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Car tax rates and tax bands explained

Car tax is a legal requirement for anyone using UK roads, and is also known as Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). When it comes to taxing your vehicle, you'll need to apply through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

The tax you pay contributes towards general government funds, these typically cover the costs of public services including road maintenance.

Exactly what you pay is determined by the age of your car and the fuel it uses. If you buy a new or used car, you must register for car tax - and renew annually. Car tax for electric vehicles (EVs) was introduced from 1 April 2025 and an additional pay-per mile tax for EVs is due to be introduced in 2028. Our EV pay-per-mile tax calculator can help you estimate what the proposed charges might cost you.

Depending on when your vehicle was registered, certain tax rates are applied based on fuel type, CO2 emissions and engine capacity.

How do I tax my car?

You can tax your car online, over the phone, or at a post office. A reference number is required, this can be found in your vehicle logbook or a green new keeper slip if you've just bought the car. You may also be sent an email or letter reminding you to renew your VED, this should contain a reference number.

If you buy a new or used car you must register for tax. It lasts for one year and has to be renewed in order to continue driving on public roads.

How much is my car tax?

The cost of your car tax depends on a number of factors including the age of your car and the fuel it uses.

You can usually opt for a one-off annual payment, or by direct debit every month or every 6 months to spread the cost.

VED tax rates for tax year 2025/26

These are the first year and standard rate (for second payment onwards) VED rates for cars registered on or after 1 April 2017:

CO2 emissions (g/Km)	Petrol, clean diesel (RDE2 standard) & EV first year rate	All other diesel (those not meeting RDE2 standard)	Standard rate for second payment onwards*
0	£10	£10	£195
1-50	£110	£130	£195
51-75	£130	£270	£195
76-90	£270	£350	£195
91-100	£350	£390	£195
101-110	£390	£440	£195
111-130	£440	£540	£195
131-150	£540	£1,360	£195
151-170	£1,360	£2,190	£195
171-190	£2,190	£3,300	£195
191-225	£3,300	£4,680	£195
226-255	£4,680	£5,490	£195
Over 255	£5,490	£5,490	£195

*Cars and motorhomes with a list price of more than £40,000 must pay an extra £425 a year unless they’re a zero emission vehicle and registered before 1 April 2025. This rate is payable for 5 years, calculated from the second time the vehicle is taxed

VED tax cost for cars registered before April 2017

For petrol, diesel, alternative fuel and zero emission cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017, the car tax scale splits into 13 bands (A to M). Here are the tax rates for these vehicles based on a single 12 month payment:

Band	CO2 emissions (g/Km)	Cost
A	Up to 100	£20
B	101-110	£20
C	111-120	£35
D	121-130	£165
E	131-140	£195
F	141-150	£215
G	151-165	£265
H	166-175	£315
I	176-185	£345
J	186-200	£395
K*	201-225	£430
L	226-255	£735
M	Over 255	£760

* This includes cars with a CO2 figure over 225g/km but were registered before 23 March 2006

Car tax exemptions

There are certain conditions that could exempt you from having to pay tax. Even if you're exempt from paying, you'll still have to tax your vehicle. Any of the following can exempt you from having to pay for VED:

Vehicles used by a disabled driver or disabled passenger vehicles: You could be eligible for disability exemption when you're applying for car tax. If you have two or more vehicles you'll have to choose which car the exemption applies to. This is because the exemption is only valid for one vehicle at any given time. You can remove this if the vehicle is no longer used by a disabled person.

Organisations providing transport for disabled people are also exempt from paying VED.

Mobility vehicles and powered wheelchairs: Vehicles with a maximum speed of 8mph on the road and fitted with a device that limits them to 4mph on footways are exempt.

Classic or historic vehicles: Any vehicle made before 1 January 1984 is exempt.

Hybrid electric vehicles are not exempt from paying VED.

If you apply SORN to your vehicle: A Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) declares that you won't be driving your vehicle and it's off the road. This is registered through the DVLA and the vehicle cannot be driven or parked on a public road while SORNed. It must be kept on private property while SORN is applied, which makes you exempt from paying car tax.

If you're SORNing a car that's alright taxed, you might even be eligible for a car tax refund. But if you decide to use the vehicle again, you’ll need to tax it again.

Any vehicle used for agriculture and forestry: These vehicles are used for specific purposes and are exempt from VED, they can include:

Tractors
‘Limited use’ vehicles used for short journeys (no more than 1.5km) on a public road between land that’s used by the same person
Mowing machines used to cut grass, for example
Agricultural engines

Light agricultural vehicles used off road only

What documents do I need to tax my car?

To tax your vehicle, you'll need a reference number from:

Your V5C log book (it must be in your name)
A tax reminder letter or email from the DVLA
The green new keeper slip (you will have received this when you initially bought your car)

You may have to apply for a new log book if you do not have any of these documents. You'll typically be able to tax your vehicle at the same time.

You can apply or renew VED online, by phone or in person at a post office. Bear in mind you won't be able to pay by direct debit over the phone. And if you apply via a post office, only specific branches can assist with vehicle tax. When you're applying, you must have one of these documents to hand.

How to cancel my car tax?

You must inform the DVLA if you wish to cancel your car tax. The only exception is if you register your vehicle as off the road (SORN), in this instance your road tax will be cancelled automatically.

You'll be required to notify the DVLA If you're cancelling car tax for one of the following reasons:

Your car is written off by an insurance company
Moving abroad and taking your car with you
You sell your car or transfer it to another person
If it's scrapped at a vehicle scrapyard
The vehicle is stolen

In any of these instances, you can receive a car tax refund in the form of a cheque for any remaining months of road tax you have already paid for. There are a number of ways you can apply for this online.

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FAQs

What happens if I don’t pay my car tax?

If you fail to pay your car tax, you’re likely to receive a fine.

Depending on the status of your car at the time of the offence, this could be as much as £2,500!

Here’s a breakdown of the fines you can expect if you’re caught without car tax:

If you’re the registered keeper of an untaxed car

Here, you’ll be issued with an £80 fine, which is reduced to £40 if you pay with 33 days. Failure to pay the fine within the stated time limit could see your penalty being passed on to a debt collection agency, which could incur additional costs.

If you use an untaxed vehicle on a public road without a SORN

In this case, you’ll be issued with an out of court settlement notice (OCS) for £30, plus 1.5x the outstanding tax amount you owe. If this isn’t paid, you could be taken to court, where the maximum penalty you can be issued is £1000, or 5 x the total amount to tax your car - whichever is greater.

If you use an untaxed vehicle on a public road with a SORN

If you’ve SORNed your car, but drive it anyway, the penalties can be even more severe. Like with driving an untaxed car without a SORN, you’ll first be issued with a £30 OCS. If this goes unpaid, you could be taken to court and fined £2,500 - or 5 x your car’s tax, whatever is greater.

Keeping an untaxed vehicle

This works in the same way as using an untaxed, unSORNed vehicle. You’ll receive a £30 OCS, which if unpaid could land you in court where the maximum penalty is £1000 or 5 x your car tax.

Learn more about penalties for failing to pay your car tax on the government's website.

Is there a grace period on car tax?

No, there’s no grace period. You need to tax your car as soon as it’s due.

Failure to do so could see you hit with a penalty of more than £2,500!

Can you tax a car without insurance?

No, a valid insurance policy is needed when applying for VED. A valid MOT is also required, but you don't usually need these documents to hand as they're automatically checked when applying online.