How much is car tax in Ireland?

Annual motor tax runs from €120 for an electric car to €2,400 for the highest-emission petrol or diesel. A typical modern hatchback sits between €180 and €280. The rate depends on when the car was first registered: cars from 2021 onwards use WLTP CO2 bands, cars from July 2008 to 2020 use NEDC bands, and older cars pay by engine size (€199 to €1,809).

What are the Irish car tax bands?

For cars first registered from 2021 there are 16 WLTP CO2 bands: 0 g/km €120, up to 50 g/km €140, then €150, €160, €170, €180, €190, €200 and €210 in 10 g/km steps to 140 g/km, €270 to 150, €280 to 160, €420 to 170, €600 to 190, €790 to 200, €1,250 to 225 and €2,400 above that. Cars from July 2008 to 2020 use 12 NEDC bands from €120 to €2,400 with the same top rates. Pre-2008 cars pay by engine size, €199 under 1,000 cc to €1,809 over 3,000 cc. The full tables are on this page.

Is VRT the same as car tax?

No, and mixing them up is the most expensive mistake people make. Motor tax is the annual charge you pay to keep the car on the road. VRT is a one-off tax paid when a vehicle is first registered in Ireland, so it hits imports. VRT is a percentage of the car's Irish market value plus a NOx levy, and on a typical import it runs into thousands.

How much is VAT on a car in Ireland?

23%, the standard rate. On a new car it is built into the dealer's price. On a used car imported from Great Britain, VAT at 23% is charged on the price paid plus transport and any customs duty, and it is collected at import, not at the NCTS centre. A used car from another EU country carries no Irish VAT as long as it is over 6 months old and has more than 6,000 km on the clock.

Which CO2 figure applies to an imported car?

The same rule follows the car: an import first registered in the UK in 2019 uses the NEDC table, a 2022 import uses the WLTP table. The CO2 figure is on the V5C logbook and Revenue confirms it at the VRT inspection.

How do I pay car tax in Ireland?

Online at motortax.ie with your registration number and PIN, or at a motor tax office. For a first-time tax on an imported car the PIN is the last six characters of the chassis number (VIN), taken from the RF100 form you get after registration.

Can I pay motor tax for 3 or 6 months?

Yes, but it costs more per month. The half-year disc is about 55% of the annual rate and the quarterly disc about 28%, so paying for a full year is always cheaper.

What happens if my car tax runs out?

Driving untaxed brings a €60 fixed charge notice, rising to €90 if unpaid after 28 days and a court summons after 56. Arrears are also charged from the month after the last disc expired, so there is no gain in letting it lapse. If the car is going off the road, declare it in advance with form RF150 or online, during the month the disc expires; the declaration cannot be backdated.

How much is motor tax on an electric car?

€120 a year, the lowest band, regardless of the car's value or power. Battery electric cars also get VRT relief of up to €5,000 when first registered, which usually wipes out the VRT on a car valued under €40,000.

Updated 22 September 2026

Motor tax in Ireland: 2026 rates, CO2 bands and calculator

Irish motor tax (car tax, road tax: same thing) runs from €120 to €2,400 a year and depends on when the car was first registered anywhere, not when it arrived in Ireland. Enter the year and the CO2 figure (or engine size for pre-2008 cars) to get the exact annual rate, then scroll down for every band in all three tables.

Importing the car first? Calculate the VRT first, it is usually the far bigger number.

“Car tax” means two different taxes

Motor tax is the annual charge for keeping a car on the road, paid at motortax.ie, €120 to €2,400 a year. VRT is a one-off tax charged when a car is first registered in Ireland, as a percentage of the Open Market Selling Price, Revenue’s own valuation of the car here, not the price you paid. The rate runs from 7% to 41% depending on CO2, and a NOx levy is added on top. On an ordinary family car imported from the UK or Japan that is typically €2,000 to €5,000, which is why the import calculator matters more than this page.

Three motor tax systems run at once

First registered	Charged on	Range
2021 onwards	WLTP CO2, 16 bands	€120 - €2,400
July 2008 - 2020	NEDC CO2, 12 bands	€120 - €2,400
Before July 2008	Engine size (cc)	€199 - €1,809

That catches out importers: a 2019 UK car registered here in 2026 still uses the older NEDC table, and the CO2 on the V5C is the figure that counts.

Irish car tax bands and rates 2026: all three tables

Three tables run side by side and the car’s first registration date picks the one that applies. Fully electric cars pay €120 under every table. Rates are set by the Department of Transport and have not changed since January 2021; checked against motortax.ie on 31 August 2026.

