ISA Reforms on the way

Newsletter issue – August 2026

The government is consulting on a new ISA to replace the Lifetime ISA (LISA). It will be available to anyone aged 18+, removing the LISA's upper age limit of 40. This reflects the rising ages of first-time buyers.

It still includes a 25% government bonus but will be paid only at the point of buying a property, not annually. There will be no 25% withdrawal penalty if funds are used for non-property purposes. The controversial £450,000 property price cap remains unchanged, despite rising house prices, and the Treasury suggests it is still appropriate.

As had been alluded to previously, HMRC has confirmed that it will tax all interest earned on cash held within a Stocks & Shares ISA at 22%. This closes the long-standing loophole where savers could hold cash inside an investment ISA and still receive tax-free interest.

Investors will no longer be able to hold 100% of a Stocks & Shares ISA in money market funds, which behave similarly to cash.