Vehicle & Car Tax Bands

On this page you will find information about:

Car Tax (VED) Bands

It is important to know which car tax band your vehicle fits into as it will let you know how much Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) you will pay.

  • A vehicle registered in the UK must be taxed if it is used or kept on a public road.

  • A vehicle kept off-road must either be taxed or have a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification).

The amount of car tax you pay depends on the car’s date of first registration, engine size or official CO2 emissions and is called the Vehicle Excise Duty VED or graduated VED.

Please find below a chart showing the car tax bands which are calculated by using fuel type and CO2 emission levels. The chart is only relevant for cars registered either after or on the 1st January 2001 and provides the figures which were announced in the 2012 budget.

Car Tax Vehicle Excise Duty Rates

Vehicle Excise Duty
(VED) band		 CO2 Emissions
(g/km)		 2011/12
first year rate		 2012/13
first year rate		 2011/12
standard rate		 2012/13
standard rate
A up to 100 0 0 0 0
B 101-110 0 0 £20 £20
C 111-120 0 0 £30 £30
D 121-130 0 0 £95 £100
E 131-140 £115 £120 £115 £120
F 141-150 £130 £135 £130 £135
G 151-165 £165 £170 £165 £170
H 166-175 £265 £275 £190 £195
I  176-185 £315 £325 £210 £215
J 186-200 £445 £460 £245 £250
K 201-225 £580  £600 £260 £270
L 226-255 £790  £815 £445 £460
M over 255  £1000  £1030 £460 £475
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What is Graduated Vehicle Excise Duty?

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), sometimes called Graduated VED, is a variable rate of car tax payable on all private vehicles in the UK.

Under the Graduated VED system, the amount of car tax that you pay is determined by the age of the vehicle and its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Graduated VED is paid directly to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA). Payment of Vehicle Excise Duty is confirmed on a tax disc, which must be displayed by all vehicles on UK roads.

Different rates of Graduated VED apply, according to the type of vehicle you have and the date it was registered:

  • If your car was first registered after March 2001, it will have a CO2 emissions rating according to its make and model. This will vary from Band A (the least polluting) to Band M (the most polluting). The rate of VED payable ranges from zero for Band A to £460 per year for Band M. Different rates often apply for the first year of a vehicles taxation, with higher rates for the more polluting vehicles. These different first-year rates are sometimes called ‘showroom tax’.

  • If your car or light goods vehicle was registered before March 2001, the rate of Graduated VED payable depends on the vehicle’s engine size. There is a flat rate of £130 for vehicles with an engine smaller than 1549cc, or £220 for vehicles with an engine capacity of 1550cc or greater.

  • Different rates apply for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), according to their size and levels of CO2 emissions.

  • There are many categories of vehicles for which no VED is payable, although these must still display a valid tax disc. These categories include electric cars, cars registered as being used by disabled people, emergency service vehicles, most vehicles built before 1973, and many agricultural vehicles. If your vehicle is exempt from VED charges, you can obtain a tax disc free of charge from the DVLA.

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For further Car Tax information, please follow the links below:

More Info

Tax Refunds

For more information please see: