Last updated: 20 February 2026 2025/26 Tax YearHMRC Verified
The UK tax system offers a wide range of tax-free allowances, exemptions, and reliefs that can significantly reduce your tax bill. Understanding which allowances apply to your situation — and how they interact — is one of the most effective ways to manage your personal finances legally and efficiently. This comprehensive guide covers every major UK tax-free allowance for the 2025/26 tax year (6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026).
Complete UK Tax-Free Allowances Table 2025/26
| Allowance | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Income Tax Allowances | ||
| Personal Allowance | £12,570 | Frozen until 2028. Tapers to £0 above £125,140. FROZEN |
| Marriage Allowance | £1,260 | Transfer 10% of PA to basic-rate spouse. Saves up to £252/year. |
| Blind Person's Allowance | £3,070 | Added to Personal Allowance. Can transfer unused portion to spouse. |
| Trading Allowance | £1,000 | Self-employed/side income. Below this = no tax, no need to register. |
| Property Allowance | £1,000 | Rental income. Below this = no tax or need to file. |
| Savings & Dividends | ||
| Personal Savings Allowance (Basic rate) | £1,000 | Tax-free savings interest for 20% taxpayers. |
| Personal Savings Allowance (Higher rate) | £500 | Tax-free savings interest for 40% taxpayers. |
| Personal Savings Allowance (Additional rate) | £0 | No allowance for income over £125,140. |
| Savings Starter Rate Band | £5,000 at 0% | If non-savings income below £17,570. Reduces £1:£1 above PA. |
| Dividend Allowance | £500 | Reduced from £2,000 in 2022/23. CUT |
| Investment Accounts (ISAs) | ||
| ISA Annual Allowance | £20,000 | Cash, Stocks & Shares, Innovative Finance ISA combined. |
| Junior ISA (JISA) | £9,000 | Per child per year. Parent-controlled until age 18. |
| Lifetime ISA (LISA) | £4,000 | Plus 25% government bonus (max £1,000/year). Counts within £20k. |
| Pensions | ||
| Pension Annual Allowance | £60,000 | Or 100% of earnings if lower. Can carry forward up to 3 years. |
| Money Purchase Annual Allowance | £10,000 | Applies after flexibly accessing pension (UFPLS or drawdown). |
| Lump Sum Allowance (tax-free cash) | £268,275 | Max tax-free pension commencement lump sum (25% of pot up to this). |
| Capital Gains Tax | ||
| CGT Annual Exempt Amount (individuals) | £3,000 | Reduced from £12,300 in 2022/23. CUT |
| CGT Annual Exempt Amount (trusts) | £1,500 | Most trusts. Some get full individual allowance. |
| Inheritance Tax | ||
| Nil-Rate Band (NRB) | £325,000 | Frozen until 2030. Standard IHT threshold. FROZEN |
| Residence Nil-Rate Band (RNRB) | £175,000 | For main residence passed to direct descendants. Frozen until 2030. |
| Annual Gift Exemption | £3,000 | Per tax year (can carry forward 1 year if unused). |
| Small Gift Exemption | £250/person | Unlimited recipients, but cannot combine with annual exemption. |
| Wedding Gift (parent) | £5,000 | Gift to child on marriage. |
| Wedding Gift (grandparent) | £2,500 | Gift to grandchild on marriage. |
| Wedding Gift (other) | £1,000 | Any other person. |
| Property & Other | ||
| Rent-a-Room Allowance | £7,500 | Tax-free from lodger in your own home. Reduce by half if shared. |
| Trivial Benefits (employer) | £50/benefit | Non-cash gifts from employer. Max £300/year for directors. |
| Cycle to Work Scheme | Varies | Salary sacrifice. No upper limit, though lenders often cap at £1,000. |
Interactive Allowance Checker
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How Allowances Interact
Understanding how different allowances work together is crucial for effective tax planning. Here are the most important interactions:
Personal Allowance and Savings Income
Your Personal Allowance of £12,570 is first used against non-savings income (salary, rental income, pension). Any remaining Personal Allowance then applies to savings income, then dividends. If your non-savings income is low enough, you may also benefit from the 0% savings starter rate on up to £5,000 of savings interest — effectively giving you up to £18,570 tax-free if your only income is savings.
Marriage Allowance Mechanics
The Marriage Allowance lets the lower-earning spouse (who earns below £12,570) transfer £1,260 of their Personal Allowance to the higher-earning spouse. The transfer only benefits basic rate taxpayers — if the recipient is a higher rate taxpayer, a different arrangement (Married Couple's Allowance, for those born before 6 April 1935) may be more suitable.
ISA vs Pension: Which is Better?
ISAs and pensions both shelter money from tax, but in different ways. Pensions give upfront tax relief (reducing taxable income now) but tax you on withdrawal above the lump sum allowance. ISAs give no upfront relief but all growth and withdrawals are completely tax-free. Higher rate taxpayers often benefit most from pensions. Those expecting lower tax in future may prefer ISAs.
Dividend Allowance and Personal Allowance
The £500 Dividend Allowance sits separately from the Personal Allowance. Dividends within your Personal Allowance are already tax-free. The £500 allowance applies to dividends that exceed your Personal Allowance. Above £500 of dividends beyond the PA, rates are 8.75% (basic), 33.75% (higher), or 39.35% (additional).
