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 | Band A |
| B | 101 to 110 g/km | £20 | Band B |
| C | 111 to 120 g/km | £35 | Band C |
| D | 121 to 130 g/km | £170 | Band D |
| E | 131 to 140 g/km | £200 | Band E |
| F | 141 to 150 g/km | £225 | Band F |
| G | 151 to 165 g/km | £275 | Band G |
| H | 166 to 175 g/km | £325 | Band H |
| I | 176 to 185 g/km | £360 | Band I |
| J | 186 to 200 g/km | £410 | Band J |
| K | 201 to 225 g/km | £445 | Band K |
| L | 226 to 255 g/km | £760 | Band L |
| M | Over 255 g/km | £790 | Band M |
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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- No. The £10 discount was repealed for licences taken out on or after 1 April 2025, so a hybrid in these bands now pays the same figure as a petrol or diesel car in the same band.
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)