Car tax band
Car tax band K
Checked on 1 April 2026.DVLA, V149: rates of vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 (as of 1 April 2026)
How much is band K car tax?
£445 for twelve months in 2026/27. Band K covers cars emitting 201 to 225 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 £430 in 2025/26, so this band rose by £15 on 1 April 2026. Unlike the newer system, this one never stops using the CO2 figure, so a band K car pays this every year of its life.
Band by band, either side
| Band | CO2 emissions | Twelve months | Step from the band below |
|---|---|---|---|
| J | 186 to 200 g/km | £410 | |
| K | 201 to 225 g/km | £445 | £35 |
| L | 226 to 255 g/km | £760 | £315 |
How does band K 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 K is £245 a year more expensive, and that gap does not close with age.
Why does band K cover more than its stated range?
Band K also covers cars emitting more than 225 g/km that were first registered before 23 March 2006, because the bands above it did not exist when those cars were new. It is the only band in the table where the registration date changes the answer as well as the CO2 figure.
Common questions
- How much is car tax for band K?
- £445 for twelve months in 2026/27. A six month licence is £244.75, and paying monthly by Direct Debit costs £38.94 a month because of the 5 per cent surcharge.
- Which cars are in band K?
- Any car first registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 with a CO2 figure 201 to 225 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 K?
- It moves into band L and pays £760, which is £315 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 K is £245 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)