Road Tax Calculator by Reg: How Much Is My Car Tax?

Enter the reg plate in the calculator above and it reads the car's DVLA record: its first registration date, CO2, fuel type and whether it pays the expensive car supplement. For 2026/27, a car first registered from 1 April 2017 pays £200 a year, or £640 while it pays the £440 supplement. A car registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays by CO2 band, from £20 (band A) to £790 (band M). A car registered before 1 March 2001 pays £230 (up to 1549cc) or £375 (over 1549cc).

For cars first registered from 1 April 2017, the standard rate is £200 a year regardless of CO2 emissions, plus £440 a year for five years if the list price was over £40,000 (over £50,000 for an electric car registered from 1 April 2025). Cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pay by CO2 band, from £20 to £790. Cars registered before 1 March 2001 pay £230 or £375, depending on engine size. Electric cars have paid road tax since 1 April 2025.

By the date the car was first registered. Before 1 March 2001: by engine size. From 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017: by CO2 emissions band. From 1 April 2017: the first payment is set by CO2, then every car pays the same standard rate, plus the expensive car supplement for five years if its list price was over the threshold. Vans pay the light goods vehicle rate instead.

If a car first registered on or after 1 April 2017 had a list price over £40,000 when new, it pays an extra £440 a year on top of the standard rate for five years, starting from the second time it is taxed: £640 a year in all. The list price is the published price before any discounts, not what anyone paid. For an electric car registered from 1 April 2025 the threshold is £50,000. Electric cars registered before 1 April 2025 never pay it.

Yes, if it is still within its five years. The supplement goes with the car, not the owner, so whoever taxes it pays it until DVLA's end date, which is about six years after the car was first registered. A seven-year-old car that once paid it is back on the standard rate. The calculator above shows the end date from DVLA's record.

A single 6 month payment costs 55% of the yearly rate (10% more over a year), and 6 months by Direct Debit costs 52.5% (5% more). On the £200 standard rate that is £110 or £105. Cars in bands A to C cannot be taxed for 6 months.

Yes, by Direct Debit. Twelve monthly payments cost 5% more in total than paying in one go: £210 a year on the £200 standard rate. A single 12-month payment is the cheapest option. You can set it up when you tax the car on GOV.UK or at a Post Office.

A van up to 3,500kg first registered on or after 1 March 2001 pays the light goods vehicle rate of £360 a year, electric vans included. Euro 4 vans registered from 1 March 2003 to 31 December 2006, and Euro 5 vans registered from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010, pay £140. Vans registered before 1 March 2001 pay by engine size, like cars.

No. Paper tax discs were abolished in October 2014. DVLA uses electronic records and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to check whether vehicles are taxed. You can check your tax status online or by entering your reg plate above.

Driving an untaxed vehicle on public roads is a criminal offence. Penalties include an automatic £80 fine from DVLA plus the tax you owe, a court fine of up to £1,000 or five times the yearly tax (whichever is more), wheel clamping, vehicle seizure, or crushing. DVLA sends automatic reminders before tax expires, but it is your responsibility to renew on time.