Car tax
Van tax rates for 2026/27
Checked on 10 September 2026.DVLA, V149 rates of vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 (as of 1 April 2026)
Who pays van tax, and from which registration date?
These rows cover private or light goods vehicles no more than 3,500kg revenue weight. A van first registered before 1 March 2001 uses engine size, with the boundary at 1549cc, in the same private and light goods bands as a pre 2001 car. A van first registered on or after 1 March 2001 uses tax class 39 unless it fits a published Euro 4 or Euro 5 concession. Cars are not in this table: a car of the same year uses the car systems instead.
Body type on the V5C, revenue weight and tax class decide the row. A car-derived van that DVLA has recorded as light goods pays van tax. A passenger car recorded as a car pays car tax even if you use it for work. Ask DVLA to correct the record if the class is wrong, rather than choosing a cheaper row on the website.
| Class | 12 months | 12 months by Direct Debit | 12 monthly instalments | 6 months | 6 months by Direct Debit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private or light goods, not over 1549ccFirst registered before 1 March 2001 and no more than 3,500kg revenue weight | £230 | £230 | £242 | £127 | £121 |
| Private or light goods, over 1549ccFirst registered before 1 March 2001 and no more than 3,500kg revenue weight | £375 | £375 | £394 | £206 | £197 |
| Euro 4 light goods vehicle, tax class 36Registered from 1 March 2003 to 31 December 2006, Euro 4 compliant and no more than 3,500kg | £140 | £140 | £147 | £77 | £74 |
| Euro 5 light goods vehicle, tax class 36Registered from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010, Euro 5 compliant and no more than 3,500kg | £140 | £140 | £147 | £77 | £74 |
| Light goods vehicle, tax class 39Registered on or after 1 March 2001, no more than 3,500kg and outside the Euro 4 or Euro 5 concessions | £360 | £360 | £378 | £198 | £189 |
Which vans get the Euro 4 or Euro 5 rate?
Two narrow windows. Euro 4 compliant and registered from 1 March 2003 to 31 December 2006, or Euro 5 compliant and registered from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010. Revenue weight must not exceed 3,500kg. Both the registration window and the Euro standard have to match. A 2008 van, or a 2012 Euro 5 van, sits in class 39 at £360 rather than the concession.
The Euro timeline below is the passenger car type approval timetable. Van concessions use the van registration windows in DVLA's V149 table, not the car dates on their own. Use it to see where Euro 4 and Euro 5 sit, then read the van row that actually applies.
Do electric vans pay vehicle tax?
Yes, at or under 3,500kg. From 1 April 2025 the zero emission exemption ended for light vehicles, and the V149 table includes zero emission vans in the light goods, Euro 4 and Euro 5 rows. The amount is the figure for the tax class, not a separate electric row. Zero emission heavy goods vehicles over 3,500kg remain exempt on the GOV.UK exempt page, which is a different rule.
How and where do I tax a van?
Tax it as the current keeper with the 11 digit V5C reference, or as a new keeper with the 12 digit green slip. Online at the GOV.UK vehicle tax service is the usual route and the only place to set up Direct Debit. Phone 0300 123 4321 accepts a V5C or a new keeper slip but cannot set Direct Debit up. A participating Post Office accepts a V5C, a green slip, or a V62 from the current keeper, and may ask for MOT evidence.
Northern Ireland Post Office applications also need the published insurance certificate and MOT or test exemption certificate. Tax does not transfer on sale. Exempt vehicles, including a zero emission HGV over 3,500kg, still complete the tax process so the register shows a current licence. Changing into the disabled tax class is done only at a Post Office.
- Read the tax class, revenue weight and first registration date on the V5C. Those decide the row, not the badge on the van.
- Have the 11 digit V5C reference, the 12 digit green slip, or a V11 reminder ready.
- Wait for a fresh MOT record if one is due. It can take up to two days to reach the tax service.
- Apply online, by phone on 0300 123 4321, or at a participating Post Office.
- Set up Direct Debit only on the website if you want monthly or six month payments.
Can I pay van tax by Direct Debit?
