Car Tax (VED) Calculator

Calculate Vehicle Excise Duty based on your car's CO2 emissions, fuel type and registration date.

Source: DVLA – Vehicle tax rate tables

Konstantin Iakovlev

By Konstantin Iakovlev · Founder, Calks.uk

Last updated: · Verified against HMRC and GOV.UK 2026/27 rates

£

First Year Rate

£440.00

Standard Rate (year 2+)

£195.00

Standard rate (year 2+): £195 (all vehicles incl. EVs from April 2025)

First year rate for EVs (0g CO2): £10

Cars over £40,000: +£425/year supplement for 5 years

First year rates for 76g+ CO2 cars doubled from April 2025 (Budget Oct 2024)

Disclaimer

This calculator is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or tax advice. All calculations are performed locally in your browser — no personal data is collected or sent to our servers. Rates and thresholds are sourced from HMRC and GOV.UK and are updated for the current tax year. Always verify results with HMRC or consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.

How It Works

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), commonly called car tax or road tax, is charged annually and collected by the DVLA. The amount you pay depends on when your vehicle was first registered, its fuel type and CO2 emissions. From April 2025, electric vehicles are no longer exempt — they now pay the lowest first-year rate and the standard annual rate from year two.

For petrol and diesel cars registered after 1 April 2017, first-year rates are based on CO2 emissions and range from £0 (under 1g/km) to over £2,000 for the highest-emission vehicles. From year two, most cars pay the standard annual rate (£195 in 2026/27). Cars with a list price over £40,000 pay an additional £620 per year for the first five years on top of the standard rate.

Vehicles registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 are taxed under the old banding system based on CO2 emissions, with Band A (up to 100g/km) paying nothing and higher bands paying up to £695.

How Vehicle Excise Duty (VED / car tax) works. For cars registered after April 2017: First-year rate depends on CO2 emissions (£0 for 0g, up to £2,755 for 255g+). Standard annual rate from year 2: £190 petrol/diesel, £180 alternative fuels. Plus £410 'expensive car supplement' for years 2-6 if list price exceeded £40,000. For cars registered before April 2017: based on CO2 emissions or engine size (older cars), with rates from £20 to £695/year.

Major change April 2025 — EVs now pay VED. Electric vehicles registered from April 2025 pay £10 first-year rate, then £190 standard. EVs from 2017-2025: £0 in year 1 + £190 from year 2 (effective April 2025). EVs before 2017: £20/year. The expensive car supplement ALSO applies to EVs from April 2025 — most premium EVs (Tesla Model 3, BMW i4, Polestar 2, Mercedes EQE) cost £40k+ list price and incur £410/year for 5 years.

When and how to pay. Online via gov.uk/vehicle-tax — annual, 6-monthly (5% surcharge), or monthly Direct Debit (10% surcharge). DVLA sends reminder ~3 weeks before expiry. You must tax the vehicle even if exempt (£0 rate) — gov.uk records it as 'taxed'. Untaxed vehicles are subject to £80 fine or vehicle clamping if seen on public roads (ANPR cameras detect untaxed cars in seconds).

Exemptions and reductions. £0 rate categories: vehicles for disabled drivers (DLA/PIP higher rate mobility), historic vehicles (40+ years old, no commercial use), agricultural vehicles, mobility scooters/wheelchairs, electric vehicles registered before April 2017 (still £0 from April 2025). 50% reduction: disabled people getting PIP standard mobility component. SORN (Statutory Off-Road Notification): no VED required if not driven on public roads.

Example: New petrol car, 120g/km CO2, list price £28,000

  1. First-year rate (120g/km CO2): £220
  2. Standard rate from year 2: £195/year
  3. List price under £40,000: no premium rate surcharge
  4. Total cost over 3 years: £220 + £195 + £195 = £610

Source: DVLA – Vehicle tax rate tables

Frequently Asked Questions

How is UK Vehicle Excise Duty (Car Tax / VED) calculated?
For cars registered after 1 April 2017, VED has two components: (1) First-year rate based on CO2 emissions (£0 for 0g, up to £2,755 for 255g+ in 2026/27); (2) Standard annual rate from year 2 onwards — £190 for petrol/diesel, £180 for alternative fuels (including hybrids). PLUS £410 'expensive car supplement' for years 2-6 if list price exceeded £40,000 (catches most premium EVs). From April 2025, electric cars pay VED for the first time.
EV VED — significant changes from April 2025.
Pre-April 2025: zero VED on all electric vehicles. From April 2025: EVs registered on/after that date pay £10 first-year rate, then £190 standard annual rate (same as petrol/diesel). EVs registered pre-April 2017: £20/year. EVs first registered 2017-2024: £0 in year 1 + £190 from year 2. EXPENSIVE car supplement also applies to EVs from April 2025 — most EVs (Tesla Model 3, BMW i4, Polestar 2) cost £40k+ list price, so add £410/year for 5 years on top of base VED.
Tax-exempt vehicles.
VED exempt categories: vehicles for disabled drivers (Disability Living Allowance/PIP higher rate mobility), historic vehicles (40+ years old, not used commercially), vehicles used by disabled veterans for war pension supplement, agricultural vehicles, mobility scooters/powered wheelchairs, electric vehicles registered before April 2017. Exempt vehicles must STILL be 'taxed' annually (£0 charge) via DVLA — you cannot ignore the renewal.