To not understand the new road tax rules

[user1471427614]

Not sure if I'm just being silly but I really don't understand the new road tax rules. I've just purchased a 2007 Chevrolet tacuma automatic car for £600. Ive just been to get it taxed and its over £500 for the year! This is a lot more than my 2liter diseal Mondeo and this one is a hybrid.......I just don't get it. Will it cost the same amount next year? can someone please explain....thanks

Is the £500 not just the first time the car is registered - so when brand new?

Surely you just have to pay £140?
www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables

I don't understand either!! £500 a year is daylight robbery though!

If you are in UK www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables

I think it has something to do with how polluting a car is. Older cars will always be worse.

I always check car tax before buying a car, sane as doing dummy insurance quote to check i can afford to run it

It's based on CO2 emissions isn't it. Think that particular model has quite a high level of emissions.

It's based on the nasty fume emissions from the car. Our Land Rover Defender is £555 per year. If you bought a more modern car then it'd be around £100/year. The government do this to encourage people to buy environmentally friendly cars.

carfueldata.dft.gov.uk/new-vehicle-tax.aspx?t=23ude39

www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax

Wowzers. Mine is £20 per year!!!

Daylight robbery indeed.

Can only afford a 10-15 year old car? Here's a whopping tax bill for you, you peasants.

Yep, it's right. It's based on CO2 emissions, older cars are much worse, that particular model is one of the worst unfortunately.

For as long as they are basing vehicle tax on CO2 emissions, it's always going to be an expensive one.

Easy to check before buying any vehicle. Though hindsight doesn't really help you here.

carfueldata.dft.gov.uk/new-vehicle-tax.aspx?t=23ude39

Oh the toffs pay too though lilcolibri - there’s s thing called “balloon tax” now - if you buy a new car for 40k or more, you pay an extra £450 for the first five years of its life.
I presume that’s because if you can afford an expensive car you can afford it too?

The problem with cars is you need to not just look at the cost of the car but the 'whole' cost so including tax & insurance, older more polluting cars are taxed higher. My sister bought a bargain until she looked at the insurance, when she had to sell it again.
Its not the case with all older cars, I had a 13yo toyota until a few months ago and the tax on thats £140
My brand new PHEV golf is £130 a year after the initial £0

Unfortunetely you have to look at tax too when you are buying. The car i leased was 2 grand more expensive because it was low tax compared to its higher tax family.