Road Tax Calculator

Work out road tax instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Road Tax Calculator

Emissions-based vehicle tax charges by CO2 band, with a diesel supplement where the vehicle does not meet the cleanest standards and an additional surcharge for expensive cars in their first years. Rates change with each budget, so treat this as an indicative structure.

Formula

Road tax

annual = CO2 band rate x fuel adjustment + premium vehicle surcharge if applicable

Worked example

With the default values below, Road Tax Calculator returns Estimated annual tax of $190.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

CO2 emissions: 128 g/km
Fuel typeone of Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid, Electric: Petrol
List price when new: 28,000
Vehicle age: 3 years

Results

Estimated annual tax: $190.00
Emissions band: Low to moderate
Premium vehicle surcharge: $0.00
Five-year cost: $950.00

Step by step

1Values used
2Road tax
3Estimated annual tax= 190.00
4Emissions band= Low to moderate
5Premium vehicle surcharge= 0.00
6Five-year cost= 950.00

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do expensive cars pay a surcharge?

Because emissions-based taxation alone raised little from low-emission luxury vehicles. The list price surcharge applies for several years from first registration.

Are electric vehicles always exempt?

They have been in many jurisdictions, but several are phasing exemptions out as EV numbers grow and fuel duty revenue falls.