is based on engine size.
Engine size-based rates
Engine size | Annual rate |
|---|---|
1,549cc or less | £230 |
Over 1,549cc | £375 |
How do I check my car’s tax band and exact rate?
You can use the official DVLA service to check your car’s registration date, emissions, tax status and current rate:
Enter your number plate into the DVLA vehicle information service
Use your V5C reference to check your vehicle tax
For new cars, you can use the Vehicle Certification Agency service
Have there been any road tax changes in 2026?
Yes, there have been road tax changes in 2026:
Standard car tax rate: From 1 April 2026, the standard annual rate increased in line with inflation (as it does each year) from £195 to £200
Electric car owners pay the full standard rate: From 1 April 2026, electric cars moved from a discounted second-year rate to the full £200 standard rate, in line with petrol, diesel, and hybrid cars. This applies to all electric cars, including ones registered before April 2025 that were previously exempt from road tax
Expensive car supplement: From 1 April 2026, the additional rate, also known as the ‘expensive car supplement’ threshold raised from £40,000 to £50,000 for electric cars. This new threshold also applies to electric cars registered from 1 April 2025 onwards. The change means that fewer electric car owners will need to pay the £440 supplement
How do I tax my car?
You can tax your car online, at a Post Office or by phone using the DVLA service.
What do I need to tax my car?
You will need one of the following:
A V11 reminder letter
Your V5C logbook
The green new-keeper slip
Your car must also have valid insurance and an MOT if required.
Where can I tax my car?
You'll be able to tax your car through the following ways:
Online via the GOV.UK vehicle tax service
At a Post Office
By calling DVLA on 0300 123 4321
How can I pay for car tax?
Paying annually is usually cheapest - spreading the cost over monthly and six-monthly plans works out more expensive overall.
Payment option | What you pay | Total over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
One annual payment | £200 | £200 |
Annual Direct Debit | £200 | £200 |
Monthly Direct Debit | £17.50 a month | £210 |
Six-monthly Direct Debit | £105 every six months | £210 |
Single six-month payment | £110 every six months | £220 |
Do electric and hybrid cars pay car tax?
Yes, electric and hybrid cars now pay car tax depending on when they were registered.
Electric cars
First registration date | Current rate |
|---|---|
1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 | £20 a year |
1 April 2017 to 31 March 2025 | £200 a year |
On or after 1 April 2025 | £10 first payment, then £200 a year |
Hybrid cars
Hybrids follow the same rules as other cars based on registration date and emissions - the previous alternative fuel discount no longer applies.
What is Electric Vehicle Excise Duty or eVED?
The Electric Vehicle Excise Duty, known as eVED, is a new pay-per-mile tax which is due to be introduced in April 2028 for electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid car owners.
Electric car drivers are set to pay 3p per mile while plug-in hybrid drivers will pay 1.5p per mile. This means the average electric car driver (driving 8,000 miles a year) will pay an extra £240 per year.
What happens when I buy, sell or stop using a car?
Car tax does not transfer between owners:
If you buy a car: You must tax it before driving using the new-keeper slip
If you sell a car: The DVLA cancels the tax and issues a refund for full months remaining
If you stop using a car: You must declare it SORNif the car is kept off the road
Which vehicles are exempt from car tax?
Some vehicles are taxed at £0 but must still be registered, including:
Disabled vehicles
Historic vehicles (built before 1 January 1986)
Certain agricultural and specialist vehicles
Frequently asked questions
Can I tax a car without a V5C?
Yes, if you're the current keeper you can apply for a replacement V5C and tax your car during the same online process.
If you've just bought the car, you can use the 12-digit reference number on the green new-keeper slip. If you have neither a V5C nor the new-keeper slip, you'll need to apply for a new V5C by post before you can tax it.
When is my car tax due?
You must renew your car tax before the current tax expires. You can check your vehicle’s tax status and expiry date online using its registration number. If you pay by Direct Debit, the DVLA will normally renew your tax automatically and tell you when the next payment will be taken.
Does car tax renew automatically?
It normally renews automatically if you pay by Direct Debit. The registered keeper must be recorded correctly with the DVLA and the vehicle must have a valid MOT if required.
If you paid by debit card, credit card or another one-off payment, you will need to renew the tax yourself.
Can I tax my car without an MOT?
Not if your car is legally required to have a valid MOT. You can tax an MOT-exempt vehicle, although you may need to confirm that it qualifies for an exemption.
A new MOT result can take up to two days to appear in the DVLA’s records, so you may not be able to tax your car immediately after it passes.
Can I tax my car without insurance?
In Great Britain, you do not need to provide proof of insurance when taxing a car. However, the vehicle must be insured before you drive it and generally while it is kept on a road or in a public place.
An uninsured vehicle must normally be kept off public roads and covered by a SORN. If you tax a vehicle at a Post Office in Northern Ireland, you will need an insurance certificate or cover note.
Can I drive while the tax record updates?
Yes, provided your tax application has been approved and the new tax period has started. Your vehicle must also be insured and have a valid MOT if required.
It can take up to two working days for the online tax record to update, so keep your application or payment confirmation.
Can I buy temporary car tax?
No, car tax is not available by the day or week. You can normally tax your vehicle for six or 12 months, or spread the cost through monthly Direct Debit payments.
Monthly Direct Debit is a payment plan for a longer tax period rather than one-month temporary tax.
Do I still need to tax an exempt vehicle?
Yes, you must still tax the vehicle even if the amount due is £0. You may need to apply for an exempt tax class before you can tax it without paying.
A vehicle covered by a SORN is different: it doesn't need to be taxed while it remains off public roads.
Does car tax transfer when I buy a used car?
No, car tax does not transfer to a new keeper. The seller’s tax is cancelled when they notify the DVLA, and you must tax the car before driving it.
You can normally do this using the 12-digit reference number on the green new-keeper slip.
How long does a car tax refund take?
The DVLA automatically sends a refund cheque after you report that the vehicle has been sold, scrapped, exported, taken off the road or otherwise qualifies for a refund.
The refund covers any full remaining months and is sent to the name and address on the V5C. Contact the DVLA if it has not arrived after eight weeks.
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Mehdi Punjwani
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Mehdi is a financial writer and editor with over six years of experience in personal finance. He has written for organisations and publications including Equifax, The AA, and USAToday, covering a...
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