Car tax band
Car tax band H
Cars first registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 emitting 166 to 175 g/km.
£325
£178.75
£28.44
Checked on 1 April 2026.DVLA, V149: rates of vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 (as of 1 April 2026)
How much is band H car tax?
£325 for twelve months in 2026/27. Band H covers cars emitting 166 to 175 g/km, first registered between March 2001 and March 2017, and the rate follows the car for as long as it stays on the road.
It was £315 in 2025/26, so this band rose by £10 on 1 April 2026. Unlike the newer system, this one never stops using the CO2 figure, so a band H car pays this every year of its life.
Band by band, either side
| Band | CO2 emissions | Twelve months | Step from the band below |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | 151 to 165 g/km | £275 | |
| H | 166 to 175 g/km | £325 | £50 |
| I | 176 to 185 g/km | £360 | £35 |
How does band H compare with a car registered today?
A car first registered from April 2017 pays a flat £200 a year from its second licence whatever it emits. Band H is £125 a year more expensive, and that gap does not close with age.
Common questions
- How much is car tax for band H?
- £325 for twelve months in 2026/27. A six month licence is £178.75, and paying monthly by Direct Debit costs £28.44 a month because of the 5 per cent surcharge.
- Which cars are in band H?
- Any car first registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 with a CO2 figure 166 to 175 g/km. The figure is in section V.7 of the V5C. Cars registered outside those dates use a different system entirely.
- What happens if my car is one gram over band H?
- It moves into band I and pays £360, which is £35 more a year. The bands are steps rather than a slope, so one gram either side of a boundary is worth the whole difference.
- Would the same car pay this if it were registered today?
- No. A car first registered on or after 1 April 2017 pays a first year rate set by its CO2 and then a flat £200 a year whatever it emits. Band H is £125 more than that flat rate.
Sources
- DVLA, V149: rates of vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 (as of 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, Budget 2025 overview of tax legislation and rates, Annex A: rates and allowances (as of 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rate tables (as of 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, Increase in the Vehicle Excise Duty Expensive Car Supplement threshold for zero emission cars (as of 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, Vehicle tax for electric, zero and low emission vehicles (as of 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, Pay your vehicle tax by Direct Debit (as of 1 April 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Finance Act 2025 section 66: rates of vehicle excise duty, omitting the reduced rate for alternative fuel vehicles (as of 1 April 2025)