Yes, online. A single annual Direct Debit matches the twelve month figure. Monthly instalments on class 39 total £378.00, which is 5 per cent more than £360. A six month licence is £198.00, already more than half the annual rate. The surcharge is not refunded if you later cancel the tax.
| How you pay | What DVLA publishes | Surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months, or 12 months by Direct Debit | £360 | None on a single annual payment |
| 12 monthly Direct Debit instalments | £378.00 | 5 per cent |
| 6 months, single payment | £198.00 | Priced above half the annual rate |
Figures taken from DVLA V149 from 1 April 2026. Phone cannot set Direct Debit up.
What if this were a car instead of a van?
A van in class 39 does not use the car bands. The three car examples below are here so you can see the difference when the V5C tax class is a car, or when you are comparing a van with a car of the same year. They use the 2026/27 car tables, not the van rows above.
Example
A 2015 diesel car at 125 g/km, not a van
- First registered
- 2015
- Recorded as
- Car
- CO2
- 125 g/km
- As a car, 2015 sits in the lettered CO2 bands, not class 39.
- 125 g/km is band D, 121 to 130 g/km.
- Band D is £170 for twelve months. A class 39 van of the same year is £360.
The car pays £170. The van pays the light goods figure. The V5C class decides which table applies.
Example
A 2018 car with a £48,000 list price
- First registered
- 2018
- Original list price
- £48,000
- Recorded as
- Car
- As a car from April 2017, the standard rate is £200 from the second licence.
- List price over £40,000 adds the £440 supplement for 5 years.
- Van tax has no expensive car supplement. Class 39 is a flat light goods figure.
The car's second licence is the two published figures added, £640. A class 39 van pays £360 with no list price supplement.
Example
A 1999 vehicle at 1,549 cc
- First registered
- 1999
- Engine size
- 1,549 cc
- Weight
- No more than 3,500kg
- Before 1 March 2001, cars and light goods vans share the private and light goods engine bands.
- 1,549 cc is not over 1549cc.
- The lower band is £230 for twelve months, matching the pre 2001 van row at £230.
Pay £230 whether the V5C calls it a car or a light goods van, provided revenue weight stays at or under 3,500kg.
How do refunds and SORN work for a van?
Sell, scrap, export or make a SORN and DVLA refunds any full months left. A cheque goes to the name and address on the V5C. You do not get the Direct Debit surcharge back, or the extra on a six month licence, or any card fee. Contact DVLA if the cheque has not arrived after 8 weeks. Stolen vehicles need a separate refund application.
A SORN van must be kept off the public road. The MOT journey exception is the only legal movement. Taking it off SORN means taxing it. A previous keeper's SORN ends on the sale. If you leave it with no tax and no SORN, the late licensing penalty is £80, or £40 within 33 days, issued from the register.
What goes wrong with van tax?
- Reading a 2008 van as Euro 4. That year is outside both concession windows, so class 39 applies.
- Assuming an electric van is still free. Light goods electric vans have paid since 1 April 2025. Only zero emission HGVs over 3,500kg stay on the exempt list on those grounds.
- Using HGV rates on a 3,500kg van, or light goods rates on a heavier one. Revenue weight on the V5C is the line.
- Driving away on the seller's remaining tax. Tax does not transfer. Use the green slip, or make a SORN.
- Trying to set up Direct Debit by phone. Use the website. Phone is 0300 123 4321 and it cannot do it.
- Leaving a van untaxed on a drive. The late licensing penalty does not need a roadside sighting.
Common van tax myths
- Every Euro 5 van is £140. Only the 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010 window, with the Euro 5 standard and a 3,500kg cap, gets that row.
- Van tax follows the same CO2 bands as cars. It does not, except that pre 2001 light goods vans share the engine bands with pre 2001 cars.
- A pickup is always class 39. The V5C tax class and revenue weight decide, not the body style you see on the forecourt.
- Monthly Direct Debit is the same money as paying annually. It is 5 per cent more, and that surcharge is not refunded.
- Exempt means no tax process. Zero emission HGVs over 3,500kg still complete the licensing step.
Common questions
- How much is van tax in 2026/27?
