Andy Burnham’s new £390 car tax rule change - starts in April 2027

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Andy Burnham’s new £390 car tax rule change - starts in April 2027 Andy Burnham is set to oversee new car tax updates for motorists in 2027 with a range of price hikes scheduled to hit road users. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Luke Chillingsworth , Cars Reporter 07:01, Sun, Nov 8, 2026 Andy Burnham will oversee the introduction of new car tax bands in 2027 (Image: Getty) Andy Burnham is set to introduce new car tax updates next year, with new £390 bills set to hit UK motorists.

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) car tax bills increase every year in line with Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation, meaning that increases from the spring of 2027 were always expected. The Treasury confirmed that VED bills would increase from April 2027 shortly after John Healey’s budget, with experts now predicting just what the new increases would look like. Experts at Pete Barden have put together a list of updates, with almost all petrol, diesel and electric car owners somewhat affected.

Standard VED rates are expected to rise from £200 to £210 per year , with hundreds of pounds set to be added to first-year tax bills for new car owners. Cars registered between 2001 and 2017 will pay more based on their tax band, with vehicles placed into one of 13 categories. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Andy Burnham’s new £210 car tax rule change – starts in April 2027 The 10 UK areas least affected by Andy Burnham’s new £40 driveway charges Get motoring news and advice plus selected offers and competitions I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family .

Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Modern classics are not all exempt from VED fees (Image: Getty) Although many believe classic cars do not pay VED fees, exemption rules only apply to models registered more than 40 years ago.

It means that modern classics, first registered on the road between 1987 and 2001, are still liable for fees. These charges are based on a car's engine capacity, with smaller vehicles fitted with engines of 1549cc or below likely to pay £240 from 2027. Larger cars with engines above 1549cc naturally pay more, with road users facing a £15 increase in spring 2027. According to Pete Barsen, these road users are set to pay £390 from April 1, up from the current £375 fee.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The increase matches the £15 increase recorded earlier this year, with prices expected to rise from £360 per year to £375 per year this April. The Treasury admitted in its full Budget report last week that VED tax bands would increase from 2027. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The Treasury confirmed: “The government will uprate VED rates for cars, vans and motorcycles in line with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) from 1 April 2027.”

See more of the stories you love from Daily Express and find us easily in Google by making us a Preferred Source. Free and easy-to-do, just click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings. Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) Andy Burnham Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments

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What we found (3)

The Daily Express presents a routine, automatic inflation uprating of Vehicle Excise Duty as Andy Burnham's personal "new rule change", although its own body says these rises happen every year in line with RPI and were always expected. It puts a £390 figure, which applies only to larger-engined cars first registered between 1987 and 2001 and is a £15 rise, in front of readers as new bills hitting UK motorists. It also says the Treasury "admitted" a rise that its own quote shows was a plain announcement.

Headline goes beyond the article
Serious
“Andy Burnham’s new £390 car tax rule change”
Why this matters
The headline calls the rise "Andy Burnham’s new" "rule change", pinning a new rule on one named politician.
The impression it gives
Burnham has personally brought in a new car tax rule that sets a £390 charge.
The context
The body says VED bills rise every year in line with RPI and that the April 2027 rise was "always expected". The Treasury quote describes uprating existing rates, not a new rule. The body ties the confirmation to John Healey's budget, not to any decision by Burnham.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“car tax bills increase every year in line with Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation, meaning that increases from the spring of 2027 were always expected”
- Elsewhere in the article“The government will uprate VED rates for cars, vans and motorcycles in line with the Retail Prices Index (RPI) from 1 April 2027.”
- Elsewhere in the article“shortly after John Healey’s budget”
Show it in the article
Written straight
Car tax to rise with inflation from April 2027, with older larger-engined cars paying £390, up £15.
Uses figures that mislead
Serious
“new £390 bills set to hit UK motorists”
Why this matters
The words "new £390 bills" and "UK motorists" present £390 as the bill motorists in general will face, and present it as new.
The impression it gives
Motorists across the UK face fresh £390 car tax bills from April 2027.
The context
By the article's own account, £390 applies only to cars first registered between 1987 and 2001 with engines above 1549cc. For them it is a £15 rise on a £375 fee they already pay. The standard rate the article gives is £210, up £10.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“first registered on the road between 1987 and 2001”
- Elsewhere in the article“set to pay £390 from April 1, up from the current £375 fee”
- Elsewhere in the article“Standard VED rates are expected to rise from £200 to £210 per year”
Show it in the article
Written straight
Owners of cars first registered between 1987 and 2001 with engines above 1549cc will pay £390 from April 2027, up £15 from £375, while the standard rate rises from £200 to £210.
Uses a loaded word
Minor
“The Treasury admitted”
Why this matters
The word "admitted" casts a routine announcement as a reluctant confession.
The impression it gives
The Treasury owned up to something it had tried to keep quiet.
The context
The Treasury statement the article quotes is a plain announcement that rates will be uprated with RPI. The article itself says such rises happen every year.
How we know
- Elsewhere in the article“The government will uprate VED rates for cars, vans and motorcycles”
- Elsewhere in the article“increase every year in line with Retail Price Index”
Show it in the article

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Andy Burnham’s new £390 car tax rule change - starts in April 2027

Headline goes beyond the article

Uses figures that mislead

Uses a loaded word

More from Daily Express