India road tax calculator (at purchase)
India road tax calculator (at purchase)India's road tax is a one-time charge at purchase, set by each state as a percentage of the car's ex-showroom price.
Worked example · One-time road tax
With Ex-showroom price of 1,200,000 INR, this model computes One-time road tax of 216,000 INR. See the full working.
✓ Verified against 3 self-test cases Updated for 2026 · sources checked 2026-08-02
How road tax in India is calculated
Unlike an annual road tax, India charges a one-time road tax when a car is registered, and the rate is set by each state as a percentage of the ex-showroom price.
Rates vary widely: Karnataka runs 13-18%, Maharashtra 11% for petrol (diesel adds 2%), Tamil Nadu about 13% and Delhi 4-12.5% by price slab. Pick your state of registration from the dropdown to load a representative rate, or enter your own. Most states, Delhi and Karnataka among them, waive road tax entirely for electric vehicles.
Because it is a simple percentage of a known price, the figure is easy to check against the Vahan portal at registration. Estimate, not tax advice.
Worked example
ShowHide the full working: 2 inputs, 2 computed steps
| Inputs | |
|---|---|
| Ex-showroom price | 1,200,000 INR |
| State of registration | Karnataka — 13-18% of ex-showroom (18% used here) |
| Computed by the engine | |
| Rate | 0.18 |
| One-time road tax ✓ pinned | 216,000 INR |
Every computed row comes from the engine, run on the inputs above. Rows marked ✓ pinned are also fixed by a published self-test, so a change to the model that moved them would fail its own tests.
Frequently asked questions
How much road tax on a ₹12 lakh car in Karnataka?
At an illustrative Karnataka rate of 18%, a 12 lakh ex-showroom price gives 2.16 lakh of one-time road tax. Adjust the rate to your state and price slab.
Is Indian road tax annual or one-time?
For private cars it is a one-time charge paid at registration, calculated as a percentage of the ex-showroom price. It is not billed every year.
Why does the rate vary so much by state?
Road tax is a state subject, so each state sets its own slabs by price and fuel type. Pick your state's rate to get an accurate figure.
Sources
- Vahan — Ministry of Road Transport · checked 2026-08-02
Estimate. Not tax advice. The verification badge means the model reproduces the stated formula through 3 self-test cases; the sources support that the formula matches the rules.
Check the arithmetic yourself: how this calculator is verified — the formula behind every derived value, the 3 test cases the engine reproduces, and what the badge does and does not claim. Also available as machine-readable JSON.
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