ROAD TAX advice required

[(RIP) PLANK]

We have just received a tax reminder for one of our cars registered late in 2002 according to the reminder it has a co2 rating of 230g/km (Grand vitara 2.0 5dr)

The tax is £115 for 6 months or £210 for 12 months

this is the confusing bit:
http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/road-tax/?deriv=19565
this table says it changing to band K and will untimatley over 2 years rise to £245

now look at the following:
http://www.parkers.co.uk/News/Road-tax/Guide-to-tax-changes/
this one says it is in band 'L' and will cost £405 based on the 230g/km emissions.

Now I am of the opinion that i am better off buying 12 months now, as if it goes up in March as originaly planned I will benefit from arround 9 months tax at the old rate.

The alternative is to buy 6 months now, save some cash this close to christmas and space out the gap between the tax insurance and mot as they all fall pretty close together

so do I pay for 6 and trust the first table or play it safe and assume the worst and pay for 12

what would you do? :?

[Terranosaurus]

I would ignore parkers and go straight to the horses mouth

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_4022118

I think the lower fee is the right one however the recent announcements back tracked on previous increases but weren't widely announced as the VAT drop seem to get the headlines.

[(RIP) PLANK]

Cheers HB I have lloked but this is still confusing:

look:
Petrol car (TC48) and diesel car (TC49)

Band
CO2 emission (g/km)
12 months rate
6 months rate

A
Up to 100
Not applicable
Not applicable

B
101-120
£35.00
Not applicable

C
121-150
£120.00
£66.00

D
151-165
£145.00
£79.75

E
166-185
£170.00
£93.50

F
Over 185
£210.00
£115.50

G
Over 225 – for cars registered on or after 23/03/06
£400.00
£220.00

ours therfore is in band 'g' on emissions but registered earlier so what band is it in? :?

[(RIP) PLANK]

according to this site:
http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/ved/index.asp

which is a link from direct gov and I beleive an oficial government site the co2 is 208 g/km? :?

what on earth is going on?

I still have no idea!

[Terranosaurus]

What our Darling chancellor did was to suspend the introduction of very high tax rates for vehicles irst registeres before 23 March 2006. Effectively however high the CO2 output of a car registered befor that date its maximum band is K which is the last of the "normal rate" bands.

Read this page - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_172916

Theres details for the coming year in that the relevant bit is below the table and reads

" Band K includes cars that have a CO2 figure over 225g/km but were registered before 23 March 2006. These cars will stay in band K."

It al means for you GV the tax will go up £5 in April 09 and a further £30 in april 2010

[(RIP) PLANK]

Thanks HB this should be good news for a lot of the 4x4 owners on here so I hope they are reading, it must also be sickening a few people who got worried and dropped their cars loosing a lot of cash.

having said all that I don't trust polititians so, I think I might play it safe and get a full year at the old rate :wink:

I had read that page but I tend to skim things and missed it :oops: