The privilege of having a car in the UK comes with quite a few costs unfortunately and road tax is one of them. Depending on a multitude of factors, what your road tax should cost you can vary.
What determines Road Tax cost?
The cost of taxing your vehicle is determined on a few factors such as when your vehicle was first registered, emissions and fuel type.
Electric of cars are currently exempt from pay road tax, so it is free for owners of electric cars to get their vehicle taxed.
If your car cost more than £40,000 you need to pay a luxury car surcharge of £390 for five years following the second tax year.
The date your vehicle was first registered
- Before March 2001 – Tax is based on the size of the engine, the larger the engine the more you can expect to pay
- Between 1 March 2001 and 1 April 2017 – As pollution became more of a concern any cars registered between these dates pay their road tax depending on the emissions of the vehicle.
- After 1 April 2017 – Owners pay the first year based on emissions, then for the second year and after it is a flat rate regardless of emissions.
- Car is more than 40 years old – any car more than 40 years old is classed as a “historic car” and is exempt from tax.
Alternative fuels, Electric cars and Road Tax
As mentioned before, electric cars are exempt from paying any road tax. The reason why being that they produce zero emissions and therefore cause no harm to the environment. This also includes any cars that would fall under the electric car luxury car surcharge.
Any cars that run on bioethanol, liquid petroleum gas or are classed as a Hybrid pay a reduced rate of tax. This is because they produce less emissions than traditional petrol or diesel cars.
How much Road Tax will I pay?
Using the tables below you can check how much your road tax will be. The car lookup tool returns Co2 Emissions and date of first registration if you need that information.
Cars registered on or after April 2017
If your car was registered on or after 1 April 2017 you will only pay tax based on emissions for the first year of the vehicles life.
Road tax for first 12 months
| CO2 emissions | RDE2 Petrol and Diesel Cars | All other diesel cars (TC49) | Alternative fuel cars (TC59) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0g/km | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| 1 to 50g/km | £10 | £30 | £0 |
| 51 to 75g/km | £30 | £130 | £20 |
| 76 to 90g/km | £130 | £165 | £120 |
| 91 to 100g/km | £165 | £185 | £155 |
| 101 to 110g/km | £185 | £210 | £175 |
| 111 to 130g/km | £210 | £255 | £200 |
| 131 to 150g/km | £255 | £645 | £245 |
| 151 to 170g/km | £645 | £1,040 | £635 |
| 171 to 190g/km | £1,040 | £1,565 | £1,030 |
| 191 to 225g/km | £1,565 | £2,220 | £1,555 |
| 226 to 255g/km | £2,220 | £2,605 | £2,210 |
| Over 255g/km | £2,605 | £2,605 | £2,595 |
After the first 12 months you will be a flat rate tax regardless of emissions.
Road tax for the 2nd tax year onward
| Fuel type | Single 12 month payment | Single 6 month payment |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol or diesel | £180 | £99 |
| Electric | £0 | £0 |
| Alternative | £170 | £93.50 |
Cars registered between March 2001 and April 2017
Vehicles produced during this time has their road tax calculated based on how much pollution they produced.
Petrol car (TC48) and diesel car (TC49)
| Band and CO2 emission | Single 12 month payment | Single 6 month payment |
|---|---|---|
| A: Up to 100g/km | £0 | N/A |
| B: 101 to 110g/km | £20 | N/A |
| C: 111 to 120g/km | £35 | N/A |
| D: 121 to 130g/km | £150 | £82.50 |
| E: 131 to 140g/km | £180 | £99 |
| F: 141 to 150g/km | £200 | £110 |
| G: 151 to 165g/km | £240 | £132 |
| H: 166 to 175g/km | £290 | £159.50 |
| I: 176 to 185g/km | £320 | £176 |
| J: 186 to 200g/km | £365 | £200.75 |
| K*: 201 to 225g/km | £395 | £217.25 |
| L: 226 to 255g/km | £675 | £371.25 |
| M: Over 255g/km | £695 | £382.25 |
Alternative fuel car (TC59)
| Band and CO2 emission | Single 12 month payment | Single 6 month payment |
|---|---|---|
| A: Up to 100g/km | £0 | N/A |
| B: 101 to 110g/km | £10 | N/A |
| C: 111 to 120g/km | £25 | N/A |
| D: 121 to 130g/km | £140 | £77 |
| E: 131 to 140g/km | £170 | £93.50 |
| F: 141 to 150g/km | £190 | £104.50 |
| G: 151 to 165g/km | £230 | £126.50 |
| H: 166 to 175g/km | £280 | £154 |
| I: 176 to 185g/km | £310 | £170.50 |
| J: 186 to 200g/km | £355 | £195.25 |
| K*: 201 to 225g/km | £385 | £211.75 |
| L: 226 to 255g/km | £665 | £365.75 |
| M: Over 255g/km | £685 | £376.75 |
Cars registered before March 2001
Any vehicle registered before March 2001 had its tax determined by engine size.
Private or light goods (TC11)
| Engine size (cc) | Single 12 month payment | Single 6 month payment |
|---|---|---|
| Not over 1549 | £200 | £110 |
| Over 1549 | £325 | £178.75 |
Road Tax Exemption
Road tax does not apply to every driver on UK roads, depending on your circumstances you may be exempt from paying. If any of the following applies, you may be exempt:
- You own a historic vehicle over (40 years old)
- You own an electric or zero emission vehicle
- You receive the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance.
- Your vehicle is an electric mobility scooter
Cancel Road Tax for unused vehicle
If you have a vehicle that you dont intend to drive on any public roads, then you need to declare a SORN notice on that vehicle.
You can make a SORN on the DVLA website.
