Car Tax Calculator · Free
Car Tax Calculator, Check VED by Registration
Find out exactly how much road tax any UK car costs to run. Built from live DVLA records and the current 2026/27 VED bands.
- Annual VED cost, live from DVLA records
- Current tax status, expiry date and SORN flag
- 2026/27 rates including the Expensive Car Supplement
- First-year (showroom) tax rate for newer cars
- EV and hybrid coverage in line with the latest rules
Tax rates are taken from the HM Treasury / DVLA V149 table for the 2026/27 tax year and combined with live DVLA Vehicle Enquiry data. Records reflect the data held at the time of the lookup. See our terms for full details.
Free Car Check for your vehicle
- Instant results
- No signup
- DVLA & DVSA data
Buying the car, not just taxing it?
Tax is only one of the costs. Add Experian's Vehicle History Check for just £14.99 to cover outstanding finance, write-off and stolen markers before you commit.
What you get with your free car tax check
Every car tax lookup pulls the official DVLA data points you need to work out exactly how much VED any UK vehicle costs to run, plus the live tax status straight from DVLA.
| Data point | What you'll see |
|---|---|
| Annual VED rate | The yearly road tax cost for the vehicle, in line with the 2026/27 bands. |
| Tax status & expiry | Whether the car is currently taxed and the exact date the current tax expires. |
| SORN status | Any active Statutory Off-Road Notification on the vehicle. |
| First-year rate | For newer cars, the showroom-year VED rate based on CO2 and fuel type. |
| Expensive Car Supplement | Whether the £40,000 (ICE) or £50,000 (EV) supplement applies, and for how long. |
| Fuel type & CO2 | Fuel type and CO2 g/km, the two figures that drive the entire VED calculation. |
| Engine size | Engine displacement, used for the pre-March-2001 cc- based rates. |
| First-registration date | The date that decides which VED band the vehicle sits in (pre-2001, 2001 to 2017, or post-2017). |
| Euro standard & ULEZ | Euro emissions standard and a derived ULEZ compliance indicator. |
| Direct Debit indicator | Whether monthly Direct Debit is available for the vehicle and roughly how much it would cost. |
The free tax check covers everything DVLA holds against the registration. For finance, write-off, stolen markers and mileage analysis before you buy, add the Vehicle History Check (£14.99).
How It Works
A free UK car tax check in seconds. VED rate, tax status, expiry date and SORN, calculated from live DVLA records and the current 2026/27 bands.
1. Enter Your Reg
Type the UK number plate of the car you want to tax-check. No signup, no email required.
2. We Query DVLA
ServiceStamp pulls live records from DVLA Vehicle Enquiry, then calculates the rate against the 2026/27 VED bands.
3. Get Your Instant Results
See annual VED, tax status, expiry and any supplement on-page in seconds, with monthly Direct Debit costs where relevant.
What the free car tax check shows
The free ServiceStamp car tax calculator turns a registration into the same information you would otherwise have to piece together from gov.uk, the DVLA V149 rates table and the manufacturer's spec sheet. You see the live tax status, the exact date current tax expires, any SORN declaration, and the annual VED cost calculated against the rates that apply for the 2026/27 tax year.
For newer cars, the result includes the first-year showroom rate based on CO2 and fuel type, the standard rate that applies from year two onwards, and a flag for the Expensive Car Supplement where the list price puts the vehicle above the £40,000 threshold for petrol and diesel or the £50,000 threshold for electric cars first registered from 1 April 2026.
For older vehicles, the calculator picks the correct band system: the CO2-letter graduated table for cars registered between March 2001 and April 2017, and the simple cc-based table for cars registered before March 2001. You can also see the 40-year historic-vehicle exemption flag if it applies. For the broader DVLA picture across tax, MOT and identity in one view, run our free car check.
2026/27 VED rates and bands explained
Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), commonly called car tax or road tax, is set by HM Treasury and collected by DVLA. The rate your car pays depends on when it was first registered, its CO2 emissions, its fuel type, and in some cases its list price when new. Three different band systems are in use side by side, which is why the same calculation can look very different from one car to the next.
