Skip to main content
GovMath.

Vehicles & Transport · 2025/26 rates

Car Tax (VED) Calculator

Vehicle Excise Duty in the UK has two phases — a CO₂-banded ‘showroom rate’ in year one, then a flat £195/year (with a £425 surcharge for cars over £40k for 5 years).

Your car

g/km

On your V5C log book. Use 0 for EVs.

£

Includes options. >£40k triggers the £425/yr expensive-car supplement for 5 years.

First-year VED

£440

Then £195/yr standard

6-year ownership cost

  • Year 1 (first-year rate)
    £440
  • Years 2–6 standard × 5
    £975
  • Expensive-car supplement years 2–6
    £0
  • Total 6-year VED
    £1,415

How we calculated your result

VED for cars first registered on or after 1 April 2017:

  • Year 1: based on CO₂ emissions from the type approval certificate (on your V5C). Bands range from £10 (≤0g) up to £5,490 (255g+).
  • Years 2 onwards: flat standard rate of £195/year for petrol/diesel; £185 for alternative fuel; £195 for EVs (from April 2025).
  • Expensive car supplement: extra £425/year for years 2–6 if the list price (with options) was over £40,000.

Official UK rules in simple English

Key changes effective from April 2025:

  • EVs no longer pay £0 VED. New EVs pay £10 first year then £195 standard. Existing EVs (registered pre-April 2025) move to £195 standard.
  • The expensive-car supplement now applies to EVs too — a £45,000 EV will cost £620/year (£195 + £425) for years 2–6.
  • Cars registered between 2001 and March 2017 use the older CO₂-band system with annual rates from £20 to £760 (out of scope here).
  • Cars registered before March 2001 use engine size: £220 if >1549cc, £140 if not.

Common pitfalls to watch out for

  • ⚠ The £40k threshold catches even mid-range trims

    A Tesla Model 3 Long Range, BMW iX1, or VW ID.4 in mid-trim with options easily lands over £40k — adding £2,125 over 5 years on top of standard VED. Even “practical” family cars regularly cross the line.

  • ⚠ The list price is what you'd have paid new, not what you paid

    Buying second-hand doesn’t escape the expensive-car supplement. If the car was over £40k when new, you pay it for years 2–6 from first registration — even if you got a bargain.

  • ⚠ EV VED change caught a lot of buyers off-guard

    Before April 2025, EVs paid £0. From April 2025, they pay normal VED — and the expensive-car supplement. A £50k EV costs ~£3,510 in VED over years 1–6, vs £0 for the same model registered a year earlier.

  • ⚠ Not paying = automatic fine + clamp

    VED is enforced by ANPR cameras and DVLA databases. No tax discs anymore. Late payment triggers a £80 penalty (halved if paid within 28 days); ignoring it leads to clamping or a £1,000+ court fine.

Frequently asked questions

What about SORN?
If you take the car off the road, file a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) to legally stop paying VED. Reinstate when you put it back on the road. We have a separate SORN calculator coming.
Can I pay monthly?
Yes — but Direct Debit pays a 5% surcharge for monthly/6-monthly. Annual single payment is cheapest.
What if I sell mid-year?
You get a refund of unused full months. The new owner must tax the car immediately — VED is no longer transferred between owners.

Covers cars registered from April 2017. Older cars use legacy bands not modelled here.

Related calculators

More tools in Vehicles & Transport.