Recently, there has been a noticeable spike in confusion about UK Vehicle Excise Duty (referred to colloquially as ‘road tax’), particularly amongst Jaguar enthusiasts. Much of it appears to stem from a weekend newspaper feature that has been widely shared and, in places, misunderstood.
Given the number of messages and questions circulating, this feels like the right moment to set out what is actually happening — and what is not — ahead of the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) changes due from 1 April 2026.
The article in question focused on the values of post-2006, higher-emissions cars and why many of them now trade for less than equivalent 2005 or earlier examples. The reason is straightforward: the introduction of revised VED bands from 23 March 2006 created a sharp jump in annual tax for cars registered after that date, particularly those in the highest CO₂ categories.
Why registration date matters more than headlines suggest
For cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 23 March 2006, VED is based on CO₂ emissions, but crucially, the highest band available to those cars is Band K.
Under the current GOV.UK rate table (applying from 1 April 2025):
- Band K (over 225g/km, registered before 23 March 2006): £430 per year
- Band L (226–255g/km, registered on or after 23 March 2006): £735 per year
- Band M (over 255g/km, registered on or after 23 March 2006): £760 per year
In simple terms, two mechanically similar Jaguars can attract dramatically different annual tax bills purely because one was registered before 23 March 2006 and the other after.
That is not new. It has been the case for nearly 20 years. What is new is that those cars are now reaching modern-classic status, and the tax disparity is being rediscovered.
Crucially, a car’s VED band does not change simply because rates are uprated each April. The government’s stated policy is to increase rates in line with inflation (RPI). That affects the amount you pay, not the band your car sits in.
So if your Jaguar is currently in Band K, it will remain in Band K after April 2026. It will not suddenly be treated as a Band L or M car.
While the exact 2026/27 figures will be confirmed when the new rate table is published, inflation-linked uprating typically means increases measured in tens of pounds, not hundreds.
Pre-2001 and historic cars
Cars registered before 1 March 2001 are taxed under the older engine-size system:
- Engines over 1549cc: £360 per year (2025/26 rate)
- Engines 1549cc or below: lower rate
Vehicles over 40 years old, registered in the Historic tax class, remain £0 VED.
None of that structure is changing in April 2026.
Which Jaguars are actually affected by the highest VED bands?
Much of the recent concern centres on high-emissions V8 models registered after 23 March 2006, which fall into Bands L or M.
Examples commonly affected include certain variants of:
- Jaguar XJ (X350/X358) – 4.2-litre V8 and Super V8 models registered after the March 2006 cut-off
- Jaguar XK (X150) – early 4.2 V8 and most 5.0 V8 cars
- Jaguar XF – 4.2 and 5.0 V8 petrol variants
- Jaguar S-Type R – all examples exceed the upper CO₂ thresholds
- Jaguar XKR – particularly post-2006 registrations
These cars can sit in Band M (£760 in 2025/26) if registered after 23 March 2006.
However, it is important to stress that VED is determined by the individual car’s official CO₂ figure and date of first registration. The same model line can span multiple bands depending on engine, gearbox and build date.
By contrast, many six-cylinder petrol and diesel Jaguars — including large numbers of:
- Jaguar X-Type
- Jaguar XF V6 models
- Jaguar XJ six-cylinder variants
— sit in mid-range bands where annual increases remain incremental rather than dramatic.
This is not a blanket penalty on “all post-2006 Jaguars”. It is concentrated on a relatively small group of high-CO₂ V8 cars registered after the cut-off date.
April 2026: what is actually changing?
From 1 April 2026:
- VED rates are expected to be uprated in line with inflation (RPI).
- CO₂ bands themselves are not being redesigned.
- Pre-2001 engine-size taxation remains in place.
- Historic (40-year) exemption remains.
In other words, whatever band your Jaguar sits in today, it will sit in the same band after April 2026. The price attached to that band may increase modestly, but there is no mechanism by which a Band K car becomes a Band M car overnight.
The real takeaway for Jaguar owners
The tax divide created in March 2006 is real, and it does materially affect ownership costs of certain V8 models. That has influenced market values for years and will continue to do so.
What is not happening is a sudden, system-wide reclassification of Jaguars into the highest tax bracket.
For most owners, April 2026 will mean an inflation-linked adjustment — not a doubling of their annual bill.
If there is any doubt about a specific car, the safest course is to check the official DVLA vehicle tax checker using the registration number. VED is always determined by the individual vehicle record, not the badge on the bonnet.
Accuracy matters here, and we have said this many times on these pages: Sensational headlines may generate clicks, but the structure of VED is far more mechanical — and far less dramatic — than recent commentary may have you believe.
14 Responses
Thanks for this; there are some wildly inaccurate articles and posts circulating at present driven by the Green woke idiots.
