Answers · UK 2025/26
Can you inherit an ISA from your spouse in 2026?
Yes. When a spouse or civil partner dies, the surviving partner receives an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) equal to the value of the deceased partner's ISA. This APS is on top of their own annual ISA allowance and must be used within 3 years of the date of death (or 180 days of estate administration completing, whichever is later).
Full answer
When a spouse or civil partner dies, the surviving partner is entitled to an Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) equal to the value of the deceased's ISA holdings at the date of death. This APS is entirely separate from the surviving partner's own annual ISA allowance (£20,000 for 2026/27) and can be used in addition to it. The APS can be invested in any ISA provider (it does not need to go to the same provider the deceased used). It must be used within 3 years of the date of death, or 180 days after the administration of the estate is complete, whichever is later. Importantly, the ISA itself does not automatically transfer; the surviving spouse must make an explicit APS subscription. The APS preserves the tax-free status of the inherited savings. The surviving spouse may also inherit other assets from the estate, but only the APS mechanism allows them to re-shelter the inherited ISA savings within a new ISA tax wrapper.
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This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.