The most common bracket today is the post-April-2017 system, which applies to most cars on UK roads. Almost every vehicle in this group pays the same flat standard rate from year two onwards: £200 per year in 2026/27, up from £195 the previous year. Cars with a list price above £40,000 (petrol, diesel and most hybrids) or above £50,000 (electric cars first registered from 1 April 2026) also pay the Expensive Car Supplement of £440 per year in years two to six, on top of the standard rate.
In the first year (the showroom year), the rate is decided by CO2 emissions, across twelve bands from 0 g/km to over 255 g/km. Higher-emitting petrol and diesel cars can attract a first-year charge of well over £5,000, which is then included in the on-the-road price by the dealer. Electric cars first registered after 1 April 2025 pay a £10 first-year rate before switching to the standard band.
Cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 sit in a graduated CO2-letter system from band A to band M, where rates range from a few pounds for the cleanest cars to several hundred pounds for the dirtiest. Cars registered before 1 March 2001 pay a flat cc-based rate: a lower band for engines up to 1,549 cc and a higher band above. Cars more than 40 years old can be declared historic-vehicle exempt, in which case VED is set to zero.
Electric cars, hybrids and the 2025/2026 rule changes
Electric vehicles lost their VED exemption on 1 April 2025. From that date forward, EVs are taxed in line with petrol and diesel cars, with a few transitional details that catch owners and buyers out. Knowing which bracket your EV falls into is the difference between paying nothing and paying hundreds of pounds a year.
EVs first registered between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2025 now pay the standard rate (£200 in 2026/27). EVs first registered from 1 April 2025 pay a £10 first-year rate, then the standard rate from year two. From 1 April 2026, new EVs are also subject to the Expensive Car Supplement of £440 per year in years two to six, with a £50,000 list-price threshold rather than the £40,000 threshold that applies to petrol and diesel.
Hybrids have changed too. The £10 alternative-fuel discount that hybrids and bi-fuel vehicles previously enjoyed was scrapped in April 2025, so a hybrid registered after April 2017 now pays exactly the same £200 standard rate as a petrol or diesel equivalent. Plug-in hybrids registered before April 2017 still benefit from the older CO2-letter system, where very low emissions can still mean a much lower annual bill.
Low-emission cars below 100 g/km that were once exempt from VED altogether are no longer free either. Since April 2025 a minimum rate of £20 per year applies to anything in that bracket, ending a quirk of the system that had allowed many economy diesels and early hybrids to road-tax for nothing.
Pre-2017 and pre-2001 cars: the older band systems
If your car was first registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017, your VED is decided by the graduated CO2-letter table that ran for most of the twenty-first century. Bands run from A (under 100 g/km, very low cost) through to M (over 255 g/km, several hundred pounds). The exact rate is uplifted each tax year in line with inflation, and is fixed for the life of the vehicle.
For cars first registered before 1 March 2001, before CO2 ratings were the basis of the system, VED is calculated against engine size only. There are two bands: a lower rate for engines up to 1,549 cc and a higher rate above that. Both bands are uplifted modestly each tax year.
The rolling 40-year historic-vehicle exemption sits over both of these older systems. Once a vehicle is more than 40 years old (so 1986-registered vehicles become eligible in 2026), the keeper can declare it exempt from VED by ticking the relevant box on the V112 form when taxing. Historic-vehicle exemption also unlocks the MOT exemption discussed on our MOT history check page, though the keeper remains responsible for roadworthiness.
Paying tax, SORN, and what happens if you drive untaxed
You can tax your car online, by phone or at a Post Office using the V11 reminder, V5C logbook or new keeper supplement from a recent sale. DVLA accepts payment in a single annual lump, in two six-month instalments, or as a monthly Direct Debit. Six-monthly and monthly Direct Debit options include a small surcharge of around 5%, so paying annually is the cheapest route. Direct Debits renew automatically each year as long as the vehicle has a valid MOT.
If you are not using a vehicle, you can declare a Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN) to stop paying tax. A SORN means the car must be kept off public roads and is only legal on private land, in a garage or on a driveway. Any portion of tax already paid is refunded automatically. Cancel the SORN by taxing the vehicle again before it is driven on the road.
Driving an untaxed vehicle is enforced largely through ANPR cameras and DVLA's monthly check against the Motor Insurance Database. The penalty starts with an automated £80 fine, halved if paid within 28 days, and can escalate to a court fine of up to £1,000 or five times the annual tax, whichever is higher. DVLA can also clamp or impound the vehicle, and recovering it requires paying the tax owed, the release fee and a daily storage charge. A free tax check before you drive is the cheapest insurance against any of that.
