Take a moment to check if your money is working hard enough with our saving and investing accounts.
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Over longer periods of time (five years or more), investments such as stocks, shares and funds have the potential to give you higher returns compared to cash savings. But the value of investments can fall as well as rise. There is a chance you may get back less than you put in. Eligibility criteria, fees and charges apply.
Make the most of your ISA allowances
If you haven’t used your tax year allowances yet, don’t miss out. Discover the ISA that’s right for you before the deadline or top up your existing NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA.
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1. Use as much of your ISA allowances as you can
It's worth checking how much of your ISA allowance you have left to use this tax year. Money you make on your savings and/or investments in an ISA are free from UK income and capital gains tax.
The current ISA allowance is £20,000 and the current Junior ISA allowance is £9,000 per child.
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2. Check your pension
The standard annual allowance is £60,000 for this tax year, covering both personal and workplace pensions.
If you want to make the most of that allowance, consider topping up your workplace pension or private pension. If you don't have a pension yet, we could help set you up with one.
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3. Be aware of future tax allowances
ISA allowances don't carry over to the new tax year, but they do renew. So even if you can't put money into an ISA this tax year, there's the possibility to do so the next tax year (subject to UK legislation). However from April 2027, personal ISA allowance will be changing. Although the total ISA allowance will remain £20,000 across various ISAs, the maximum individuals under 65 could add to a cash ISA will be £12,000, so it's worth considering for the next tax year.
Pension allowances could carry over to the new tax year in some circumstances if you haven't used all your allowance in the last three tax years. It’s important to do your research before you rely on carrying over any pension allowance to this tax year.
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4. Stay inside your Personal Savings Allowance if you can
A major benefit of ISAs is that interest from a cash ISA or returns from a stocks and shares ISA do not count towards your Personal Savings Allowance (PSA).
The PSA is the yearly amount you can earn without paying tax and varies by income tax band: £1,000 for Basic Rate taxpayers, £500 for Higher Rate taxpayers, and none for Additional Rate taxpayers.
Regular savings account interest over your PSA may be taxable and could require a self-assessment tax return. Opting for a cash ISA or stocks and shares ISA could help you maximise your savings without the complexities of tax.
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5. Reminder of upcoming changes
Income tax thresholds are frozen until April 2031, meaning tax bands won’t be adjusted to align with inflation for at least five more years. Also called ‘fiscal drag’, any extra income you make will likely be subject to your regular income tax rate or may even fall into the next tax band.
Also, dividend tax for basic rate and higher rate taxpayers will rise by two-percentage points from 6 April 2026, up to 10.75% and 35.75%, respectively. So any dividends paid on investments outside of an ISA for example will be subject to tax.
You might want to remind yourself of some other upcoming changes, including those announced more recently during the Autumn Budget.
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Important information
- Tax reliefs referred to are those applied under current UK legislation, which may change. The availability and value of any tax relief will depend on your individual circumstances.
Things to know about our products
- Eligibility criteria, fees, and charges apply.
- NatWest Pension: You must be over the age of 18 and under the age of 75. You cannot make contributions if you are a US citizen or US Green Card holder. You cannot access your pension benefits before the age of 55. When transferring any existing pensions, exit fees may apply.
You could win £100,000 when you invest with NatWest
For every £50 you invest in a NatWest Stocks and Shares ISA, you’ll get one entry into the prize draw. The more you invest, the more chances you have to win!
For a chance to win first prize of £100,000, 50 prizes of £1,000 or 1,000 of £100. Enter between 12th January and 30th April 2026.
T&Cs, fees and charges apply.
