Car tax calculator
Work out how much vehicle tax a car, van or motorcycle costs a year, and each way you can pay it.
GOV.UK's rates for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, checked 14 November 2026.
Result
Vehicle tax for this car is £200 a year, paid in one go.
| First payment, when new | £455 |
|---|---|
| 12 monthly Direct Debits, in total | £210 |
| 6 months | £110 |
| 6 months by Direct Debit | £105 |
Show the workings
| Step | Sum | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| First payment, when the car is first registered | 125g/km | £455.00 |
| Standard rate, from the second payment | Same for petrol, diesel, electric and alternative fuel | 200 GBP a year |
Where the figures come from
This sum uses only the numbers you entered.
How car tax is worked out
It depends on when the car was first registered:
- On or after 1 April 2017: the first payment depends on CO2 emissions. After that, nearly every car pays the standard rate of £200 a year, plus £440 a year for five years if its list price was over £40,000 (£50,000 for an electric car).
- From 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017: a band from A to M by CO2 emissions, from £20 to £790 a year.
- Before 1 March 2001: by engine size: £230 up to 1549cc, £375 over.
The CO2 figure and registration date are on the V5C logbook. All the rates.
Paying monthly costs more
Paying by 12 monthly Direct Debits adds 5% to the year's tax: the standard rate becomes £210. Paying for 6 months at a time costs more than half a year too. You can tax a vehicle on GOV.UK.