THE way the Government is calculating car tax is changing, so make sure you know what is planned.

From Saturday, April 1, the Vehicle Excise Duty, otherwise known as car tax or road tax, will be applied in a new way.

Mike Trembath, Quay Auto Centre, Kingsbridge, said: ‘The new First Year Rates will continue to vary dependant on recorded carbon dioxide emissions of the vehicle, in a similar way to the previous system although with, in some cases, significantly larger amounts.

‘The standard rate, from year two onwards, is where the main change is going to be with a flat rate of £140 per year being charged. There are some exceptions to this: where the manufacturers stated carbon dioxide emissions is 0g/km and where the initial, manufacturer stated, list price is greater than £40,000.’

The way this could really affect you is if you are planning on buying a new car. If this is the case, you could save up to £400 if you buy it before March 31. If however, your car is registered before April 2017, your car tax will not change.

Mike added: ‘The best way to save money is to buy your new car now.’

If you would like to find out more about the changes to car tax, contact Mike on 01548 852323.