Glossary · UK
What is Additional Permitted Subscription (APS)?
An ISA allowance inherited by a surviving spouse or civil partner, equal to the value of the deceased partner's ISA, allowing them to maintain tax-free savings.
Full Definition
An Additional Permitted Subscription (APS) is a one-off additional ISA allowance granted to a surviving spouse or civil partner when their partner dies. The APS equals the value of the deceased's ISA holdings at the date of death (or the date of administration completion, if higher under certain conditions). The surviving partner can use the APS to make additional subscriptions to their own ISA, over and above their normal annual ISA allowance (GBP 20,000 for 2026/27). The APS does not automatically transfer to any ISA; the survivor must make a positive election to use it. It must be used within 3 years of the date of death, or 180 days after the completion of the administration of the deceased's estate, whichever is the later. The APS can be used at any ISA provider (not necessarily the same one the deceased used). Importantly, the ISA assets themselves must still go through the normal estate administration process; the APS is a separate allowance that preserves the survivor's ability to re-shelter the equivalent amount within a tax-free ISA wrapper. The APS was introduced in April 2015.