You can’t get an exact “how much is my road tax” amount without your specific car details, but you can get very close in a few minutes using the official UK tools and some basic rules.

How road tax is worked out

In the UK, “road tax” is Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), and the amount depends mainly on:

  • When the car was first registered (pre‑2001, 2001–2017, or after 1 April 2017).
  • CO₂ emissions (g/km) for most cars, especially those registered from 2001.
  • Fuel type (petrol/diesel, hybrid/alternative fuel, or fully electric).
  • List price when new (there’s an extra supplement if it was over about £40,000).

Since 2017, most non‑electric cars move to a “flat” standard rate after the first year, with only a few differences by fuel type and any high‑price supplement.

Typical 2025–26 road tax figures

These are ballpark examples so you can see what’s “normal”. Exact bands vary with registration date and CO₂, but this gives a feel for what you might pay.

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Car type (example)</th>
      <th>Key details</th>
      <th>Typical annual road tax</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Modern electric car</td>
      <td>0g/km CO₂, registered after 2017</td>
      <td>Often £0 in many current tables, though future rules are changing – check latest GOV.UK rates.[web:1][web:3][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>New petrol/diesel hatchback</td>
      <td>Registered after 2017, average CO₂, normal list price</td>
      <td>First year is CO₂‑based; after that, a flat rate around the £190–£200 mark per year in recent guides.[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Alternative fuel / hybrid</td>
      <td>Hybrid or alternative fuel, after 2017</td>
      <td>Usually slightly cheaper than petrol/diesel – for example some guides show around £155 vs ~£165 in recent years.[web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Older small car (pre‑2001)</td>
      <td>Engine size under 1549cc</td>
      <td>Recent RAC-style tables show around the low‑£200s per year (e.g. £220 for 12 months).[web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Older larger car (pre‑2001)</td>
      <td>Engine size over 1549cc</td>
      <td>Often in the mid‑£300s per year (e.g. £360 for 12 months).[web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Expensive car (&gt;£40k new)</td>
      <td>Registered after 2017, any fuel</td>
      <td>Standard rate (around £190–£200) plus a “luxury” supplement of roughly £390–£425 per year for 5 years from year 2.[web:1][web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

These numbers are illustrative and can shift slightly year to year, so always confirm against current official tables.

How to find your exact amount

You can get a personalised answer for “how much is my road tax” in 2–3 minutes:

  1. Grab your reg and V5C
    • Note the registration number and the “date of first registration”.
    • If you can, find the CO₂ emissions figure (often on the V5C logbook or in the car’s manual).
  2. Check tax status by registration
    • Use a UK vehicle check site where you enter your number plate to see if the car is taxed and what class it’s in.
 * This won’t always show the price, but it confirms the exact model, fuel type, and tax class.
  1. Look up the correct tax table
    • Go to the official UK “vehicle tax rate tables” and choose the table that matches when your car was first registered (pre‑2001, 2001–2017, or from 1 April 2017).
 * Match your CO₂ emissions or engine size to the right band in that table.
  1. Apply the standard or first‑year rate
    • For newer cars, you’ll see a first‑year amount based on CO₂, then a standard rate (often around £190–£200) from year two onwards.
 * If your car’s list price when new was above about £40,000, add the high‑value supplement on top for the relevant 5‑year window.
  1. Choose how you want to pay
    • You can pay annually, every six months, or monthly by Direct Debit; paying monthly or six‑monthly usually adds around 5% extra compared with paying annually.

If you’d like, you can paste your car’s registration year, fuel type (petrol/diesel/hybrid/electric), and CO₂ figure, and I can walk you through the band you’re likely in (without needing your exact plate).