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At a glance:
The ISA allowance for 2025/26 is £20,000, unchanged from the last tax year.
This means you can pay £20,000 into ISAs from 6 of April 2025 to the 5 of April 2026.
You could split your allowance across different ISA types, as long as the total is £20,000 or less
How does the ISA allowance work?
The ISA allowance is how much you can pay into an ISA during a tax year. The £20,000 limit applies across Cash ISAs, Stocks and Shares* and Innovative Finance ISAs*.
*We don’t offer these types of ISA.
This means you could split your allowance across those three ISA types, as long as the total is £20,000 or less.
You can also pay into a Lifetime ISA as part of your allowance. There’s a limit to how much of your allowance you can use in a Lifetime ISA.
*We don’t offer these types of ISA.
This means you could split your allowance across those three ISA types, as long as the total is £20,000 or less.
You can also pay into a Lifetime ISA as part of your allowance. There’s a limit to how much of your allowance you can use in a Lifetime ISA.
Allowances for different ISA types
While you can pay £20,000 into ISAs in total, there are limits for how you much you can pay into each type:
- Cash ISA – £20,000 per tax year.
- Stocks and Shares ISA – £20,000 per tax year.
- Innovative Finance ISA – £20,000 per tax year.
- Lifetime ISA – £4,000 per tax year, but you must make your first payment before you are 40 years old. You can’t pay into a Lifetime ISA after the age of 50.
ISA allowance example
For example, you could pay the following in a single tax year:
- £10,000 into a Cash ISA
- £6,000 into a Stocks and Shares ISA
- £4,000 into a Lifetime ISA
- Total: £20,000.
What happens if you pay more than £20,000 into ISAs in a tax year?
If you think you’ve paid more than your allowance into an ISA, contact HM Revenue & Customs.
Call the ISA helpline on 0300 200 3300 from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
Call the ISA helpline on 0300 200 3300 from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
How does transferring an ISA affect your allowance?
Transferring an ISA balance from a previous tax year will not count towards your ISA allowance.
You can transfer some or all of your money saved in previous tax years into a Cash ISA, Stocks & Shares ISA, Innovative Finance ISA or Lifetime ISA.
Keeping your tax-free status
Be careful not to close the Cash ISA, withdraw the money, then pay into a new Cash ISA. This can mean losing tax-free status.
Always check for charges if you plan on transferring an ISA to a new provider.
You can transfer some or all of your money saved in previous tax years into a Cash ISA, Stocks & Shares ISA, Innovative Finance ISA or Lifetime ISA.
Keeping your tax-free status
Be careful not to close the Cash ISA, withdraw the money, then pay into a new Cash ISA. This can mean losing tax-free status.
Always check for charges if you plan on transferring an ISA to a new provider.
When does the ISA allowance reset?
The ISA allowance resets at the end of each tax year, which is 5 April. You can’t carry any allowance over into the next year, it will reset to the limit again once the new tax year starts on 6 April.
Does a junior ISA count towards your ISA allowance?
No, saving into a Junior ISA for a child or grandchild won’t count towards your ISA allowance. The allowance for Junior ISAs is £9000 for the tax year.
The content on this page is for reference. It is not financial advice.
For help with money issues, try MoneyHelper.
For help with money issues, try MoneyHelper.