Tax, MOT and the wider running-cost picture
VED is only one of the standing costs of owning a car in the UK. Before you commit, it is worth running the full picture on the same registration: the MOT history check tells you the recurring repair pattern, the mileage check tells you how heavily the car has been used, and the free car check bundles tax, MOT and identity into a single view.
ULEZ and the Scottish Low Emission Zones run alongside VED rather than instead of it. They use a different test: petrol cars need to meet Euro 4 (broadly post-2006) and diesel cars need to meet Euro 6 (broadly post-September 2015) to avoid the daily charge of £12.50 in London. The Euro standard is shown in the result so you can tell at a glance whether the car will face daily clean-air charges in any of the ever-growing list of city zones.
For the buying side of the picture, including finance, write-off and stolen markers, the Vehicle History Check (£14.99) brings the data the free tax check cannot reach. The full used-car buying checklist walks through how all of these pieces fit together at the kerbside.
Free check vs Full History Check
The free check covers the basics. For peace of mind on finance, write-off and stolen markers, upgrade to the Full History Check.
| What's included | Free CheckFree | Full History Check£19.99 · save £5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tax & SORN status | ||
| Full MOT history | ||
| DVLA mileage timeline | ||
| Technical spec & CO2 | ||
| Outstanding finance check | ||
| Write-off & salvage history | ||
| Stolen vehicle marker | ||
| Mileage anomaly analysis | ||
| Plate & colour change history | ||
| Manufacturer service records |
Pair the report with a physical inspection
A digital tax and history check is essential, but it isn't a substitute for looking at the car. Worn tyres, corrosion under the sills, poor crash repairs, hesitation under acceleration and electrical faults all show up only in person, and a structured walk-around catches things even an honest seller may not have noticed. Our used-car buying checklist takes you through bodywork, tyres, suspension, brakes, fluid levels, electrical functions and the test drive itself.
Together, the records and the inspection give you the two perspectives you need to buy with confidence: what the official data says, and what the car actually shows.
Why ServiceStamp
ServiceStamp uses the same trusted data sources relied on across the UK motor trade, so the picture you get of a vehicle is the same picture a dealer would get. Every check pulls live data from DVLA vehicle records, MOT test history, the Police National Computer for stolen markers, and the MIAFTR insurance write-off register. Paid reports add Experian finance data for outstanding HP and PCP agreements, plus multi-source mileage verification through BVRLA, RMI and the National Mileage Register.
Behind the data sits the team's automotive experience: technical knowledge, accurate interpretation of records, and the operational know-how to handle the edge cases that catch generic reg-lookup tools out.
Choosing ServiceStamp means choosing a check designed around accuracy, transparency and the safety of UK drivers, whether you're buying privately, through a dealer, or selling a car of your own. More on why drivers choose ServiceStamp →
- DVLA-sourced vehicle and tax data
- Police National Computer stolen markers on every paid report
- MIAFTR write-off register
- Multi-source mileage verification
Other useful tax and SORN content
2026/27 car tax bands explained
Standard rate, Expensive Car Supplement, first-year CO2 bands and the older systems.
Check SORN status
Confirm whether any UK vehicle is taxed or declared off the road.
Historic vehicle exemption
The same 40-year rule that frees historic cars from MOT also frees them from VED.
All vehicle history guides
MOT, write-off, mileage and identity guides in one place.
Car tax calculator FAQ
How much is car tax in the UK for 2026/27?+
What is the standard rate of VED for cars registered after April 2017?+
Do electric cars now pay road tax?+
What is the Expensive Car Supplement and when does it apply?+
How are first-year VED rates calculated for new cars?+
What are the VED bands for cars registered before March 2001?+
Can I pay my car tax monthly by Direct Debit?+
What happens if I drive without tax in the UK?+
How do I SORN a vehicle I'm not using?+
Is hybrid car tax cheaper than petrol or diesel?+
How do I check if my car is taxed using just the reg?+
When does my car tax expire, and will I get a reminder?+
Are classic cars exempt from car tax?+
Does ServiceStamp store my registration number?+
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