The tax changes are coming – April 2017 – and with it comes a hike in tax prices for many cars. To give you an idea of what you might end up paying, we have looked at some of the UK’s most popular cars, including the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Golf, and given a breakdown of how they will be affected by the changes.
First off, we look at the low emission model variants of the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Golf.
Low Emission Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Golf
Currently (Pre Tax Change) both cars are tax free in the first year (1st year rate) and subsequent years (standard rate). After April 2017 (Post Tax Change) the first year rate of tax jumps to £100, with subsequent tax rates of £140.
Let's compare these figures to high emission variants of these cars, where we see larger tax increases.
High Emission Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Golf
You can see a much bigger difference in tax rates here, especially for the Volkswagen Golf. The Fiesta jumps up from £130 currently to £200 in April 2017, with subsequent payments at £140. The Golf, however, jumps from £185 to £500 following the tax changes (that's a whopping 170% increase in the first year). The standard rate has dropped to £140 a year however.
Now, let's look at low emission variants of the Ford Focus and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon.
Low Emission Ford Focus and Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The figures above highlight the disadvantages of buying a premium car that costs over £40,000. The initial fee is still low, but you pay a premium rate of standard tax £450 for this vehicle. Please note, this is only for 5 years as the price will drop to £130 a year after those 5 years.
Next up, again, is where the serious tax increases hit. High emission models of the Ford Focus and Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon.
High Emission Ford Focus and Mercedes-Benz C-Class
First year tax rates for the Focus sit at £300, which will increase by approximately 166%. Subsequent years drop from £210 to £140. The Mercedes-Benz first year rate more than doubles to £1200 thanks to a premium rate. Please note, the rate of £450 is for the following 5 years only, as the price will then drop to £130 a year.
We put all the data together into two infographics, below, with another car - the Vauxhall Astra.
Low Emission Vehicles
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High Emission Vehicles
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Please note: images used for illustrative purposes only.
For an idea of how the tax changes may affect your car, read our guide to car tax changes.
