In the UK, how much to tax your car depends mainly on when it was first registered, its official CO₂ emissions, fuel type, and whether it was an expensive model when new.

Key things that decide “how much to tax my car”

  • Date first registered
    • Different rules apply for cars:
      • Registered before March 2001
      • Registered between March 2001 and 31 March 2017
      • Registered on or after 1 April 2017.
  • CO₂ emissions and fuel type
    • First year’s tax on newer cars (registered from 1 April 2017) is banded by CO₂ emissions, and diesel cars that do not meet RDE2 standards pay more in the first year.
* After the first year, most petrol, diesel, hybrid and other “alternative fuel” cars pay a standard flat rate, while zero‑emission vehicles can pay less or nothing depending on age.
  • List price when new
    • If the car had a “list price” over £40,000 when new, there is an extra supplement each year for several years on top of the normal rate (not applied in the very first tax year in some schemes).

Typical annual amounts (for newer cars)

For cars registered on or after 1 April 2017, a common pattern is:

  • First tax (first 12 months)
    • The price varies by CO₂ band: low‑emission cars pay much less, and high‑emission cars can be several thousand pounds for that first year.
  • Standard rate from year two onward
    • A single flat amount is charged for most petrol and diesel cars for 12 months (one official table shows a common standard 12‑month charge around just under £200 in recent years, with slightly different amounts for paying in 6‑month or monthly instalments).
* Alternative‑fuel vehicles (hybrids, LPG, etc.) are usually slightly cheaper than standard petrol/diesel.

* Zero‑emission cars can be exempt, depending on registration date and current rules.
  • Expensive-car supplement
    • Cars with a list price above £40,000 pay an additional annual supplement on top of the standard rate for a fixed number of years after registration.

How to find the exact figure for your car

Because the precise amount depends on your car’s registration date, CO₂ band, fuel type, and list price, the most accurate way to answer “how much to tax my car” is to look it up directly using:

  • The official government vehicle tax rates tables, where you match your car’s CO₂ band and registration date to a banded amount.
  • An online “car tax calculator” or “check car tax by reg” service: you enter your registration plate and it estimates the annual tax based on DVLA data.

Quick checklist for you

To work out how much to tax your car, gather:

  1. Registration date (month and year).
  2. Official CO₂ emissions (from the V5C or manufacturer spec).
  3. Fuel type (petrol, diesel, hybrid, electric, etc.).
  4. Whether the car’s original list price was above £40,000.

Then:

  • Use the official vehicle tax table to see your band and amount.
  • Or use a trusted UK car‑tax checker by entering your reg, which will show the current annual tax and any expensive‑car supplement.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.