Junior ISA
£9,000 annual allowance · typical return varies by holding
Annual allowance
£9,000
2026/27 tax year
Government bonus
None
-
Age eligibility
0-17 open
UK residents
Typical return
varies by holding
varies risk
45% of the cross-wrapper £20,000 cap
Junior ISA vs other ISA wrappers
Annual subscription allowance comparison
Key insight
UK savers aged 0-17 open can subscribe up to £9,000 annually into a Junior ISA. No HMRC top-up applies to this wrapper, returns come only from interest or investment growth. Risk here depends on whether you pick the Cash JISA or Stocks & Shares JISA variant, not a fixed band -- so there's no single typical return either.
Good match: Long-horizon savings for child. Poor match: Pre-18 access.
Derived from gov.uk Individual Savings Accounts + the HMRC ISA Manager Guidance Notes (2026/27 tax year). Additional context from HMRC ISA Statistics.
Rules at a glance
| Attribute | Junior ISA | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual allowance | £9,000 - Separate from adult cap, per child | gov.uk ISAs |
| Government bonus | None | HMRC ISA Manual |
| Age eligibility | 0-17 open | HMRC ISA Manager Guidance |
| Risk band | varies | FCA Conduct of Business |
| Typical return | varies by holding | Cash-JISA or S&S-JISA |
| FSCS protection | Protected up to £85,000 per banking authorisation | FSCS |
| Withdrawal rules | Locked until age 18. | HMRC ISA Manual |
| Transfer rules | Permitted between JISA providers. | HMRC ISA Manual |
| Tax treatment | Interest, dividends, capital gains exempt from UK Income Tax and CGT | Income Tax Act 2007 s.694 |
Table sources: gov.uk Individual Savings Accounts, HMRC ISA Managers Guidance Notes, Income Tax Act 2007 s.694.
Frequently asked questions
Can I transfer between Junior ISA providers?
Yes -- use the receiving provider's ISA transfer form; the transfer itself never counts against your £20,000 annual subscription allowance. Permitted between JISA providers.
Can I subscribe to multiple Junior ISAs in one tax year?
The April 2024 reform lets you subscribe to several same-type ISAs per tax year, as long as your total stays inside the £20,000 cap.
Disclaimer & how ISA wrappers are taxed
Every ISA wrapper -- not just this one -- shelters interest, dividends, and capital gains from UK Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax, with no Self Assessment reporting required. Compared to saving outside any ISA wrapper, that matters most for higher-rate and additional-rate taxpayers; basic-rate taxpayers benefit primarily once their non-ISA interest exceeds the £1,000 Personal Savings Allowance.
PlainISA does not provide financial advice. For personalised guidance on which ISA wrapper suits your circumstances, consult an FCA-authorised financial adviser. See our methodology page for sourcing.
Browse all ISA types side-by-side or see our goal-mapped wrapper choice guide.