Car tax
Car tax bands A to M
Checked on 1 April 2026.DVLA, V149: rates of vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 (as of 1 April 2026)
Which cars are in bands A to M?
Every car first registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017. Cars registered before that date are taxed on engine size, and cars registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first year rate and then a flat standard rate instead.
Unlike the newer system, this one never lets go of the CO2 figure. A band M car pays the band M rate every year for the rest of its life, which is why running an older high emitting car costs so much more in tax than a newer one that emits the same.
Bands A to M, 2026/27
| Band | CO2 emissions | Twelve months |
|---|---|---|
| A | Up to 100 g/km | £20 |
| B | 101 to 110 g/km | £20 |
| C | 111 to 120 g/km | £35 |
| D | 121 to 130 g/km | £170 |
| E | 131 to 140 g/km | £200 |
| F | 141 to 150 g/km | £225 |
| G | 151 to 165 g/km | £275 |
| H | 166 to 175 g/km | £325 |
| I | 176 to 185 g/km | £360 |
| J | 186 to 200 g/km | £410 |
| K | 201 to 225 g/km | £445 |
| L | 226 to 255 g/km | £760 |
| M | Over 255 g/km | £790 |
What changed for these cars in April 2025?
Band A stopped being free. A car emitting 100 g/km or less moved from nothing to the same rate as band B, which is the first time this system has charged a band A car since it was introduced.
What does a 2015 diesel at 125 g/km pay?
Band D, every year. A car first registered in 2015 sits between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017, so the lettered CO2 bands apply for the rest of its life. 125 g/km falls in band D, 121 to 130 g/km. Fuel type does not change the band in this system: petrol and diesel in the same CO2 range pay the same twelve month rate.
Example
A 2015 diesel at 125 g/km
- First registered
- 2015
- Fuel
- Diesel
- CO2
- 125 g/km
- Tax year
- 2026/27
- 2015 sits between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017, so the lettered CO2 bands apply.
- 125 g/km falls in band D, 121 to 130 g/km.
- Band D is £170 for twelve months in 2026/27.
Tax it at £170 for twelve months, or make a SORN if it is staying off the road.
What is special about band K?
Band K is 201 to 225 g/km for most cars in this system. It 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. A thirsty 2004 car can therefore cost less to tax than a 2007 car with the same CO2 figure, which sits in band L or M.
How do I tax a car in these bands?
Use the GOV.UK vehicle tax service with a V11 reminder, the 11 digit reference from a V5C in your name, or the 12 digit reference on a green new keeper slip. Phone 0300 123 4321 if you would rather not use the website. Direct Debit is not available by phone. A participating Post Office can take a V5C, a new keeper slip, or a V62 from the current keeper, and it may ask for MOT evidence. Northern Ireland Post Office applications also need the published insurance and test evidence.
- Read the first registration date and the CO2 figure in section V.7 of the V5C.
- Match the CO2 figure to a band in the table. Remember the band K rule for cars registered before 23 March 2006.
- Tax online, by phone on 0300 123 4321, or at a participating Post Office.
- Choose twelve months up front if you want the cheapest licence. Monthly or six monthly Direct Debit adds a 5 per cent surcharge.
- If the car will stay off a public road, make a SORN instead of taxing it.
What does Direct Debit cost in band D?
Twelve months up front is the cheapest way. A six month licence is calculated at 55 per cent of the annual rate. Paying by Direct Debit monthly or every six months adds a 5 per cent surcharge. A single annual payment by Direct Debit carries no surcharge.
- Twelve months up front: £170.
- Calculated six month licence: £93.50.
- Calculated monthly Direct Debit: £14.88.
- Direct Debit annually: no surcharge, so it costs the same as paying once by card.
Do I get a refund if I sell it or take it off the road?
Yes, for any full months left on the licence. DVLA cancels the tax and cancels a Direct Debit if you had one. A refund cheque is sent to the name and address on the V5C. You will not get back any card fee, the 5 per cent surcharge on monthly or six monthly Direct Debit, or the extra built into a six month licence. Contact DVLA if the cheque has not arrived after 8 weeks. A SORN is free and lasts until you tax the car again. The only published journey for a SORN vehicle is to or from a pre booked test.
