📅 Motor Tax Calculator
What is motor tax on this car?
Motor tax is one of the few car costs set entirely by the State, so there is a right answer rather than a range. Which answer depends on when the car was first registered: from July 2008 it is taxed on CO2, and before that on engine size — a distinction that can double the bill on an otherwise identical car.
Figures reviewed September 2026. Free, no signup, nothing stored on our servers.
What this means
The annual figure is the published rate for your band. It is the same at every motor tax office and on the online service; nobody is offering a better price on it.
Paying in instalments costs more. A half-yearly disc is a little over half the annual rate, and a quarterly one a little over a quarter, so four quarterly payments come to roughly 13% more than paying the year up front. On a mid-band car that is the guts of €40 a year for the convenience.
Tax runs by calendar month, not from the day you pay. If a disc lapsed in March and you tax the car in June, you pay from March — there is no way to buy back only the months you intend to drive.
What affects the result
- When the car was first registered. July 2008 is the dividing line between CO2 and engine-size taxation.
- The CO2 figure on the registration certificate, for a car taxed on emissions.
- Engine capacity in cc, for an older car. The steps above 2,000cc are steep.
- How often you pay. Quarterly costs roughly 13% more over a year than annual.
- Whether the vehicle is taxed privately or commercially — commercial rates are set separately and are not covered here.
What is motor tax on this car?
What it is worth checking before you buy
Motor tax is a small share of what a car costs, but it is the share that is fixed and knowable before you buy. A car a few grams over a band boundary carries that penalty for as long as you own it. If you are comparing two cars, check both here first — then put them through the true cost calculator, where depreciation and insurance will usually dwarf this line.
Importing a car
An imported car is taxed on the basis that matches its original registration date. If you are working out what an import will cost, the same CO2 figure also drives the VRT bill, and the import cost calculator puts VRT, customs duty and VAT into a single landed figure.
The other annual obligation
Tax and the NCT both have to be current for a car to be legally on the road, and both are easy to let slip. The NCT checker covers when yours is due and what fails Irish cars most often.
Important assumptions
Every figure on this page rests on these. Where one does not match your situation, the answer moves — sometimes a great deal.
- Rates are the published private-car rates from Motor Tax Online. Commercial vehicles, vintage vehicles and motorcycles use different scales.
- The half-yearly and quarterly figures use the official multipliers, which is why instalments total more than the annual rate.
- Arrears are not calculated. Where a car has been off the road without a declared exemption, the tax office charges from the month the previous disc expired.
- Electric vehicles are taxed at the lowest CO2 band rather than exempted.
Official sources
Where this tool applies a published rule, this is where the rule comes from. Check the source before acting on anything that matters.
- Motor Tax Online — rates
The published annual, half-yearly and quarterly rates for private cars, by CO2 band and by engine size.
- Department of Transport — motor tax rates
The statutory rate tables and the categories of vehicle each applies to.
- Citizens Information — motor tax
How the two taxation bases work, arrears, and declaring a vehicle off the road.
Common questions
How much is motor tax in Ireland?
Between €120 and €2,400 a year for a private car taxed on CO2, depending on the band. A car registered before July 2008 is taxed on engine size instead, from €199 for a small engine up to €1,809 above three litres.
Is my car taxed on CO2 or engine size?
Cars first registered in Ireland from 1 July 2008 are taxed on CO2 emissions. Anything registered before that is taxed on engine capacity. An imported car takes the basis appropriate to its first registration date, not its Irish one.
Is it cheaper to pay motor tax yearly?
Yes. Four quarterly payments come to about 13% more than a single annual payment, and two half-yearly payments to about 11% more. On a €400 band that is roughly €50 a year for spreading the cost.
What is motor tax on an electric car?
Battery electric cars sit in the lowest CO2 band, which is the cheapest private-car rate available. They are not exempt.
Can I stop paying while the car is off the road?
Only by making a declaration of non-use in advance, for the period concerned. It cannot be backdated — if the car was untaxed and undeclared, the tax office charges the arrears from the month the last disc expired.
What to check next
What is my car actually costing me?
Depreciation, fuel, insurance, tax, servicing and tyres as one annual figure and a cost per kilometre.
Car True Cost CalculatorNewHow much VRT will I pay on this car?
Vehicle Registration Tax by CO2 band, plus the NOx levy people forget, on Revenue’s published rates.
VRT CalculatorNewWhat will importing this car really cost?
Purchase, transport, customs duty, VAT, VRT and registration as one landed cost — and how much of it is the State.
Car Import CostWhen is my NCT due and what fails?
Test due dates, centre information and the faults that fail Irish cars most often.
NCT CheckerNext steps across CheckIreland
Picked for what you just worked out — not a list of everything we make.
CheckIreland is independent and is not affiliated with the Irish Government or any public body. This tool is general information built on published rules and typical costs — it is not financial, tax or legal advice, and it does not account for your individual circumstances. Confirm anything that matters with the relevant body or a qualified adviser before acting on it.