The ISA allowance for 2026/27 is £20,000 per adult, unchanged from the prior year, and every pound you put in before 5 April 2027 sits inside a tax-free wrapper. If you hold gold ETFs, mining shares, or crypto outside an ISA, that number is the ceiling on how much new money you can shelter this tax year. This guide maps the allowance, the sub-limits, what you can and cannot hold, and a simple order for using it without wasting the “use it or lose it” reset on 6 April.
TL;DR: For 2026/27 (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027) the total ISA allowance is £20,000 per person across all ISA types combined. Up to £4,000 of that can go into a Lifetime ISA. Junior ISAs have a separate £9,000 allowance per child. Unused allowance does not roll over. Gold ETFs and listed gold miners can sit in a Stocks and Shares ISA; physical gold and most crypto cannot. Split your £20,000 deliberately before the April deadline.
Most ISA explainers stop at cash rates. That misses the point if your portfolio already mixes gold funds and crypto on apps like Trading212 or Coinbase. The allowance is a hard annual cap on tax-free contributions, not a suggestion. HMRC counts every subscription across all your ISAs together.
What is the ISA allowance in 2026/27?
For the tax year starting 6 April 2026, the maximum you can subscribe to ISAs is £20,000, according to GOV.UK. That figure applies to you personally. If you are married or in a civil partnership, your partner has their own £20,000; you cannot share or transfer unused allowance between you.
The tax year ends at midnight on 5 April 2027. On 6 April 2027 the clock resets. Any part of the £20,000 you did not use in 2026/27 is gone. Financial planners call that “use it or lose it” for a reason.
The four ISA types and how the £20,000 splits
GOV.UK lists four adult ISA types: Cash ISA, Stocks and Shares ISA, Innovative Finance ISA, and Lifetime ISA. You may open more than one, but your combined subscriptions in 2026/27 cannot exceed £20,000.
ISA typeWhat it holdsSub-limit in 2026/27
Cash ISACash savings, interest tax-freePart of £20,000 total Stocks and Shares ISAFunds, ETFs, listed shares, bondsPart of £20,000 total Innovative Finance ISAPeer-to-peer loans (higher risk)Part of £20,000 total Lifetime ISACash or investments for first home / retirement**£4,000 max** (still inside £20,000)
Example: you could put £16,000 into a Stocks and Shares ISA and £4,000 into a Lifetime ISA. You could not put £20,000 into a Lifetime ISA because the LISA sub-limit is £4,000.
Children under 18 have a Junior ISA with its own £9,000 allowance (2026/27), separate from your £20,000.
Where gold and crypto fit inside the allowance
This is where generic ISA guides go quiet. For gold-and-crypto investors the rules are practical, not philosophical.
- Gold ETFs and gold-mining shares can be held in a Stocks and Shares ISA. Dividends and gains inside the wrapper are tax-free while the money stays in the ISA.
- Physical gold (coins, bars) is not ISA-eligible. You hold it outside the wrapper and face different tax rules on disposal.
- Bitcoin and most crypto are not standard ISA holdings in the UK. You typically hold crypto in exchange accounts or self-custody, outside ISA protection.
- Tokenized gold (e.g. PAXG on an exchange) is still exchange-held crypto, not an ISA asset, even if it tracks bullion.
So your £20,000 is most useful for the listed slice of a gold portfolio (ETFs, miners) and for mainstream equities or bonds that balance crypto held elsewhere. If you are unsure how much of your screenshot portfolio is already tax-efficient, run it through the Investofil AI advisor and ask: “What part of this could move into an ISA this year?”
What changes from April 2027 (plan ahead)
Provider guides (e.g. Yorkshire Building Society, AJ Bell) note a proposed reform from 6 April 2027: Cash ISA subscriptions may be capped at £12,000 for savers under 65, while the overall £20,000 total allowance stays. Stocks and Shares ISA room would absorb the remainder. This is not in force for 2026/27; it is a planning signal if you are heavy in cash ISAs.
