What is the Junior ISA Allowance for the 2025/26 Tax Year?

The Junior ISA allowance for the 2025/26 tax year, which began on 6th April 2025, remains at £9,000. This tax-free savings limit for children may lead to questions about your child’s savings and how to make the most of them.

Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about the Junior ISA allowance for the current financial year.

Junior ISA annual allowance

	2025/2026	2024/2025
Junior ISA Annual Allowance	£9,000	£9,000

What is a Junior ISA allowance?

A Junior ISA (JISA) allowance is the maximum amount you can save or invest tax-efficiently for your child in a single tax year. This means any interest or returns earned are free from income tax and capital gains tax. The allowance is set by the government and can change.  It renews at the start of the current financial year on 6th April.

How many Junior ISAs can a child have?

Each child can have two types of Junior ISA: a cash Junior ISA and a stocks and shares Junior ISA. They are allowed to have one of each type.

The total £9,000 annual allowance can be saved in one type of JISA or split between the two. For example, you could put £5,000 into a Stocks and Shares Junior ISA and £4,000 into a Cash JISA in the same tax year.

A child cannot have more than one cash JISA or stocks and shares JISA at the same time.

If your child has a Child Trust Fund (CTF) and you want to open a Junior ISA for them, then you must transfer the CTF to a Junior ISA, as they cannot hold both.

Find out whether you should transfer a CTF to a Junior ISA.

What is the Junior ISA annual allowance in 2025/26?

The Junior ISA annual allowance for the 2025/26 financial year is £9,000. This amount can be fully invested in a stocks and shares Junior ISA, saved in a cash Junior ISA, or split across both. The limit is reviewed and set by the government each year, so could potentially change in the future.

For adults looking to save for themselves, the annual allowance for an adult ISA is £20,000. For more details, you can read our guide on the Stocks and Shares ISA allowance.

When does the Junior ISA allowance get renewed?

The Junior ISA allowance is renewed annually on the 6th of April. Any unused allowance from one tax year does not carry over to the next. The current £9,000 allowance has been in place since the 2020/21 tax year, when it was increased from £4,368.

Historical Junior ISA allowances

Junior ISAs were introduced in 2011 with an initial limit of £3,600.

This figure saw gradual increases until a significant rise to the current £9,000 allowance in April 2020. The government reviews this limit annually, so it could change in the future.

Tax Year	Junior ISA Allowance
2024/25	£9,000
2023/24	£9,000
2022/23	£9,000
2021/22	£9,000
2020/21	£9,000
2019/20	£4,368
2018/19	£4,260
2017/18	£4,128
2016/17	£4,080
2015/16	£4,080
2014/15	£4,000
2011/12	£3,600

How can you use the Junior ISA allowance?

You can allocate the full £9,000 allowance into either a stocks and shares junior ISA or a cash Junior ISA.

Alternatively, you can divide the allowance between both types of accounts within the same tax year, ensuring the total contributions do not exceed the £9,000 limit.

For example, you can invest £6,000 in a stocks and shares Junior ISA and £3,000 in a cash Junior ISA in the same financial year tax-efficiently, without exceeding the total limit of £9,000.

What happens if you exceed the Junior ISA limit?

It’s important you’re aware of the Junior ISA allowance each tax year to avoid exceeding the annual tax-free limit. Any amount deposited over the £9,000 allowance will not benefit from tax relief.

Junior ISAs work as tax wrappers, meaning they act to shield your money from tax. Any returns you receive on your money and withdrawals are safe from the taxman if your annual contributions stay within the Junior ISA limit.

If your child has a cash or stocks and shares ISA with different providers, it’s essential to keep track of the total contributions across them all. Transferring your Junior ISAs to a single provider may simplify this process.

If you accidentally exceed the limit, you should contact HMRC on their helpline (0300 200 3300) to explain the situation. They should be able to give you advice on how to fix this. There may be tax charges on the excess amount.

If you do not report it, HMRC will likely contact you at the end of the tax year to correct the error.

Junior ISA rules for parents and guardians

There are several key rules to follow when opening and managing a Junior ISA:

• The child must be under 18 and a UK resident.
• The annual tax-free savings limit is £9,000.
• Unused allowance cannot be rolled over to the next tax year.
• Only a parent or legal guardian can open a Junior ISA for a child. However, anyone can contribute.
• Grandparents can’t open Junior ISAs, but they can contribute to one that’s been set up.
• The funds are locked in until the child turns 18.
• At 16, the child can take control of managing their Junior ISA.
• A child can have one cash JISA and one stocks and shares JISA per tax year, with the total contributions not exceeding the annual allowance.

Be sure to read through our Important Information Guides for all the key information about our Junior ISA. Remember that when you invest, your capital is at risk.