How do I find out my car's tax band?

Your car's tax band depends on its registration date, fuel type, and CO2 emissions — and the easiest way to find it is by looking up the vehicle using its registration number, which shows the current tax rate directly.

What determines your band:

• Registered before March 2001 — banded by engine size only
• Registered March 2001 to March 2017 — banded by CO2 emissions, with the rate staying fixed for the life of the car
• Registered after April 2017 — CO2 only affects the first year; most cars then move to a flat standard rate afterwards (see the CO2 emissions guide for the full breakdown)

If you can't find the CO2 figure or engine size to hand, your V5C logbook lists both, and the registration lookup will show the actual amount currently payable rather than requiring you to calculate it manually — which is generally the fastest way to get an accurate figure, since the underlying rules have changed several times over the years.