Action: if you rely on cash ISAs for most of the £20,000, map 2026/27 and 2027/28 contributions now so you are not surprised by a smaller cash bucket.
A six-step checklist before 5 April 2027
- List every ISA you own and contributions already made in 2026/27.
- Calculate headroom: £20,000 minus subscriptions to date.
- Decide the split: cash vs Stocks and Shares vs LISA (max £4,000).
- Prioritise tax-drag assets: dividend-paying gold miners or equity funds often benefit first.
- Leave crypto outside unless you have a specific tax plan; do not assume ISA cover.
- Set a calendar reminder for February 2027 to use remaining allowance before the reset.
If you exceed £20,000 combined subscriptions, HMRC and your provider will require removal of the excess from the tax-free wrapper. Keep a simple spreadsheet or ask your platform for a subscription total.
Who benefits most from maxing the ISA each year?
If you are already paying tax on dividends or capital gains outside wrappers, moving eligible holdings into a Stocks and Shares ISA can reduce drag over decades. Higher-rate taxpayers often feel the benefit sooner because dividend and CGT rates outside wrappers are steeper. Basic-rate taxpayers still gain, especially if they expect gains rather than just income.
Gold-and-crypto-heavy investors frequently keep crypto taxable while holding zero ISA equities. That is not wrong automatically, but it can mean you spend the £20,000 on cash ISA interest you barely need while leaving diversified stock funds taxable. Re-order: fund the ISA with assets that currently generate reportable income or gains, then hold crypto where tax reporting already exists.
Use a simple test: “If this position doubled, would I owe tax?” If yes and the holding is ISA-eligible, it is a candidate for subscription priority.
Choosing a provider without product paralysis
Major UK platforms (Hargreaves Lansdown, Trading 212, Interactive Investor, Vanguard, etc.) all respect the same £20,000 government limit; they differ on fees, fund range, and whether LISAs are offered. For gold exposure, check that your chosen Stocks and Shares ISA allows the ETF or ETC you want. Not every platform lists every bullion tracker.
Do not open four ISAs at four brokers without a plan. Multiple accounts are allowed, but the subscription total is still capped at £20,000. A spreadsheet with provider name, amount subscribed, and date prevents accidental breaches.
Common mistakes gold and crypto investors make
- Treating ISA as unlimited. It is £20,000 new money per year, not your entire portfolio value.
- Buying physical gold expecting ISA relief. It does not qualify.
- Ignoring the LISA £4,000 cap when chasing the 25% government bonus on contributions.
- Forgetting Junior ISAs when planning family gold or index savings for children.
- Missing the deadline because crypto volatility distracted you from the fixed April cut-off.
Reviewed by: Edu Go Su, Investofil research desk.Data integrity: ISA limits verified against GOV.UK and major UK providers as of July 2026. Tax rules can change; confirm on GOV.UK before subscribing. This is education, not personal tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ISA allowance for 2026?
For the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027), the ISA allowance is £20,000 per adult, unchanged from 2025/26, per GOV.UK.
Can I put gold in an ISA?
Gold ETFs and listed gold-mining shares can be held in a Stocks and Shares ISA. Physical gold bullion and coins cannot.
Can I hold Bitcoin in an ISA?
Standard UK ISAs do not hold Bitcoin or most cryptocurrencies. Crypto is usually held outside ISAs on exchanges or in self-custody.
Does unused ISA allowance roll over?
No. Unused allowance is lost after 5 April each year. A new £20,000 allowance starts on 6 April.
What is the Lifetime ISA limit?
You can subscribe up to £4,000 per tax year to a Lifetime ISA, and that counts toward your overall £20,000 ISA allowance.
What is the Junior ISA allowance in 2026/27?
The Junior ISA allowance is £9,000 per child for 2026/27, separate from the adult £20,000 limit.
