9th February 2026
In the UK, road tax or Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and how much you pay depends on when the car was first registered and how much CO₂ it emits. There are two parts to the system and if you do not know already then pay attention as the cost for some cars are going to soar dramatically.
Cars Registered Before April 2017
For older cars (registered before April 2017), VED is set by the government based on age and historic categories, and rates are rising slightly in April 2026:
Cars built before 1986 remain exempt thanks to the classic car exemption.
Older petrol/diesel cars (