For the 2018/19 tax year ,the maximum you can save in ISAS is £20,000.
You don't pay any Income Tax on the interest or dividends you receive from an ISA and any profits from investments are free of Capital Gains Tax. This does mean that you can't use losses on ISA investments to reduce Capital Gains Tax on profits from investments outside the ISA.
Every tax year you can put money into one of each kind of ISA. The tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April.
You can save up to £20,000 in one type of account or split the allowance across some or all of the other types.
You can only pay £4,000 into your Lifetime ISA in a tax year.
Individuals must be UK residents for tax purposes. People working abroad or Spouses and Civil Partners of individuals working abroad are also entitled to open an ISA.
ISAs cannot be held as joint accounts or on behalf of other individuals.
There are four types of ISAS:
1) Stocks and Shares ISA
2) Lifetime ISA
3) Cash ISA
4) Innovative Finance ISA
| Ways to use your ISA allowance | Stocks & Shares ISA | Lifetime ISA (18-40 yr-olds) | Cash ISA | Innovative Finance ISA | Total 2018/19 ISA allowance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invest in a Stocks & Shares ISA only | £20,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £20,000 |
| Invest in a Lifetime ISA only | £0 | £4,000 | £0 | £0 | £20,000 |
| Invest in a combination of ISA types | Split your allowance across ISA types however you choose, as long as the combined amount doesn't exceed £20,000 and you don't put more than £4000 in a Lifetime ISA. | £20,000 | |||
| Invest in a Cash ISA only | £0 | £0 | £20,000 | £0 | £20,000 |
| Invest in an Innovative Finance ISA only | £0 | £0 | £0 | £20,000 | £20,000 |
The Cash ISA allows individuals to invest in Building Society deposits, UK and European authorised Bank deposits, cash unit trusts or National Savings. This is a good choice for short-term savings especially if individuals want to access their money easily. The Cash ISA allows individuals as young as 16 years to benefit from tax-free savings.
With Cash ISAs the return comprises the sum invested plus interest over the term.
The Stocks and Shares ISA allows individuals to invest in collective shares, for example, Unit Trusts, Investment Unit Trusts, shares listed on a recognised stock exchange, bonds and gilts and Life Assurance. The return on Stocks and Shares ISAs will comprise any income (interest or dividends) from the underlying interest plus any growth in capital value. An individual needs to be comfortable taking on the risk of market fluctuations in the value of their investment.
From 6th April 2016 a new type of ISA was introduced to sit alongside both the traditional Cash ISA and Stocks & Shares ISA. The new Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA) will allow savers to use some or part of their annual ISA investment allowance to receive tax-free interest and tax-free capital gains on funds lent through FCA-regulated Peer-to-Peer Lending platforms.
From April 2017 all eligible savers between the ages of 18 and 39 will be able to open a Lifetime ISA.
A Lifetime ISA a new type of account which is designed to help young people to save for both their first home and for their retirement simultaneously. You can contribute up to £4,000 into this ISA in each tax year, the government will then provide a 25% bonus on these contributions at the end of the tax year, this means savers can gain an extra £1 for every £4 they save, so those who save the maximum each year will receive a £1,000 bonus on their savings each year.
The money held within the lifetime ISA can be used to either pay for part, or all of a first time home or it can be used to save for retirement. Savers will be able to benefit from earning the bonus on their contributions until the age of 50.
When you turn 50, you won’t be able to pay into your Lifetime ISA or earn the 25% bonus. Your account will stay open and your savings will still earn interest or investment returns.
