For NZ drivers

What does your car pay in fuel tax, and what would RUC cost?

New Zealand is moving light vehicles from fuel tax to road user charges. Put in your car and see what you pay today, what the same kilometres would cost under RUC at today's light-vehicle rate, and where each fill goes.

Rates as at 7 October 2026. No rate or date has been set for petrol cars. Sources at the bottom of the page.

Your car

Example car
What does your car run on?

Check your dash or Rightcar if you're not sure.

Typical:

Use the price on the pump.

Enter today's price

Your WoF or service invoices show the odometer.

Typical:
How much RUC would you buy at a time?

Smaller blocks mean more purchases and more fees.

What if the RUC rate were different?

No rate has been set for petrol cars. Try a figure to see the effect.

Example car

NZ$176 more a year under RUC

Break-even · 9.8 L/100 km

NZ$176 more a year under RUC

See the full results

Rates as at 7 October 2026. No rate or date has been set for petrol cars. Sources at the bottom of the page.

Results

The numbers

Example carChange anything above to make it yours.

Tax in your fuel this year

NZ$853

About NZ$71 a month of your NZ$3,331 fuel bill is excise, levies and the GST on them.

  • Excise and leviesNZ$741.64
  • GST on themNZ$111.24

Rates as at 7 October 2026 · MBIE duties and levies, IRD

How we worked this out: Tax in your fuel this year
How we worked out: Tax in your fuel this year
LineArithmeticResult
Litres a year12,000 × 8.0 ÷ 10012,000 × 8.0 ÷ 100960 L
Fuel spend960 × 3.47960 × 3.47NZ$3,331.20
GST on the whole fuel spend3,331.20 × 3 ÷ 23shown as context, not added3,331.20 × 3 ÷ 23NZ$434.50
Fuel excise duty (National Land Transport Fund)960 × 0.70024960 × 0.70024NZ$672.23
ACC levy960 × 0.06960 × 0.06NZ$57.60
Fuel monitoring levy + local authorities tax960 × 0.0123960 × 0.0123NZ$11.81
GST on them852.88 − 741.64852.88 − 741.64NZ$111.24
Tax in your fuel960 × 0.8884277.254 c/L plus 15% GST = 88.842 c/L960 × 0.88842NZ$852.88

Figures use MBIE duties and levies and NZTA RUC rates as at 7 October 2026; GST at 15%. Sources

The same kilometres under RUC

NZ$949

12,000 km at today's light-vehicle rate of NZ$76 per 1,000 km, plus 3 purchases at NZ$12.44 each. No rate has been set for petrol cars.

Rates as at 7 October 2026 · NZTA road user charges and transaction fee

How we worked this out: The same kilometres under RUC
How we worked out: The same kilometres under RUC
LineArithmeticResult
RUC distance charge12 × 7612 × 76NZ$912.00
RUC purchases12,000 ÷ 5,000, rounded up12,000 ÷ 5,000, rounded up3 purchases
RUC purchase fees3 purchases × 12.443 purchases × 12.44NZ$37.32
RUC total912.00 + 37.32912.00 + 37.32NZ$949.32
How much RUC would you buy at a time?

Smaller blocks mean more purchases and more fees.

Figures use MBIE duties and levies and NZTA RUC rates as at 7 October 2026; GST at 15%. Sources

The difference

NZ$176 more a year under RUC

RUC NZ$949 vs the excise it would replace, NZ$773

About NZ$15 a month. Cars using more than 9.8 L/100 km would pay less; cars using less would pay more.

This comparison assumes RUC would replace fuel excise only, and the ACC levy and two small levies stay in the pump price (NZ$80 a year for this car). The Government has not set that detail.

Why would my car pay more?

Rates as at 7 October 2026 · MBIE duties and levies, NZTA road user charges

How we worked this out: The difference
How we worked out: The difference
LineArithmeticResult
Excise replaced by RUC960 × 0.8052870.024 c/L plus 15% GST = 80.528 c/L960 × 0.80528NZ$773.07
RUC total912.00 + 37.32912.00 + 37.32NZ$949.32
Difference949.32 − 773.07949.32 − 773.07NZ$176.25more a year under RUC, about NZ$14.69 a month
Break-even fuel use949.32 ÷ (0.80528 × 12,000) × 100thirstier cars pay less under RUC, more frugal cars pay more949.32 ÷ (0.80528 × 12,000) × 1009.8 L/100 km

Figures use MBIE duties and levies and NZTA RUC rates as at 7 October 2026; GST at 15%. Sources

Share this result

You're sharing the example car. Change anything above to share your own.

Where one fill goes

NZ$61 of a NZ$174 fill is tax

For 50 litres at NZ$3.47: NZ$38.63 excise and levies, NZ$22.63 GST, NZ$112.24 fuel.

SaleNZ$173.50
Price per litreNZ$3.47

Change it to match your tank.

  • Excise and leviesNZ$38.6322%
  • GST on the whole fillNZ$22.6313%
  • FuelNZ$112.2465%

This counts GST on the whole fill: 15% on the pre-GST price, which is 13% of what you pay. Tax in your fuel above counts only the GST on excise and levies.

Rates as at 7 October 2026 · MBIE duties and levies, IRD

How we worked this out: Where one fill goes
How we worked out: Where one fill goes
LineArithmeticResult
Fill50 × 3.4750 × 3.47NZ$173.50
Excise and levies50 × 0.7725450 × 0.77254NZ$38.63
GST173.50 × 3 ÷ 23173.50 × 3 ÷ 23NZ$22.63
Fuel173.50 − 38.63 − 22.63173.50 − 38.63 − 22.63NZ$112.24
Tax in this fill38.63 + 22.6338.63 + 22.63NZ$61.26

Figures use MBIE duties and levies and NZTA RUC rates as at 7 October 2026; GST at 15%. Sources

Where to next

What this calculator is, and isn't

  1. This calculator is a guide, not advice. It uses today's published rates and your inputs. Your actual costs depend on how you drive, where you buy fuel, and rules the Government has not yet set.
  2. Road user charges for petrol cars have no set rate or start date. The comparison uses today's light-vehicle rate of NZ$76 per 1,000 km so you can see the shape of the change.
  3. Argus does not sell road user charges. The NZTA link takes you to the official purchase page.

FAQ

Questions about RUC and fuel tax

What is RUC?

A distance-based charge paid in advance per 1,000 km by diesel and electric vehicles, replacing fuel excise for those vehicles.

Are petrol cars moving to RUC?

The Government has said all light vehicles will move over time and will assess the system in 2027 before setting next steps. No rate or date is set.

What is in the price of petrol?

Fuel excise of 70.024 cents a litre, an ACC levy of 6 cents and two small levies: 77.254 cents a litre in all, or 88.84 cents with the GST on them. GST at 15% is also charged on the rest of the pump price. MBIE figures as at 13 July 2026.

Why does my result say I'd pay more?

RUC charges by distance, not by litre. At today's rate of NZ$76 per 1,000 km, a petrol car doing 12,000 km a year and buying 5,000 km at a time breaks even at about 9.8 L/100 km. Frugal cars would pay more under RUC, thirstier cars less. This counts GST on the excise and NZTA's NZ$12.44 fee per purchase.

Does this include the admin fee?

Yes. NZTA charges NZ$12.44 for each online RUC purchase. Buying larger blocks means fewer fees.

Where do the numbers come from?

MBIE's duties and levies table, NZTA's RUC rates and fees, and your inputs. Sources and the as-at date are at the bottom of the page.

Sources

Every rate on this page comes from these sources, as at 7 October 2026.