Glossary · UK
What is ISA Additional Permitted Subscription (APS)?
A one-off extra ISA allowance given to a surviving spouse or civil partner equal to the value of their deceased partner's ISA, on top of their own.
Full Definition
The Additional Permitted Subscription lets a surviving spouse or civil partner inherit the tax-free status of a deceased person's ISA savings. It grants an extra ISA allowance equal to either the value of the ISA at the date of death or its value when the account is closed (whichever is higher), entirely separate from your own £20,000 annual ISA limit for 2026/27. You qualify only if you were living with your spouse or civil partner and not separated; it is not available to unmarried partners or other relatives. The APS can be used whether or not you actually inherit the money itself, since the allowance and the assets are treated separately under inheritance rules. You normally have three years from the date of death (or 180 days after estate administration completes, if later) to use it. Subscriptions can be made in cash to any ISA manager, or "in specie" (transferring the actual investments) only with the original provider. The APS sits alongside other allowances such as the Junior ISA (£9,000) and Lifetime ISA (£4,000). ISA rules are set UK-wide by HMRC, so they apply identically in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.