How many ISAs can I have? UK rules explained
Correct as of . The ISA and tax rules on this page were last checked against gov.uk on this date. Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year unless a different year is stated.
Short answer: ISAs from earlier years stay open, and since 6 April 2024 you can pay into more than one ISA of the same type in the same tax year. The limits are on how much you pay in: up to £20,000 in total across all your ISAs in 2026/27, and you can only pay into 1 Lifetime ISA each tax year.
The rules in 2026/27
- Overall limit: you can pay up to £20,000 into ISAs in the tax year, in one account or split across several.
- Same type more than once: since 6 April 2024, you can split the allowance between any ISA types, including two or more cash ISAs or two or more stocks and shares ISAs.
- Lifetime ISA: you can only pay into 1 Lifetime ISA in a tax year, up to £4,000. That amount counts towards your £20,000.
- Older accounts: your ISAs do not close when the tax year ends. Savings stay tax-free for as long as you keep them in the ISA.
Examples
Each of these adds up to the £20,000 limit for 2026/27:
| Example | How the allowance is split |
|---|---|
| Two cash ISAs and a stocks and shares ISA | £8,000 in one cash ISA, £3,000 in another cash ISA, £9,000 in a stocks and shares ISA |
| With a Lifetime ISA | £4,000 in a Lifetime ISA, £5,000 in a stocks and shares ISA, £11,000 in a cash ISA |
| One account | £20,000 in a single cash or stocks and shares ISA |
Having several accounts can make it harder to keep track of how much of your allowance you have used. The ISA Allowance Checker adds up what you have paid in across your ISAs.
What changes from 2027/28
Regulations made on 10 September 2026 (SI 2026/1018, read on legislation.gov.uk on 6 October 2026) provide that from 6 April 2027, savers who are under 65 at the end of the tax year will be able to pay up to £12,000 a year into cash ISAs, within the overall ISA allowance. From the start of the tax year in which they turn 65, savers will be able to pay up to £20,000 a year into cash ISAs.
The cash limit applies to what you pay in during the tax year across all your cash ISAs, not to each account. You can still hold and pay into several cash ISAs, but if you are under 65 the total paid into them in 2027/28 cannot go above £12,000. The guide to the cash ISA changes covers the details.
Junior ISAs
A child can have 1 cash Junior ISA and 1 stocks and shares Junior ISA. Up to £9,000 can be paid in for each child in 2026/27, across both accounts. See the Junior ISA calculator.
Who can open an ISA
You must be 18 or over and resident in the UK to open an ISA. For a Lifetime ISA you must also be under 40. Individual providers may set their own conditions.
Moving money between your ISAs
If you want fewer accounts, you can transfer an ISA to another provider or combine accounts by ISA transfer. Use the transfer process: gov.uk explains that if you withdraw the money instead, you will not be able to reinvest that part of your tax-free allowance again. See how to transfer ISA accounts.
Planning how to split your allowance
How many ISAs to use, and of which types, depends on what you are saving for and how long for. The ISA Contribution Split Planner shows how different splits between cash and stocks and shares could work, including the cash limit where it applies. For every limit in one table, see ISA rules at a glance.
Sources
- gov.uk/individual-savings-accounts
- gov.uk/guidance/manage-isa-subscriptions-for-your-investors
- gov.uk/individual-savings-accounts/how-isas-work
- gov.uk/lifetime-isa
- gov.uk/junior-individual-savings-accounts/open-an-account
- gov.uk/junior-individual-savings-accounts
- legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/1018/regulation/6/made
- gov.uk/individual-savings-accounts/transferring-your-isa
This article is general information based on gov.uk guidance, not financial advice.
