Car tax
The standard rate
One number covers almost every car on a British driveway registered since April 2017. It does not move with fuel, engine size or CO2, which is the whole point of it.
£200
£110.00
£17.50
Checked on 1 April 2026.DVLA, V149: rates of vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 (as of 1 April 2026)
What is the car tax standard rate?
It is the flat twelve month rate every car first registered on or after 1 April 2017 pays from its second licence onwards. For 2026/27 it is £200, and it is the same figure for petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric cars alike.
The design is deliberate. The CO2 figure does its work once, in the first year rate, where it can influence what a buyer chooses. After that the state charges everybody the same to keep a car on the road, and the only thing that can be added on top is the expensive car supplement.
The standard rate by fuel
| Fuel | Twelve months | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol and diesel | £200 | Every engine size, every CO2 figure. |
| Alternative fuel | £200 | Hybrid, bioethanol and LPG. The £10 discount ended on 1 April 2025. |
| Electric | £200 | Zero emission cars became liable on 1 April 2025. |
Three ways to pay the same year
- Twelve months up front: £200, and the cheapest option.
- Six months: £110.00, priced at 55 per cent of the annual rate, so two of them cost 10 per cent more than one year.
- Direct Debit monthly: £17.50, which includes the 5 per cent surcharge on monthly and six monthly Direct Debit.
- Direct Debit annually: no surcharge, so it costs the same as paying once by card and spares you remembering it.
The rate over time
| Tax year | In force from | Standard rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | 1 April 2026 | £200 |
| 2025/26 | 1 April 2025 | £195 |
Common questions
- Does a bigger engine pay a higher standard rate?
- No. The standard rate is flat. A 1.0 litre city car and a V8 registered on the same day both pay £200 a year, because the CO2 figure is used once, for the first year rate, and never again.
- Do hybrids still get a discount?
- No. The £10 alternative fuel discount for hybrids, bioethanol and LPG cars was repealed for licences taken out on or after 1 April 2025. From that date they pay the same standard rate as petrol and diesel.
- When does my car move onto the standard rate?
- At the second licence. The first licence, bought at first registration, is charged at the CO2 based first year rate. Every renewal after that is the standard rate, plus the expensive car supplement where the list price was above the threshold.
- Is paying monthly more expensive?
- Yes. Direct Debit monthly or six monthly adds a 5 per cent surcharge, so the standard rate becomes £17.50 a month. A single annual Direct Debit payment carries no surcharge at all.
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)