How Much Is Road Tax For A Motorhome?

Amongst the important questions you’re likely to ask yourself when you’re a newbie and you’re buying a motorhome for the first time is whether you’re liable to pay road tax on it. Even a cursory amount of research will lead you to the answer: Yes, you do. It’s a legal requirement. So your second question is likely to be: How much will it cost?

Motorhome Tax Rates

Dependent on the gross (or maximum) weight of your motorhome, road tax is payable as follows (information sourced from gov.uk): 

• Under 3,500kg / Engine Size Under 1549: Your annual payment will be £200 if paid as a one-off, £210 if paid by 12-month Direct Debit. If you pay for six months of road tax it will cost £110 if paid as a one-off, or £105 if paid as a 6-month Direct Debit.
• Under 3,500kg / Engine Size Over 1549: Your annual payment will be £325 if paid as a one-off, or £341.25 if paid by 12-month Direct Debit. If you pay for six months of road tax it will cost £178.75 if paid as a one-off or £170.63 if set up as a 6-month Direct Debit. 
• Over 3,500kg: Your annual payment will be £165 if paid as a one-off, or £173.25 if paid by 12-month Direct Debit. If you pay for six months of road tax it will cost £90.75 if paid as a one-off or £86.63 if paid as a 6-month Direct Debit.

In the rest of this brief edition of our blog we’ll dig into the ins and outs of road taxing your motorhome and explain why various factors can affect the cost.

What is Road Tax?

Road tax is a colloquialism and the official term for this important tax is Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). It’s your regular financial contribution to the central government fund which, in part, pays for road works and maintenance. You can pay road tax in one instalment (i.e. annually) or you can spread the cost out over six months or a year by direct debit.

How Is Road Tax Calculated?

Not all motorhomes are ‘charged’ at the same rate of road tax. There are various factors which influence the amount you will be obliged to pay. They include the vehicle’s date of manufacture, whether it falls into the M1SP (Special Purpose) category, its emissions, its gross weight and its engine size. It’s also important to note that if your motorhome was registered between 1^st April 2017 and 11^th March 2020 you’ll pay a different rate of tax. 

All of the necessary information for your vehicle will be readily available from its handbook and the other documentation supplied during its purchase.

Exemptions

Should you be in the relatively rare position of your motorhome being ‘a classic’ – i.e. having been built or registered over 40 years ago – then congratulations! You’re not obliged to pay road tax. However, you still have to go through an application process to obtain vehicle tax exemption.

As you can see from the information presented, road tax for your motorhome is based on a variety of factors, though you should quite quickly be able to determine the amount of road tax you will have to pay.

Here at Wandahome, we stock a vast number of campervans, caravans and motorhomes for you to enjoy, and as a welcome additional offer we have a secure storage facility available. This is a large purpose-built facility which can house over 850 vehicles – so if you’re on the lookout for some secure caravan, campervanor motorhome storage in Yorkshire, we are your answer! You can talk to us about your requirements, and we’ll make sure we find you a vehicle that fits.