However, I would like to the JEC and other clubs not merely sitting back and accepting this position but being far more pro active in campaigning for a reduction in those rates applicable to “pre classics” say registered prior to March 2006 to 50% of the existing rates. Nobody particular minds paying for what they use but the current rates for one or two thousand miles p.a. are extortionate and driven by the balmy left wing woke idiots and are simply unfair, period. In addition at present we all have the road worthiness of our cars tested each year but the diabolical state of our roads in terms of potholes is never put under scrutiny. I am currently campaigning for a 100% withholding of road tax and council tax until our roads are fit for purpose and would encourage all members to do the same. I do consider the JEC and other clubs I are simply not flexing it’s muscles strongly enough in this direction and being far too woke in their day to day approach to these issues. As a member number 267 ( you can work out how far back that takes me) I simply feel we are not being represented strongly enough where it matters in Westminster. This would never have been allowed to be the case in the time of the late Edward Montagu or indeed Sir Gerald Nabarro who vigorously defended the rights of motorists.
Well said!
Thanks for that excellent response, we really appreciate it and need to collaborate and promote this in our big brother dictatorship society.
There are no MPs who defend ordinary honest tax payers against these injustices. Just as most MPs did and still do not fight for victims of the post office scandal.
No mentio has been made of imported vehicles. I have a Jaguar XJ8L 4.2 Supercharged Soverign first registered in Japan on 01/07/2006 and then first registered in the UK on 01/03/2021. I paid £345 for the 24-25 year.
Well done that man!!🍻
At the other side of the Atlantic, even in a high taxed country like Canada, we can’t believe that a Brit has to pay about $1,500 Canadian dollars every year for the “privilege” of driving on British roads. This is on top of gasoline and property taxes, that were also created to build and restore roads. This is nothing short of highway robbery with the false pretext of “saving” the environment.
I fully agree with Ray Brooks’ comment, and expect that car owners associations like JEC should be proactively pressuring their representatives in Parliament to remove, or at least slash down, tyrannical taxes like this one.
Where is this “official DVLA vehicle tax checker” Wayne mentions?
Regarding protests and withholding VED, like withholding Council Tax, they have their own penalties. Far better is to petition. That’s an official petition that checks signatories have a valid email address, rather than the helpful but impotent change.org site run from California that does not store signatories’ email addresses and is often rejected by councils, regional authorities, and governments because of that lack.
The Red Flag Protest Convoy is ON! If councillors want power in the elections on May 7th then they’ll have to support the motorist. Here’s our three convoy protest to show them our power. Don’t get angry, get even!
Saturday 14th March Trafalgar-Parliament Sq 2.30pm speakers
VED has nothing to do with Road Tax and is just another Tax imposed on motorists which goes into the general tax pot. Most modern cars are far less poluting than cars manufactured during the mid to latter part of the 20th century. All vehicles which use our roads should pay a fair amount based on their weight in order to maintain our roads to a good standard and the present VED should be abolished and replaced with a fairer tax that does not unfairly penalise the motorist.
I have a 2004 XKR (X100) and pay £430 a year. Shear robbery for the condition of the roads I have to drive on here in the west country.
Having read/viewed a few of the shrieking original articles myself, I did wonder what all the fuss was about – I couldn’t find anything original in what people were saying. Thank you Wayne for confirming this point.
But this is a timely reminder of my question (I have been driving for over 50 years) of why we have VED/road tax at all. Whatever system is introduced some will say it’s not fair (to the author, is the implication)/too complicated/arbitrary cut-offs etc. So why not, as I have said for over 50 years, abolish VED and raise the duty on fuel? The more you drive, the more you pay to for road upkeep (in principle, at least) which is fair. The more fuel you use, the more you pay – you do that anyway through existing fuel duty and VED. And there is no chance of avoidance. Finally, there is already a system in place to collect the duty via filling stations. So no additional cost – indeed the system would save money by abolishing the current admin cost of VED.
So why not? The only ‘reason’ I’ve ever seen is that doing this would produce a sudden rise in inflation. Yes, but it would do it just the once. Surely not a good reason to carry on as we are for ever.
Electric cars? Collect the duty via commercial charging stations. And for those charging at home, the requirement for ‘smart’ charger means that a monitoring and collection system is already in place. The only people who can get away with it are those who charge their car via a 3-pin plug – like me 🙂
SORN your car now. Then renew your road tax in March to get 12 months at the old rate.
exactly what i have been saying for years (david woods) put a little extra duty on fuel as it would save the cheque envolope and stamp paid on the cheque the tax office has to send me back as i tax my jaguar xkr year 2013 for the first of april for one year then usualy S.O.R.N. the car at the end of september and i drive the car around 1000 to 1500 miles per year.
I agree that VED is becoming excessive but there is currently a petition on the parliamentry website demanding a 50% reduction in VED for cars over 20 years old. I think we all should sign it and pass it on to all other motoring friends we know, it currently stands at over 35,000 signatures and it needs to get to 100,000 to be debated in Parliament. see :-
https://petition.parliament.uk/signatures/169891831/verify?token=gMHLMovYjcHtMzKBYfqr