ISA Allowance 2026/27: Use It Before the 5 April Deadline
An ISA is one of the simplest ways to keep more of your own money, everything you earn inside one is free of UK tax on interest, dividends and gains. The catch is that the allowance resets every tax year and unused allowance is lost for good, so it pays to know where you stand before the deadline.
At a glance
- ISA allowance 2026/27
- £20,000
- Junior ISA
- £9,000
- Lifetime ISA
- £4,000 (within the £20,000)
- Tax year ends
- 5 April 2027
What the allowance covers
You can pay up to £20,000 across your ISAs in the 2026/27 tax year. You can split it however you like between a Cash ISA, a Stocks and Shares ISA, and a Lifetime ISA (up to £4,000 of the £20,000, topped up with a 25% government bonus). Children have their own separate £9,000 Junior ISA allowance.
Use it or lose it
The single most important rule: the allowance does not carry over. If you only pay in £5,000 this year, you cannot add the missing £15,000 to next year's allowance, it simply disappears on 6 April. That is why many people top up before the 5 April 2027 deadline.
Cash or Stocks and Shares?
- A Cash ISA works like a tax-free savings account, safe and predictable, best for money you may need soon. See how it could grow with our savings calculator.
- A Stocks and Shares ISA invests your money, which brings ups and downs but historically better long-term returns. Our ISA guide explains the difference in plain English.
What to do before 5 April
Check how much of your allowance you have used this tax year, and if you have spare cash sitting in a taxable account earning interest you will be taxed on, moving it into an ISA before the deadline locks in the tax-free wrapper. Even if you cannot use the full amount, using some is always better than losing it.
General information, not financial advice. Speak to a qualified, FCA-authorised adviser about your own situation.