Scotland: Same Allowances, Different Rates
Scottish taxpayers pay Scottish Income Tax on non-savings, non-dividend income. However, the following allowances are UK-wide and apply identically in Scotland:
- Personal Allowance (£12,570)
- ISA, JISA, and Lifetime ISA allowances
- Pension Annual Allowance (£60,000)
- Capital Gains Tax Annual Exempt Amount (£3,000)
- Personal Savings Allowance and Dividend Allowance
- Inheritance Tax nil-rate bands
- All gift exemptions and Rent-a-Room relief
Scotland's distinct income tax bands (with rates from 19% to 48%) do affect savings and dividend tax through the PSA calculation (based on UK income tax band equivalent), but the core allowances remain the same.
Changes from 2024/25 to 2025/26
For most core allowances, 2025/26 sees continuity rather than change. Key points:
- Personal Allowance: Remains £12,570. Frozen until April 2028.
- Dividend Allowance: Remains £500 (halved from £1,000 in 2022/23).
- CGT Annual Exempt Amount: Remains £3,000 for individuals.
- ISA Allowance: Remains £20,000. No changes announced.
- Pension Annual Allowance: Remains £60,000 (raised from £40,000 in 2023/24).
- IHT Nil-Rate Band: Remains £325,000, now frozen until 2030.
- Employer NI threshold: Reduced to £5,000 (from £9,100) from April 2025 — this affects businesses rather than individuals' personal allowances directly.
Maximising Your Allowances: Planning Tips
The UK tax system rewards those who plan ahead. Here are practical strategies to use your allowances efficiently:
- Use your ISA allowance every year: It cannot be carried forward. £20,000 per person per year sheltered from tax forever.
- Pension contributions before 5 April: Carry forward unused pension allowance from up to three previous years.
- Bed and ISA: Sell investments held outside an ISA (up to your CGT exemption of £3,000), then rebuy inside an ISA.
- Couples' planning: Transfer assets to the lower-earning spouse to use their Personal Allowance, Dividend Allowance, and CGT exemption.
- Gift Aid: If you're a higher rate taxpayer donating to charity, reclaim the difference between basic and higher rate tax through your self-assessment return.
- Salary sacrifice: Reduce taxable income by taking benefits (pension, cycle-to-work, childcare) instead of salary, lowering your NI and income tax.
Gift Aid and Charitable Donations
Gift Aid is not an allowance in the traditional sense, but it extends the value of charitable donations. When a basic rate taxpayer donates £80, Gift Aid allows the charity to reclaim 20p for every 80p donated, grossing up the gift to £100. Higher rate taxpayers can then reclaim the additional 20% (£20) through their self-assessment return. Additional rate taxpayers reclaim a further 5% (£5). This makes charitable giving tax-efficient at every level.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the personal allowance for 2025/26?
The personal allowance for 2025/26 is £12,570. This is the amount of income you can earn before paying income tax. It has been frozen at this level since 2021/22 and will remain frozen until at least April 2028 under current government policy. If your income exceeds £100,000, your personal allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 over that threshold, reaching £0 at £125,140.
Can I transfer my personal allowance to my spouse?
You cannot transfer the full personal allowance, but you can transfer up to £1,260 (10%) via the Marriage Allowance, saving the higher earner up to £252 per year in tax. This applies where one partner earns below the Personal Allowance threshold (£12,570) and the other is a basic rate taxpayer. The lower-earning partner must apply via HMRC, and you can backdate the claim up to four years.
What is the ISA allowance for 2025/26?
The ISA allowance for 2025/26 is £20,000 per person per tax year. You can split this across Cash ISAs, Stocks and Shares ISAs, and Innovative Finance ISAs in any combination. The Junior ISA allowance is £9,000 per child. The Lifetime ISA allowance is £4,000 per year (with a 25% government bonus of up to £1,000), but it counts within your £20,000 total ISA allowance. You cannot carry unused ISA allowance forward.
What is the Capital Gains Tax annual exempt amount in 2025/26?
The Capital Gains Tax annual exempt amount for 2025/26 is £3,000 for individuals and £1,500 for most trusts. This was dramatically cut from £12,300 in 2022/23, reduced to £6,000 in 2023/24, then to £3,000 in 2024/25 where it currently remains. Gains within this amount are completely free of CGT. You cannot carry the unused portion forward.
What is the Personal Savings Allowance and who gets it?
The Personal Savings Allowance (PSA) determines how much savings interest you can earn tax-free. Basic rate taxpayers (income £12,571–£50,270) receive a £1,000 PSA. Higher rate taxpayers (income £50,271–£125,140) receive a £500 PSA. Additional rate taxpayers (income over £125,140) receive no PSA at all. Interest earned within an ISA does not count towards the PSA, as it is already tax-free.
How does the Savings Starter Rate Band work?
If your non-savings income (salary, rental income etc.) is below £17,570 (personal allowance £12,570 + starter rate band £5,000), you may benefit from the savings starter rate of 0% on up to £5,000 of savings interest. The starter rate band reduces by £1 for every £1 of non-savings income above £12,570. So if you earn £15,570 in salary, only £2,000 of savings interest qualifies for the 0% starter rate. This is separate from and in addition to the PSA.
Are UK tax-free allowances the same in Scotland?
Scotland uses the same personal allowance (£12,570), ISA allowances, pension annual allowance, CGT annual exempt amount, and savings/dividend allowances as the rest of the UK. However, Scotland has its own income tax rates and bands which differ significantly from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland — for example, Scotland has a 42% higher rate that kicks in at £43,663 rather than the UK's 40% at £50,271.