Car Tax Calculator
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Erkan Boga
Erkan Boga is the founder and CEO of qmedia GmbH, the publishing house behind How-to-Germany.com. He established the platform with the clear vision of creating...
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Content Lead & Editor
Sadie Voss is the Lead Editor for How-to-Germany.com. As an expat who carved her own way into Berlin from the United States, Sadie is deeply...
- The Germany car tax calculator estimates annual Kfz-Steuer based on vehicle type, engine size, fuel type, CO2 emissions, and first registration date.
- For passenger cars registered since July 1, 2009, car tax usually combines a base engine-size component with a CO2 emissions component.
- Petrol cars registered since July 1, 2009 are generally taxed at €2.00 per 100cc, while diesel cars registered since July 1, 2009 are generally taxed at €9.50 per 100cc, plus the applicable CO2 component.
- Pure electric vehicles first registered by December 31, 2030 can be exempt from car tax for up to 10 years, but no later than December 31, 2035.
- The result is an estimate only. Your final vehicle tax is determined by German customs authorities based on your official vehicle documents.
German Car Tax Rates (Petrol & Diesel)
| Vehicle or Emission Standard | Tax Rate (€ per 100cc of Engine Size) | |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | Diesel | |
| Cars with initial registration after July 1, 2009, including Euro 6d or newer | €2.00 + CO2 component* | €9.50 + CO2 component* |
| Euro 3 | €6.75 | €15.44 |
| Euro 2 | €7.36 | €16.05 |
| Euro 1 | €15.13 | €27.35 |
| Euro 0 (without ozone ban) | €21.07 | €33.29 |
| Euro 0 (with ozone ban) | €25.36 | €37.58 |
| *CO2 Component: For cars registered from July 1, 2009 onwards, an additional CO2-based tax applies above the relevant emissions allowance. Petrol and diesel cars registered before July 1, 2009 are taxed under the older engine-size and emission-standard system shown in the table. | ||
Tax Rates for Vehicles Registered Before 2021
| Initial Registration Period | Tax Rate per Gram of CO2/km Above Threshold |
|---|---|
| July 1, 2009 – December 31, 2011 | €2.00 per gram above 120 g/km |
| January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2013 | €2.00 per gram above 110 g/km |
| January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2020 | €2.00 per gram above 95 g/km |
Tax Rates Since January 1, 2021
| CO2 Emissions Bracket (per km) | Tax Rate per Gram in this Bracket |
|---|---|
| 96 g/km – 115 g/km | €2.00 |
| 116 g/km – 135 g/km | €2.20 |
| 136 g/km – 155 g/km | €2.50 |
| 156 g/km – 175 g/km | €2.90 |
| 176 g/km – 195 g/km | €3.40 |
| Above 195 g/km | €4.00 |
How German Car Tax Is Calculated
For many passenger cars, German car tax consists of two parts:
- Engine-size component: based on engine capacity in cubic centimeters, rounded up to each full 100cc.
- CO2 component: based on grams of CO2 per kilometer above the relevant emissions threshold.
For cars first registered from July 1, 2009 onwards, the base rate is usually €2.00 per 100cc for petrol cars and €9.50 per 100cc for diesel cars. The CO2 component is then added on top.
For petrol and diesel cars registered before July 1, 2009, the newer €2.00 / €9.50 base rates do not apply. Older vehicles are taxed according to engine size, fuel type, and Euro emission standard.
Example: Petrol car registered after 2021
A petrol car with a 1,498cc engine and CO2 emissions of 130 g/km would be calculated in two steps:
- Engine-size component: 1,498cc is rounded up to 1,500cc, so 15 × €2.00 = €30.00
- CO2 component: 130 g/km means 35g above the 95 g/km allowance
- First CO2 bracket: 20g from 96–115 g/km × €2.00 = €40.00
- Second CO2 bracket: 15g from 116–130 g/km × €2.20 = €33.00
- Total CO2 component: €40.00 + €33.00 = €73.00
- Total annual car tax: €30.00 + €73.00 = €103.00
Example: Diesel car registered after 2021
A diesel car with a 1,968cc engine and CO2 emissions of 150 g/km would use the diesel base rate:
- Engine-size component: 1,968cc is rounded up to 2,000cc, so 20 × €9.50 = €190.00
- CO2 component: 150 g/km means 55g above the 95 g/km allowance
- First CO2 bracket: 20g from 96–115 g/km × €2.00 = €40.00
- Second CO2 bracket: 20g from 116–135 g/km × €2.20 = €44.00
- Third CO2 bracket: 15g from 136–150 g/km × €2.50 = €37.50
- Total CO2 component: €40.00 + €44.00 + €37.50 = €121.50
- Total before rounding: €190.00 + €121.50 = €311.50
- Total annual car tax: €311.00 after customs rounding
This is why diesel cars can have noticeably higher vehicle tax than comparable petrol cars.