Do exemptions and company cars still need a licence?
A disabled tax class vehicle still has to complete the tax process even when the amount due is nil. Exemption removes the payment, not the licensing step. Historic vehicles that qualify for the rolling 40 year class are the same: claimed, then taxed at nil. Company cars in these bands still pay vehicle excise duty at the band rate. Benefit in kind is a separate income tax charge on the employee and does not replace the licence.
Common questions
- How do I find my car's tax band?
- Take the CO2 figure from section V.7 of the V5C and find the band it falls in. The DVLA vehicle enquiry service also shows the current twelve month rate for the registration, free and without a sign in. A 2015 diesel at 125 g/km sits in band D. The band never changes for the life of the car, even when the annual rate in that band moves at the Budget. If the V5C figure looks wrong, get it corrected before you tax the car, because DVLA will charge the recorded figure.
- Is band A still free?
- No. Band A stopped being free on 1 April 2025. A car registered between March 2001 and March 2017 emitting 100 g/km or less now pays £20 a year, the same as band B. The change applies at the next licence, not on the day the rate moved, so a twelve month licence bought in March 2025 ran at the old nil rate until it expired. From the first renewal on or after 1 April 2025 the £20 figure is due.
- Why does my 2005 car sit in band K when it emits more than 225 g/km?
- Band K also covers cars emitting more than 225 g/km first registered before 23 March 2006, because the bands above it did not exist when those cars were new. It is the one place in the table where the registration date matters as well as the CO2 figure. A 2004 car at 240 g/km therefore pays the band K rate of £445 rather than band L or M. A car with the same emissions registered after that date sits in L or M and pays more.
- Do hybrids in these bands still get the alternative fuel discount?
- No. The £10 discount was repealed for licences taken out on or after 1 April 2025, so a hybrid in these bands now pays the same figure as a petrol or diesel car in the same band. The alternative fuel column in the current tables matches the petrol and diesel column for that reason. A hybrid still sits in the band its CO2 figure points to. The repeal only removed the reduction, it did not move the car into a different system.
- How do I tax a car in bands A to M?
- Use the GOV.UK vehicle tax service with a V11 reminder, the 11 digit reference on a V5C in your name, or the 12 digit reference on a green new keeper slip. You can also tax by phone on 0300 123 4321, though Direct Debit is not available on that line, or at a participating Post Office. Northern Ireland Post Office applications also need the published insurance and test evidence. A disabled tax class vehicle still has to complete the tax process even when the amount due is nil.
- Is paying monthly more expensive in these bands?
- Yes, if you use monthly or six monthly Direct Debit. Those options add a 5 per cent surcharge. A single annual Direct Debit payment carries no surcharge. A six month licence is calculated at 55 per cent of the annual rate, so two of them across a year cost 10 per cent more than one twelve month licence. On band D that annual figure is £170 in 2026/27, so the calculated six month licence is £93.50.
- Do I get a refund if I sell the car or make a SORN?
- Yes, for any full months left on the current licence. DVLA cancels the tax, cancels a Direct Debit if you had one, and sends a refund cheque to the name and address on the V5C. You do not get the 5 per cent Direct Debit surcharge back, or the extra you paid for a six month licence, or any card fee. Contact DVLA if the cheque has not arrived after 8 weeks. Tax does not transfer with the car: the buyer has to tax it in their own name before driving it.
- Does a company car in these bands still pay vehicle tax?
- Yes. Vehicle excise duty is charged on the vehicle, not on how it is used as a perk. A company car first registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 still needs a current licence at its CO2 band, paid by the registered keeper, usually the employer. Benefit in kind is a separate income tax charge on the employee and does not replace vehicle tax. If the car is kept off the public road, the keeper can make a SORN instead of taxing it.
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)
- GOV.UK, Tax your vehicle (as of 10 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Cancel your vehicle tax and get a refund (as of 10 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Register your vehicle as off the road (SORN) (as of 10 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Vehicles exempt from vehicle tax (as of 10 September 2026)
- DVLA, DVLA enforcement of vehicle tax, registration and insurance offences (as of 15 July 2026)