Car Registration Tax Calculator
Calculate the first-year Vehicle Excise Duty due when a new car is registered in the UK. This is the tax often buried inside a dealer's "on-the-road" price, and it is separate from the standard renewal rate you pay from the second tax payment onwards.
Calculate first-year car tax
Enter the new car's CO2 emissions, fuel/RDE2 status and list price. Use the brochure, order form or V5C/DVLA data where available.
Non-RDE2 diesel can push the first-year bill into a higher column.
For electric cars this is treated as 0g/km.
Use official list price, including options, before any dealer discount.
Rates are checked for the 2026/27 VED year.
Zero-emission first year
GBP 10
New zero-emission cars sit in the lowest 2026/27 first-year VED band.
Common standard rate
GBP 200
Most post-2017 cars move to this annual rate from the second tax payment.
Supplement
GBP 440
Added for five years where the list-price and vehicle rules are met.
First-year VED is a buying-cost question
Searchers often call this "car registration tax", "showroom tax" or "new car road tax". The official tax is still Vehicle Excise Duty, but the first payment is special because it is due when the car is first registered and is usually rolled into the dealer's on-the-road price.
For cars first registered from 1 April 2017, the first-year rate is based on CO2 emissions. The lowest band is now used for zero-emission cars as well, following the electric vehicle VED changes from 1 April 2025. High-emission cars can have a much larger first payment, and diesel cars that do not meet RDE2 standards can fall into a higher diesel column.
This calculator deliberately focuses on the first registration payment first, then shows what happens from year two. That keeps the purchase decision clear: the tax that affects today's invoice is not always the same amount you should budget for next year's renewal.
| New-car detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| CO2 g/km | Selects the first-year band. |
| Diesel RDE2 status | May use the higher first-year diesel column. |
| List price before discounts | Tests the supplement from year two. |
| Registration date | Rates can change by VED year. |
Dealer quote sense-check
A good new-car quote should make the on-the-road price understandable. It may include the vehicle price, VAT, delivery, number plates, first registration fee and first-year VED. If a salesperson says "road tax is included", ask whether they mean only the first 12 months or whether they are also showing the second-year renewal effect.
The most common surprise is an expensive-car supplement that does not appear in the first-year tax line. For 2026/27, the supplement is GBP 440 and runs for five years from the second time the vehicle is taxed. The test uses list price before discounts, so a car negotiated down below the threshold can still be caught.
Electric cars need the same discipline. A new EV may have a low GBP 10 first-year VED line, but it can still face the standard rate later, and higher-list-price EVs can have supplement consequences under the current EV rules. Use this page alongside the Car Tax Calculator if you are comparing a new car with a nearly new or used alternative.
Worked examples
New EV at GBP 38,000
A zero-emission car has CO2 of 0g/km, so the first-year VED is GBP 10. With a list price below the electric supplement threshold used here, the preview renewal is the standard GBP 200.
Family petrol car at 145g/km
A petrol or RDE2 diesel car at 145g/km falls in the 131 to 150g/km first-year band. In 2026/27 that first payment is GBP 560, before any later standard-rate renewal.
Non-RDE2 diesel at 160g/km
The same CO2 number can cost more if the diesel does not meet RDE2. At 160g/km, the higher diesel first-year column is used, which is why confirming RDE2 status matters before ordering.
How this calculator works
Inputs used
- Fuel and emissions route: petrol/hybrid/RDE2 diesel, non-RDE2 diesel, or zero-emission electric car.
- CO2 emissions in g/km for the new car.
- List price before discounts, including options, for the expensive car supplement preview.
- Whether the dealer quote already includes the first-year VED amount.
Calculation method
- Find the 2026/27 first-year VED band using the CO2 value.
- Use the higher diesel column if non-RDE2 diesel is selected.
- Treat zero-emission electric cars as 0g/km and apply the lowest first-year rate.
- Show the first-year registration payment separately from the year-two standard rate.
- Test the list price against the supplement threshold and build a years 1 to 6 timeline if selected.
Assumptions
- The car is first registered in the UK during the 2026/27 VED rate year.
- The vehicle is a car, not a van, motorcycle, imported specialist vehicle, historic vehicle or exempt class.
- The list price entered is the official list price before discounts and includes factory options.
What this does not cover
- This page does not calculate annual VED for used cars; use the Car Tax Calculator or Road Tax Calculator.
- It does not calculate company car benefit-in-kind; use the Company Car BiK Calculator.
- It does not estimate ULEZ, Clean Air Zone, fuel, insurance, finance, delivery charges, first registration fee, number plates, imports, adaptations, exemptions or future VED changes.
Common new-car tax mistakes
Comparing first-year tax with renewal tax
The first payment is CO2-based. The second payment usually moves to the standard rate, with the supplement where it applies.
Using the discounted price for the supplement
The supplement test uses list price before discounts. A strong dealer discount does not necessarily avoid the supplement.
Missing diesel RDE2 status
Non-RDE2 diesels can have a higher first-year VED result. Check the official paperwork if the quote and calculator do not match.
Treating an EV as tax-free forever
New zero-emission cars now sit in VED. The first-year amount is low, but later annual tax still matters.
Car registration tax FAQs
What is car registration tax in the UK?
Is first-year VED based on CO2?
Do new electric cars pay first-year VED?
Does the expensive car supplement apply in year one?
Why might my dealer's figure differ?
Official sources
Last verified: May 10 2026. Calculations are estimates based on the published rules and assumptions shown on this page.
- GOV.UK vehicle tax rates - 2026/27 first-year VED rates for cars registered on or after 1 April 2017, standard rates and expensive car supplement
- GOV.UK electric, zero and low emission vehicle tax - VED treatment of new zero-emission cars and electric-car supplement rules from 1 April 2025
- GOV.UK get vehicle information from DVLA - official route to check fuel type, CO2 emissions, RDE level and tax details once a vehicle record exists
- GOV.UK check if a vehicle is taxed - official service to check current vehicle tax status after registration