Where to Find the Required Vehicle Data
You can usually find the values needed for the calculator in your German vehicle registration document, the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I, also known as the Fahrzeugschein.
| Calculator input | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Engine capacity / displacement | Box P.1 |
| CO2 emissions | Box V.7 |
| Date of first registration | Box B |
| Fuel type / power source | Box P.3, for example Benzin, Diesel, Elektro, or Hybrid |
If you are importing a vehicle, the required values may also appear in the Certificate of Conformity, foreign registration papers, or customs and registration documents.
Electric Vehicles and German Car Tax
Pure electric vehicles, also called BEVs, receive special treatment under German car tax rules.
Pure electric vehicles first registered by December 31, 2030 can be exempt from Kfz-Steuer for up to 10 years. However, the exemption cannot extend beyond December 31, 2035. After the exemption period ends, electric vehicles are taxed under separate weight-based rules.
Plug-in hybrids are not treated the same as pure electric vehicles for car tax. They are usually taxed like combustion-engine vehicles, based on engine capacity, fuel type, CO2 emissions, and first registration date.
Other Vehicle Categories
Some vehicles follow special rules that may not be fully covered by a simple passenger car calculator.
- Oldtimers with H plates: Historic vehicles with an H-Kennzeichen usually pay a flat-rate annual tax of €191.73.
- Motorcycles: Motorcycle tax is calculated at €1.84 per begun 25cc of engine size per year.
- Seasonal license plates: With a Saisonkennzeichen, vehicle tax is usually charged only for the registered months of use.
- Commercial vehicles: Vans, trucks, and other commercial vehicles may follow different tax rules based on weight and classification.
What the Calculator Result Means
The calculator gives an estimate of your annual German vehicle tax. This amount is usually collected by German customs after the car has been registered.
The result is useful when:
- buying a car in Germany
- importing a vehicle
- comparing petrol, diesel, hybrid, and electric vehicles
- estimating annual running costs
- checking whether a high-emission vehicle may be expensive to own
Your final tax amount depends on the official vehicle data accepted by the registration office and customs authorities.
Official German customs information on vehicle tax: zoll.de
Federal Ministry of Finance: bundesfinanzministerium.de
You can find more about German car taxation on our site kfz-steuer.wiki (German / English)
More about car insurances you can find on our site kfz-versicherung.co (German)
Conclusion
The German car tax calculator helps you estimate annual Kfz-Steuer based on your vehicle’s engine size, fuel type, CO2 emissions, and first registration date.
For petrol and diesel cars, the key difference is the registration date, the base rate per 100cc, and the CO2 component. For electric vehicles, the tax exemption can make a major difference in annual running costs. Use the calculator as a planning tool, then confirm the final tax amount with your official registration documents and German customs assessment.
FAQ – German Car Tax
German car tax is usually collected by the customs administration (Zoll) after the vehicle is registered. During registration, you normally provide a SEPA direct debit mandate, and customs debits the vehicle tax from your bank account.
Annual car tax is normally paid once per year. In some cases, higher annual amounts may be paid semi-annually or quarterly, but additional surcharges can apply. The exact payment option depends on the tax amount and customs assessment.
Yes. If you sell, export, or deregister your car, vehicle tax is usually recalculated up to the deregistration date. Any overpaid amount is normally refunded by customs.
No. Plug-in hybrids are generally not exempt from Kfz-Steuer. They are usually taxed like combustion-engine passenger cars based on engine size, fuel type, CO2 emissions, and first registration date.
Pure electric vehicles first registered by December 31, 2030 can be exempt from Kfz-Steuer for up to 10 years, but not beyond December 31, 2035.
Some people with severe disabilities may qualify for a full or partial vehicle tax reduction if the legal requirements are met and the vehicle is registered for their use. The exact entitlement depends on the disability markers and customs assessment.
With a seasonal license plate (Saisonkennzeichen), vehicle tax is usually charged only for the months in which the vehicle is registered for use.