Free checklist
The ISA-season checklist
ISA season is the weeks before 5 April when the allowance dies. This is the routine, in order, with the one trick that beats all the others (doing it in April instead).
- 1
Check what allowance is left
£20,000 per tax year (2026/27) across all your ISAs. Log in and check contributions to date; the platform tracks it, but you are responsible for the total across providers.
- 2
Money first, decisions later
The allowance is about getting money INSIDE the wrapper by 5 April. It can sit as cash inside the ISA while you decide what to buy. Do not miss the deadline perfecting a fund choice.
- 3
Bed-and-ISA any taxable holdings
Sell outside, rebuy inside: gains up to the £3,000 CGT exempt amount realise tax-free, and the holding is sheltered forever after. Mind dealing costs and a day out of the market.
- 4
Plan around the 2027 cash ISA change
From 6 April 2027 the cash ISA limit is £12,000 for under-65s (overall £20,000 unchanged). If you were parking large cash sums in ISAs, this is the year to think about the investment side.
- 5
Do not forget the family's allowances
A spouse has a full £20,000 of their own; a Junior ISA has its own allowance on top. A household can shelter serious money if it plans as a household.
- 6
Check for flexible ISA rules
Some ISAs let you withdraw and replace within the same tax year without losing allowance; some do not. Know which yours is before moving money out.
- 7
Then become an early bird
The best ISA trick is dull: contribute on 6 April, not 5 April. A year of extra tax-free growth on the whole contribution, every year, for the cost of a calendar reminder.
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Educational information, not financial advice. Figures current as of July 2026 where dated; allowances and rates change, so check the source before acting.