- A light goods vehicle in tax class 39 is £360 for 12 months. Qualifying early Euro 4 and Euro 5 vans are £140. A van registered before 1 March 2001 uses the two private and light goods engine bands instead, at the same published figures as a pre 2001 car: the lower band up to 1549cc is £230. Revenue weight must not exceed 3,500kg for any of those rows. Heavier goods vehicles use the HGV tables, where weight, axles, suspension and use can change the amount. Zero emission vans in these light goods rows pay the same published figures as other fuels.
- Which vans get the £140 rate?
- A van must be Euro 4 compliant and registered from 1 March 2003 to 31 December 2006, or Euro 5 compliant and registered from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010. Its revenue weight must not exceed 3,500kg. Registration in 2007 or 2008, or from 2011 onwards, does not open the concession even if the van meets a later Euro standard. Both the window and the Euro standard have to match a published row. Check the V5C tax class rather than guessing from the year on the number plate.
- Are electric vans taxed?
- Yes. The current DVLA table expressly includes zero emission vehicles in the light goods, Euro 4 and Euro 5 rows. The rate depends on the tax class recorded for the vehicle. Light goods electric vans have paid since 1 April 2025, when the broader zero emission exemption ended for vehicles at or under 3,500kg. Zero emission heavy goods vehicles over 3,500kg remain on the GOV.UK exempt list. An electric van with no licence at all is still untaxed, even when someone assumes the old exemption continues.
- Does a van over 3,500kg use this table?
- No. These light goods rates stop at 3,500kg revenue weight. Heavier goods vehicles use the HGV tables, where weight, axles, suspension, emissions status and use can change the amount. A zero emission HGV over 3,500kg can still be exempt from vehicle tax on the GOV.UK exempt page, which is a different rule from light electric vans. If the V5C revenue weight is wrong, ask DVLA to correct the record rather than picking a cheaper row yourself. The class on the log book is what the tax service uses.
- Can I pay van tax by Direct Debit?
- Yes, on the GOV.UK vehicle tax service. A single annual Direct Debit costs the same as paying twelve months in one go. Monthly instalments and a six month Direct Debit add 5 per cent. Phone on 0300 123 4321 can tax a van using the V5C or a new keeper slip, but it cannot set Direct Debit up. You do not get the surcharge back if you later cancel the tax and take a refund of full months. A six month licence bought as a single payment already costs 10 per cent more than half the annual rate.
- Does van tax transfer when I buy the van?
- No. Tax does not transfer on sale. The seller's licence ends when the keeper changes, and DVLA refunds any full months left by cheque to the V5C address. Tax it in your name using the 12 digit green slip before you drive it, or make a SORN if it will stay off the public road. A current keeper uses the 11 digit V5C reference. Without the green slip, a new keeper applies by post on form V62, usually £25, and cannot use the previous keeper's tax in the meantime.
- What if I SORN a van?
- A SORN removes the requirement to tax and insure it while it is kept off the public road. DVLA refunds any full months left on the licence automatically. The van has to stay off the road except for a pre booked MOT or other testing appointment. Using a SORN van on a public road for any other reason risks a court fine of up to £2,500 or five times the tax. Taking it off SORN means taxing it. A SORN made by a previous keeper ends on the sale.
- What happens if a van is left untaxed?
- DVLA issues a late licensing penalty automatically when there is no tax and no SORN. That penalty is £80, reduced to £40 if you pay within 33 days. The van does not have to have been seen on a road. If it is then used or kept on a public road, an out of court settlement of £30 plus one and a half times the outstanding tax can follow, or a court penalty of £1,000 or five times the tax. An electric van is not excluded from those penalties. Tax it or declare it off the road as soon as you notice the gap.
Sources
- DVLA, V149 rates of vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 (as of 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates: other vehicle tax rates (as of 7 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994, Schedule 1 (as of 7 September 2026)
- 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, When you need to make a SORN (as of 10 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Pay your vehicle tax by Direct Debit (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)
- 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)
- 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)
Related pages
- Car taxThe three systems used for cars.
- Motorhome taxRates by revenue weight and engine size.
- Historic vehicle taxCheck the rolling age rule.
- MOT exemptionA separate age and substantial change test.
- How to tax a carThe same documents and routes apply to a van.
- SORNDeclare a van off the road instead of taxing it.