If you’re looking to grow your savings tax-free, a Cash ISA is one of the simplest ways to do it. With the end of the 2025/26 tax year approaching, now is a key moment to check whether you’ve used your full ISA allowance before it resets on 6 April 2026.
Any unused allowance cannot be carried forward, so making a contribution before the tax year ends could help you get more from your savings, both now and in the year ahead.
For the 2025/26 tax year, the ISA allowance is £20,000. You can save up to this amount across ISAs, including putting the full allowance into a Cash ISA if you wish, with all interest earned free from tax.
If you haven’t yet used your full allowance, you still have time to:
Using your allowance before the deadline ensures none of it goes to waste.
With limited time left in the tax year, it’s worth checking whether your current Cash ISA is still right for you.
When reviewing your options, look for:
Even a short period earning a better rate can make a difference, especially if you’re adding a lump sum before the tax year ends.
If you haven’t used your full allowance yet, a one-off contribution before 5 April can be an effective way to maximise your tax-free savings.
This approach can help you:
Before contributing, check how much allowance you’ve already used during the current tax year to avoid exceeding the limit.
If you have Cash ISAs from previous years, they could be earning less interest than they might elsewhere. Transferring them could:
Transfers can be completed at any time, but starting sooner may help your savings benefit from better rates more quickly.
Read more: How to transfer a Cash ISA.
If you’re adding money you don’t expect to need straight away, a Reward or Notice Cash ISA could offer a higher interest rate in return for reduced access.
If you’re confident you won’t need access to your funds at all, a Fixed Rate Cash ISA may offer an even higher rate, though it’s worth noting that early access usually comes with higher penalties than other Cash ISA options.
Choosing the right account can help your money work harder, even in the final weeks of the tax year.
As the tax year ends, it’s also a good time to think ahead.
Understanding what you’re saving for can help you decide:
A clear plan makes it easier to stay on track when the new tax year begins.
With 5 April 2026 fast approaching, now is the time to:
Using your allowance before the deadline means starting the new tax year with a clean slate, and a fresh £20,000 allowance to use from 6 April.
If you don’t use your full ISA allowance by 5 April 2026, any unused amount cannot be carried forward to the next tax year. Your allowance resets to £20,000 on 6 April 2026, regardless of how much you used previously.
This means:
Using even part of your remaining allowance before the deadline can help ensure more of your savings stay tax efficient.
Aldermore offers Cash ISAs to suit your savings goals: