What is an Investment (Stocks and Shares) ISA?
An Investment ISA (also known as Stocks and Shares ISA) is a tax-efficient account meaning you don’t pay UK income or capital gains tax on any returns you make. It’s a flexible way to grow your money, allowing you to invest in shares, funds, bonds and more.
Tax-efficient investment
You don’t pay UK income tax or capital gains tax on any returns you make from your investments in a Stocks and Shares ISA.
Trusted by millions
Over 37m Stocks and Shares ISAs have been used since 2008 with the aim to grow your money tax-free.
Flexible withdrawals
You can withdraw cash at any time and top back up before the end of the tax year without affecting your annual allowance.
Wide investment choice
ISAs can be invested in UK and overseas shares, bonds, funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and investment trusts.
The value of investments can fall as well as rise so you may get back less than you invest. Tax rules can change and their effects vary depending on your individual circumstances. Please check the costs involved before transferring.
Our awards
We were voted Best Stocks and Shares ISA Provider 2023 at The Online Money awards, Best for Customer Service 2024 from Boring Money and Consumer Rated Value for Money 2024 from Boring Money.(1)
Why choose our Investment (Stocks and Shares) ISA?
Low fees
One low annual fee, flat rate share dealing and no charge for many of our services.
Invest from £50
You can make one-off payments, set-up a regular monthly Direct Debit, or transfer an ISA to fund your account.
Dedicated support
We have a UK-based team on the phone to help when you need it.
Great options
Save time by picking a Ready-made Investment which our experts manage for you, or build a bespoke portfolio from thousands of shares, funds and bonds.
Choose how you want to invest
Whether you're new to investing or more confident with your money, we've got a choice of investments for you.
Mix and match
You can use a Ready-made Investment fund to get started and add other investments alongside. If you’re unsure where to invest you can hold cash (and earn interest) while you decide.
A simple, low-cost fee structure
Customer fee
0.25% p.a.
on balances between £1 and £200,000
0.05% on balances £200,000 and over
Buying & selling shares*
£6
per online trade**
Free to trade funds
*Including ETFs, investment trusts, bonds, gilts
**Online dealing only. Taxes may apply when buying shares. A foreign exchange and an international brokerage fee will be charged when trading international shares.
Activity |
Cost |
---|---|
Buying and selling funds |
No charge |
Regular investments (including shares) |
No charge |
Dividend reinvestment |
No charge |
Holding cash |
No charge |
Transferring investments |
No charge |
Cash withdrawal and account closure |
No charge |
Learn more about our fees and Interest rates on cash.
You can also use our simple cost calculator to understand the charges that would apply to your ISA.
How to apply for an Investment (Stocks and Shares) ISA
Opening an Investment ISA is quick and easy. You can get started in minutes and secure your annual allowance with a debit card, a monthly Direct Debit or by moving money from your Barclays account.
Existing Barclays customers
If you already have Online Banking or the Barclays App you can apply here. If you don’t have Online Banking yet you can register here.
Learn more about our Investment (Stocks and Shares) ISA
ISA stands for Individual Savings Account.
Any money invested through an ISA is free from UK Income and Capital Gains Tax. Plus there is no need to declare these investments or the gains or income they produce on your tax return.
It starts on 6 April and ends on 5 April each year. If you do not use your full ISA allowance each tax year it is lost forever.
Yes. You can split your £20,000 annual ISA allowance across different ISAs. So you could put £15,000 into a Stocks and Shares ISA and £5,000 into a Cash ISA in the same tax year for example. You can also open and invest in multiple Investment (Stocks and Shares) ISAs within the same tax year.
Yes. Simply open a Smart Investor account and request an ISA transfer online. Just tell us where you are transferring from and what you want to transfer, and we will do the rest of the transfer legwork.
You can open and start investing in a Barclays Investment (Stocks and Shares) ISA from as little as £50.
No. You can withdraw available cash from your Investment ISA at any time without penalties.
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From top ISA tips to the effect of inflation, our experts can help you navigate the market as you invest to help your money grow.
Investment Account
If you’ve maxed out your ISA allowance or you’re looking for an additional account to invest and trade in outside of your Investment ISA, our Investment Account may be for you.
Self-Invested Personal Pension
A tax-efficient way to save for retirement.
Let us help you build your retirement pot and make your own investment decisions.
Important information
We are one of multiple platforms to win Boring Money's value for money award which was based on a survey of investment platform customers from December 2022 to December 2023. Please note this does not guarantee profits or necessarily mean we are the cheapest platform available.(Return to reference)
Before transferring investments, find out about any charges, exit penalties, benefits you may lose, or investment that you can’t transfer to us.(Return to reference)
Lines are open from 7:30am to 7:00pm Monday to Thursday, 7:30am to 6:00pm on Friday, and closed during weekends and public holidays. To maintain a quality service, we may monitor or record phone calls. (Return to reference)