Car tax bands explained

Author Name – Jack Underwood

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To find out how much your car tax will cost, this will depend on the vehicle type, fuel type, engine size and CO2 emissions produced. Each vehicle will fit into a particular car tax band and within this article, we are going to take a look at each car tax band in detail.

car tax bands

What is a tax band on a car?

Which car tax band your vehicle will sit will depend on a variety of factors and there are different rates and rules for different types of vehicles. Vehicle Excise Duty or VED (also referred to as road tax, car tax or vehicle tax ) is paid to the government to allow you to legally drive your vehicle.

If you are wanting to find out how to check a car is taxed, please click the green button below and this article will be able to help. 

Check a car is taxed

Tax bands for cars registered on or after 01/04/2017

You will need to pay vehicle tax when your car is first registered. This payment will ensure that the tax is covered for a period of 12 months. After that, you can pay in either 6 or 12-month instalments. 

The first tax rate that you will pay will depend on the CO2 emissions of the vehicle. Following that the tax payments after the first 12 months will depend on the fuel type of the vehicle. For example, a one-off 12-month payment for a petrol or diesel car will be £155. An electric vehicle will be free. To see a full breakdown of the car tax bands for cars registered after the 1st April 2017, please click on the following link: Car tax bands for car registered on or after 1st April 2017. Please be aware that this link will take you to the gov.uk website.

Tax bands for cars registered between 01/03/2001 and 31/03/2017

If your car is registered between the 1st March 2001 and the 31st March 2017, your vehicle tax rate will be purely based on the fuel type and CO2 emissions.

To find out the car tax bands for petrol and diesel tax bands please click on the following link: Car tax bands for cars registered between 1st March 2001 and 31st March 2017. This link will take you to the gov.uk website where you can find more information.

Alternative fuel cars have different rates of road tax. More information on the specific car tax band for these vehicles can be found by clicking the link below.

Car Tax Rates

Tax bands for car registered before 01/03/2001

If your vehicle is registered before the 1st March 2001, your car tax band will depend on the engine size of your vehicle. If your vehicle engine size is over or under 1549cc. To find out more, please click the following link: tax rates for cars registered before 1st March 2001.

Driving without car tax

If you are wanting to drive on UK roads, then you need to ensure that you can your car is taxed. However, if you no longer drive your vehicle, you may want to consider declaring your vehicle as a SORN. You can then cancel your tax. However, it is important to note that if you do SORN your vehicle, this needs to be kept on private land (or either a garage or driveway). If you then plan to drive your vehicle, then it needs to be taxed (with a few exceptions). 

How to SORN a car

The only other option to drive a car without valid car tax is if you are driving to a pre-booked MOT appointment. Even though you can drive to a pre-booked MOT appointment without car tax, you will still need to ensure that your vehicle has valid car insurance. It is illegal to drive under any circumstance without valid car insurance.  If you are the owner of a classic car or have a disability you may also be exempt. Even if you are exempt, you must still apply for VED (car tax) even if you eventually end up not paying it. 

Book an MOT Today

At National, we have a large number of MOT Testing Centres all over the UK. If you are wanting to book an MOT at National, then this can be done online. Please click the green button below to proceed with an MOT booking. If you are wanting a discount on your MOT, then make sure you sign up for our FREE MOT reminder service. We also have an MOT date checker where you can check your MOT due date.

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