2026 VED Update

From 1 April 2026, a number of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates have changed.

VED, or car tax, must be paid each year if you own a car, van or motorhome. You can learn more about what it is in our guide to car tax.

How much tax you pay depends on how old your vehicle is, how much it cost and its CO2 emissions. Read on to find out which car tax band your vehicle falls into.

What decides how much car tax I pay?

Vehicle Excise Duty is linked directly to your car, van or motorhome and the cost varies depending on vehicle age, list price and CO2 emissions. The different rates are known as car tax bands, road tax bands or VED bands.

Here’s how the rules work if your car was first registered on these dates:

• On or after 1 April 2017 – There are 2 different payments. The first payment, sometimes called “showroom tax”, is based on the official CO2 figures when the car was built. It’s followed by an annual renewal. If the car had a list price above the expensive car threshold, there’s also an extra charge for 5 years after the first year.
• Between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 – You’ll pay based on the car’s official CO2 emissions and fuel type.
• Before 1 March 2001 – The tax you pay depends on the engine size.
• Cars over 40 years old – You may not have any VED to pay if the vehicle is in the historic tax class, but it still needs to be registered with the DVLA.
• Motorcycle, tricycle and motorhome rates – These are shown below too.

Understand the basics of car tax

There are a few basics that it’s helpful to understand about car tax.

You must tax your car if:

• Your vehicle is registered in the UK and is used on public roads, unless you’re exempt.

Vehicle tax cost is based on:

• How old your vehicle is.
• Its engine size.
• Its official CO2 emissions. This figure is on the V5C registration document. It’s measured in official tests before a new model can be put on sale.
• Since April 2017, it can also depend on the car’s list price when new.

You should contact the DVLA if:

• You’re not using your car. You must either let the DVLA know that your car is being kept off-road with a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification) or continue to tax it.
• You change address. Make sure you tell the DVLA, otherwise you may not receive your tax renewal documents.

You could be fined if:

• You do not tax your vehicle on time. DVLA can issue an £80 late licensing penalty, reduced to £40 if it’s paid within 33 days.
• An untaxed vehicle is used or kept on the road. It can be clamped, and if the case goes to court the penalty can be £1,000 or 5 times the amount of tax due, whichever is greater.

Remember:

• The DVLA stopped issuing paper tax discs from 1 October 2014.
• You can check the tax status of a vehicle online using its registration number.

Cars registered on or after 1 April 2017

If your car was first registered on or after 1 April 2017, you pay a first-year rate when it’s registered and then a standard annual rate after that.

The first-year rates below apply to cars first registered on or after 1 April 2026.

If you’re not sure whether a diesel car meets the RDE2 standard, check with the manufacturer.

Annual renewal for cars registered on or after 1 April 2017 (second tax payment onwards)

Alternative fuel vehicles include hybrids, liquid petroleum gas and bioethanol powered cars.

Vehicles with a list price of more than £40,000

If you have a petrol, diesel, hybrid or other alternative fuel car or motorhome with a list price of more than £40,000, you pay an extra £440 a year for 5 years after the first year. That makes the annual bill £640 during those years.

There’s an important change for zero emission cars from 1 April 2026. If a zero emission car was first registered on or after 1 April 2025, the expensive car threshold rises to £50,000. So if its list price was £50,000 or less, you’ll only pay the standard annual rate. If it was over £50,000, you’ll pay £640 a year for 5 years after the first year.

Cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017

These are the road tax bands for cars first registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017.

Band K only includes cars with CO2 emissions over 225g/km that were first registered before 23 March 2006.

Cars registered before 1 March 2001

These are the road tax bands for cars first registered before 1 March 2001.

Motorcycles and tricycles

Motorbikes have different road tax rates and bands compared with cars.

Motorhomes

Motorhomes registered between 1 April 2017 and 11 March 2020 can pay a different rate if both of the following apply:

• they’re in the M1SP category
• their CO2 emissions are shown on the type approval certificate