Current for 2026•As of: July 2026

Car Tax Calculator calculate your annual vehicle tax.

Enter engine size, CO₂ emissions and fuel type – get the annual German car tax instantly

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Car Tax Calculator

Calculate the annual German motor vehicle tax for your car — by engine size, CO₂ emissions and fuel type.

Annual car tax

€105.00

Petrol (gasoline) · 1600 cc · 130 g/km CO₂

Base amount (engine size)

€32.00

CO₂ component

€73.00

Engine size units

16 × 100 cc

Before rounding

€105.00

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German car tax 2026: what car owners pay

Engine-size base amount plus tiered CO2 component

The German motor vehicle tax (Kfz-Steuer) for cars first registered on or after 1 July 2009 consists of two parts: a base amount per started 100 cc of engine displacement and a CO2 component based on emissions above an exemption threshold. How the CO2 component is calculated depends on the first-registration period: since the reform on 1 January 2021, a tiered table with six brackets applies (Section 9 KraftStG); for cars first registered between 1 July 2009 and 31 December 2020, a flat rate of €2.00 per g/km above the respective threshold still applies.

The three building blocks of car tax

Base amount (engine size)
€2.00 per 100 cc (petrol) or €9.50 per 100 cc (diesel), rounded up.
CO2 component
From 2021 registrations: tiered €2.00 to €4.00 per g/km; for 2009–2020 registrations: flat €2.00 per g/km — both above the exemption threshold.
Electric car exemption
Pure electric vehicles are tax-exempt for up to 10 years, at the latest until 31 Dec 2035.

Calculation example: petrol car with 1,498 cc and 119 g/km CO2

Base amount

Base amount
ItemAmount
Engine size1,498 cc
Started 100 cc units15 (rounded up)
Rate (petrol)€2.00 per unit
Base amount€30.00

CO2 component

CO2 component
ItemAmount
CO2 emissions119 g/km
Taxable share (above 95 g/km)24 g/km
Tier 1: 96–115 g/km (20 g × €2.00)€40.00
Tier 2: 116–119 g/km (4 g × €2.20)€8.80
Total CO2 component€48.80

Total annual tax

Total annual tax
ItemAmount
Base amount€30.00
CO2 component+ €48.80
Sum before rounding€78.80
Annual tax (rounded down)€78

The tiered CO2 rates since the 2021 reform

For cars first registered on or after 1 January 2021, the CO2 share above the 95 g/km exemption threshold is calculated in six tiers with increasing rates. Each tier applies only to the emissions falling within its range — not retroactively to the entire CO2 value.

CO2 tiers per g/km above 95 g/km

  1. 96–115 g/km: €2.00 per g/km
  2. 116–135 g/km: €2.20 per g/km
  3. 136–155 g/km: €2.50 per g/km
  4. 156–175 g/km: €2.90 per g/km
  5. 176–195 g/km: €3.40 per g/km
  6. from 196 g/km: €4.00 per g/km

Older registrations (2009–2020): a flat CO2 rate instead of tiers

For cars first registered before 1 January 2021 — i.e. between 1 July 2009 and 31 December 2020 — the tiered table does not apply yet. Instead, CO2 emissions above the exemption threshold are taxed at a flat rate of €2.00 per g/km (Section 9(1) No. 2(b) KraftStG as in force until 2020). The exemption threshold itself was also lower during parts of this period than today's 95 g/km: 120 g/km up to first registration in 2011, 110 g/km for first registrations in 2012–2013, and only from 2014 onward the current 95 g/km.

CO2 exemption threshold by first-registration period (before the tiered reform)

  1. 1 July 2009 – 31 December 2011: Threshold 120 g/km, then €2.00 per g/km
  2. 1 January 2012 – 31 December 2013: Threshold 110 g/km, then €2.00 per g/km
  3. 1 January 2014 – 31 December 2020: Threshold 95 g/km, then €2.00 per g/km

Electric cars: tax exemption until 2035

Pure electric vehicles are exempt from car tax under Section 3d KraftStG for up to 10 years from first registration. The Eighth Act Amending the Motor Vehicle Tax Act (8. KraftStÄndG, in effect since 1 January 2026) extended this rule: vehicles first registered or fully converted to electric drive by 31 December 2030 receive the exemption — but no later than 31 December 2035. After the exemption period ends, the tax is reduced by 50% (Section 9(2) KraftStG).

Note: This calculator provides a non-binding estimate for cars (vehicle class M1) and does not replace tax advice. Motorhomes, motorcycles and other vehicle classes are subject to different calculation rules. Your local customs office (Hauptzollamt) will inform you of the binding tax amount in your tax assessment notice.

Frequently asked questions about German car tax

Calculation, CO2 tiers and electric car exemption at a glance

Car tax consists of two parts: a base amount per started 100 cc of engine displacement (€2.00 for petrol, €9.50 for diesel) and a CO2 component for emissions above the 95 g/km exemption threshold. Both amounts are added together and rounded down to the nearest euro (Sections 8, 9, 11 KraftStG).

Since the 2021 reform, the CO2 share above the exemption threshold has been calculated in six tiers with increasing rates: from €2.00 per g/km (96–115 g/km) up to €4.00 per g/km (from 196 g/km). Each tier applies only to the portion falling within it, not retroactively to the entire CO2 value.

No. The tiered CO2 table only applies to cars first registered on or after 1 January 2021. For cars first registered between 1 July 2009 and 31 December 2020, CO2 emissions above the exemption threshold are taxed at a flat rate of €2.00 per g/km — without tiers. The exemption threshold itself was also lower during this period: 120 g/km up to 2011, 110 g/km for 2012–2013, and only from 2014 the current 95 g/km. Select the matching first-registration period in the calculator.

Yes. Pure electric vehicles are exempt from car tax for up to 10 years from first registration (Section 3d KraftStG). The 8th Amendment to the Motor Vehicle Tax Act (in effect since 1 January 2026) extended the deadline for first registration to 31 December 2030; the exemption itself applies until 31 December 2035 at the latest.

The legislator partially offsets the lower mineral oil tax on diesel fuel with a higher base amount for diesel vehicles (€9.50 instead of €2.00 per 100 cc). Nevertheless, the total tax can be lower for fuel-efficient diesel cars if their CO2 emissions are correspondingly low.

No. This calculator covers only car tax for cars (vehicle class M1). Motorhomes are taxed based on their permitted gross weight, and motorcycles at a fixed rate per 100 cc without a CO2 component — both calculations differ fundamentally and are not included here.

Both values are listed on the vehicle registration certificate part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I): engine size under field P.1, CO2 emissions under field V.7. Alternatively, you can find the CO2 value (WLTP) in the manufacturer's vehicle data or on your most recent car tax assessment from the customs office.

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