Answers · UK 2025/26

Can I split my £20,000 ISA allowance between a cash ISA and a stocks and shares ISA in the same year?

Yes. For 2026/27 you can spread your £20,000 ISA allowance across a cash ISA, a stocks and shares ISA, an innovative finance ISA and a Lifetime ISA in the same tax year, in any split you like. The only sub-limit is the £4,000 Lifetime ISA cap, which counts toward the £20,000.

Last updated: 10 June 2026Last reviewed: 10 June 2026How we verify

Full answer

Since April 2024 you can pay into more than one ISA of the same type in a single tax year, and you can freely split the £20,000 annual allowance across cash, stocks and shares, innovative finance and Lifetime ISAs. For 2026/27 the overall limit is £20,000. The only internal cap is the Lifetime ISA, which is limited to £4,000 of new money per year and still counts toward your £20,000. Worked example: you could put £4,000 into a Lifetime ISA (earning a 25% government bonus of £1,000), £10,000 into a stocks and shares ISA, and £6,000 into a cash ISA. That totals £20,000, so the full allowance is used and no more can go in until 6 April 2027. The allowance does not carry forward; anything unused is lost at the end of the tax year. Junior ISAs are separate, with their own £9,000 limit for under-18s, and do not reduce an adult's £20,000. All interest, dividends and capital gains inside any ISA are free of UK Income Tax, Dividend Tax and Capital Gains Tax. Use the ISA calculator to model how a split between cash and stocks and shares grows over time, and the Lifetime ISA calculator to see the bonus on the £4,000 portion. For the official rules and the current allowance, check gov.uk.