Help and advice regarding Stocks &Shares Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)
An Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) is a form of tax efficient shelter or ‘wrapper’ that replaced Personal Equity Plans (PEPs) and Tax Exempt Special Savings Accounts (TESSAs) in April 1999.
Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) requires all ISA accounts that are opened for individuals to record the National Insurance Number along with other personal details, as they are a tax efficient savings product regulated by HMRC.
Watch the short video below to find out how, as an existing client, it is possible to open an ISA account in less than one minute.
No, an ISA can only be opened on an individual basis, see below
Only individual persons are eligible provided they are 18 years of age or older (for stocks and shares component) and a UK resident (excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) for tax purposes. You cannot hold an ISA jointly with, or on behalf of, anyone else. For example, you cannot open an ISA with your spouse. If you are uncertain as to whether you are entitled to open an ISA, you should consult the Inland Revenue.
The HMRC does not allow the direct transfer of existing holdings into an ISA account unless they are being transferred from another ISA account you hold.
Where shares are held outside an ISA the shares can be moved into the ISA Wrapper by:
Selling the shares, then:
Transferring the monies from the general cash account to the ISA Cash Account.
The shares can then be bought back in the ISA.
Please note that Beaufort ‘s standard charges apply for processing the above and that you will be liable to pay stamp duty/SDRT on the shares bought back in the ISA account.
Existing Cash or Stocks and Shares ISAs can be transferred to the Beaufort Self-Select Stocks and Shares ISA.
You need to contact your existing provider and ask them direct
Whilst your ISA is being transferred to us there can be a rise in the market which would not be reflected in your transfer value as this is taken at the date transferred and may take sometime to clear with us so that you can resume trading.
Before requesting an ISA transfer, you should be aware of the following:
The Inland Revenue have set guidelines on which investments can be held in an ISA account. For the stocks and shares component, these are generally shares, which are officially listed on a Recognised Stock Exchange such as the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
For more specific advice about which investment instruments can be held within a Stocks & Shares ISA, please contact your Beaufort broker.
Request an ISA Transfer Form from your Beaufort broker or download one here.
Existing customers can open the ISA by accepting the declaration and authorisation of the ISA. New customers have to complete the application form.
Once the ISA has been opened, you can choose to Subscribe or Transfer an existing ISA to Beaufort by downloading, printing and completing the relevant form here.
This allows us to contact your current plan manager in order to initiate the transfer.
Return the transfer form signed and dated to us.
The tax year runs from the 6th April to the 5th April each year.
HMRC rules only allow individuals to have one Stocks & Shares ISA in any one-tax year. Therefore, if you subscribe to a Stocks & Shares ISA, you cannot have another Stocks & Shares ISA in the same tax year.
During the application process, you will be asked to declare that you will only have one Stocks & Shares ISA per tax year.
The responsibility lies with you.
You may have a Cash ISA (with a different ISA provider) per tax year, but your total subscription to all types of ISA must not exceed the overall ISA limit per tax year.
Beaufort however only offers a Stocks & Shares ISA and not a Cash ISA.
Beaufort’s commissions for trading in an ISA account are exactly the same as in our standard stockbroking accounts. Please see our Rate Card for full information.
An ISA can be cancelled, or in Inland Revenue terms made ‘void’, if there has been a breach of the ISA regulations. An example would be if an investor has subscribed to more than one ISA in the same tax year. In this case, the second ISA would be made void.
If the ISA is made ‘void’ or if you decide to cancel there may be a shortfall in the amount of initial subscription returned if you have already invested your money.
As of the 6 April 2004 ISA managers were no longer be able to claim back 10% tax credit on the dividend payment. This means that you will receive dividends in the ISA wrapper just as anyone else who owns the shares.
An advantage is that income from Dividends in an ISA has the added advantage of no further tax to pay for higher rate taxpayers.
However an ISA is still exempt from Capital Gains tax on any growth in the value of the shares themselves.
Income from ISAs does not need to be reported in your annual tax return. This will mean less time and trouble for those people completing their returns.
In a Stocks and Shares ISA, interest received on cash will be subject to a 20% tax. ISA accounts still attract stamp duty on purchases.
It is important to remember that tax rates and legislation may be subject to change.
Beaufort offers a Self-Select Stocks & Shares ISA.
There is no minimum investment for opening the Beaufort Stocks & Shares ISA.
From 6th April 2015 the annual ISA allowance increased to £15,240 for the 2015/2016 Tax Year.
Please note that you can only invest in one Stocks & Shares ISA in each tax year.
Watch the short video below to see how to login to youe ISA account via the Beaufort website to see what your remaining ISA allowance is for the current Tax Year…
The process is, to a large extent, dependent upon your current plan manager, whom we will contact as soon as we have received the transfer instruction from you.
We will make best endeavours to ensure that the transfer is completed within 30 days, which is considered industry best practice.
Please note that transfer times can fluctuate depending on the time of year and the plan manager involved.
After you have opened your ISA account and sent in your subscription or transfer form. You may start trading as soon as you subscribe funds or when your holdings have transferred across to Beaufort from the other ISA Manager.
For taxation advice please see your accountant or professional advisor.
When trading through your ISA account your brokers will be happy to assist you in reaching your financial goals.
No. There is no minimum time you can hold an ISA.
The Current subscription limit for the 2015/2016 Tax Year is £15,240 (from 6th April 2015).
Subscription limits may be subject to review at any time by the Treasury.
The Government has announced that the ISA scheme will run indefinitely. However this, or any future Government can amend or change legislation at any time.
Open an account today…
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