First registered 2021 onwards

WLTP CO2, 16 bands

CO2 (WLTP)	Per year
0 g/km	€120
1 - 50 g/km	€140
51 - 80 g/km	€150
81 - 90 g/km	€160
91 - 100 g/km	€170
101 - 110 g/km	€180
111 - 120 g/km	€190
121 - 130 g/km	€200
131 - 140 g/km	€210
141 - 150 g/km	€270
151 - 160 g/km	€280
161 - 170 g/km	€420
171 - 190 g/km	€600
191 - 200 g/km	€790
201 - 225 g/km	€1,250
over 225 g/km	€2,400

July 2008 to December 2020

NEDC CO2, 12 bands

CO2 (NEDC)	Per year
0 g/km	€120
1 - 80 g/km	€170
81 - 100 g/km	€180
101 - 110 g/km	€190
111 - 120 g/km	€200
121 - 130 g/km	€270
131 - 140 g/km	€280
141 - 155 g/km	€400
156 - 170 g/km	€600
171 - 190 g/km	€790
191 - 225 g/km	€1,250
over 225 g/km	€2,400

Before July 2008

Engine size, 22 bands

Engine	Per year
up to 1000 cc	€199
1001 - 1100 cc	€299
1101 - 1200 cc	€330
1201 - 1300 cc	€358
1301 - 1400 cc	€385
1401 - 1500 cc	€413
1501 - 1600 cc	€514
1601 - 1700 cc	€544
1701 - 1800 cc	€636
1801 - 1900 cc	€673
1901 - 2000 cc	€710
2001 - 2100 cc	€906
2101 - 2200 cc	€951
2201 - 2300 cc	€994
2301 - 2400 cc	€1,034
2401 - 2500 cc	€1,080
2501 - 2600 cc	€1,294
2601 - 2700 cc	€1,345
2701 - 2800 cc	€1,391
2801 - 2900 cc	€1,443
2901 - 3000 cc	€1,494
over 3000 cc	€1,809

Paying for less than a year costs more per month: a half-year disc is about 55% of the annual rate, a quarter about 28%. Pay at motortax.ie with the reg and PIN.

The other costs people forget

NCT: €55 for a standard test, required from 4 years old, then every 2 years until 10 years and annually after that.
VAT and customs on imports: 23% VAT and usually 10% customs duty on a used car from Great Britain. Add it all up here.
Registration plates: around €20-30 at the NCTS centre or a motor factor, to be displayed within 3 days of registration. The VRT booking guide covers the appointment and documents.
Insurance: required before you can tax the car.

Buying an import? The annual motor tax is predictable, the VRT is not. Check the VRT first, free and in about thirty seconds. The €4.90 breakdown then puts the motor tax for that exact version next to the VRT, VAT and customs, so the running cost is on the same page as the landed cost.

Car tax questions

Annual motor tax runs from €120 for an electric car to €2,400 for the highest-emission petrol or diesel. A typical modern hatchback sits between €180 and €280. The rate depends on when the car was first registered: cars from 2021 onwards use WLTP CO2 bands, cars from July 2008 to 2020 use NEDC bands, and older cars pay by engine size (€199 to €1,809).
For cars first registered from 2021 there are 16 WLTP CO2 bands: 0 g/km €120, up to 50 g/km €140, then €150, €160, €170, €180, €190, €200 and €210 in 10 g/km steps to 140 g/km, €270 to 150, €280 to 160, €420 to 170, €600 to 190, €790 to 200, €1,250 to 225 and €2,400 above that. Cars from July 2008 to 2020 use 12 NEDC bands from €120 to €2,400 with the same top rates. Pre-2008 cars pay by engine size, €199 under 1,000 cc to €1,809 over 3,000 cc. The full tables are on this page.
No, and mixing them up is the most expensive mistake people make. Motor tax is the annual charge you pay to keep the car on the road. VRT is a one-off tax paid when a vehicle is first registered in Ireland, so it hits imports. VRT is a percentage of the car's Irish market value plus a NOx levy, and on a typical import it runs into thousands.
23%, the standard rate. On a new car it is built into the dealer's price. On a used car imported from Great Britain, VAT at 23% is charged on the price paid plus transport and any customs duty, and it is collected at import, not at the NCTS centre. A used car from another EU country carries no Irish VAT as long as it is over 6 months old and has more than 6,000 km on the clock.
The same rule follows the car: an import first registered in the UK in 2019 uses the NEDC table, a 2022 import uses the WLTP table. The CO2 figure is on the V5C logbook and Revenue confirms it at the VRT inspection.
Online at motortax.ie with your registration number and PIN, or at a motor tax office. For a first-time tax on an imported car the PIN is the last six characters of the chassis number (VIN), taken from the RF100 form you get after registration.
Yes, but it costs more per month. The half-year disc is about 55% of the annual rate and the quarterly disc about 28%, so paying for a full year is always cheaper.
Driving untaxed brings a €60 fixed charge notice, rising to €90 if unpaid after 28 days and a court summons after 56. Arrears are also charged from the month after the last disc expired, so there is no gain in letting it lapse. If the car is going off the road, declare it in advance with form RF150 or online, during the month the disc expires; the declaration cannot be backdated.
€120 a year, the lowest band, regardless of the car's value or power. Battery electric cars also get VRT relief of up to €5,000 when first registered, which usually wipes out the VRT on a car valued under €40,000.