Car Tax Bands
Almost every vehicle in the UK is subject to road tax costs (or Vehicle Excise Duty) and, it is an offence to run or store a car without this.
How much is my car tax?
The amount of tax you pay on a vehicle depends on a few factors which include the size o the engine, the fuel type and carbon dioxide emissions. The DVLA uses a band system in order to calculate how much tax should be paid on any given vehicle.
For vehicles registered before the 1st of March 2001, this system is really simple and works as follows:
Vehicles with an engine size of 1549cc or below £145 per 12 months
Vehicles with an engine size of over 1549cc £235 per 12 months
From March 1st 2001 onwards, things get a bit more complicated. From that date, vehicle bands have been based on CO2 (carbon dioxide missions). Vehicles registered between the 1st of March 2001 and April 2017, now fall into the following bands:
| VED band | CO2 emissions | Annual rate | First year rate |
| A | Up to 100g/km | £0 | £0 |
| B | 101-110g/km | £20 | £0 |
| C | 111-120g/km | £30 | £0 |
| D | 121-130g/km | £110 | £0 |
| E | 131-140g/km | £130 | £130 |
| F | 141-150g/km | £145 | £145 |
| G | 151-165g/km | £185 | £185 |
| H | 166-175g/km | £210 | £300 |
| I | 176-185g/km | £230 | £355 |
| J | 186-200g/km | £270 | £500 |
| K | 201-225g/km | £295 | £650 |
| L | 226-255g/km | £500 | £885 |
| M | Over 255g/km | £515 | £1,120 |
As if that weren’t complicated enough, there were more changes in 2017 which meant that the bands for vehicles registered from April 2017 onwards are as follows:
| CO2 emissions (g/km) | First year rate | Standard rate* |
| £0 | £0 | |
| 1 – 50 | £10 | £140 |
| 51 – 75 | £25 | £140 |
| 76 – 90 | £100 | £140 |
| 91 – 100 | £120 | £140 |
| 101 – 110 | £140 | £140 |
| 111 – 130 | £160 | £140 |
| 131 – 150 | £200 | £140 |
| 151 – 170 | £500 | £140 |
| 171 – 190 | £800 | £140 |
| 191 – 225 | £1200 | £140 |
| 226 – 255 | £1700 | £140 |
| Over 255 | £2000 | £140 |
If all of this seems really complex, don’t worry – if you’re unsure which band your vehicle, or a vehicle you’re looking to buy falls into, you can check it out HERE (make sure that you have the car’s details handy).