Stocks and shares ISA vs general investment account

If you’ve got money to invest, you may be wondering about the differences between stocks and shares ISAs and general investment accounts, and which is better for you. We’ve rounded up the pros and cons to help you decide.

What is a stocks and shares ISA?

An ISA (individual savings account) is a tax-efficient way of saving, with an annual contribution limit of £20,000. Put simply, you usually don’t need to pay tax (of any kind) on returns you make on money you put into an ISA.

There are several different types of ISA. With a cash ISA, for example, your money is put into a cash savings account that earns interest. With a stocks and shares ISA, your contributions are invested into assets such as funds or, as the name suggests, stocks and shares. Your returns will depend on the performance of the investments in your stocks and shares ISA (plus any fees you may need to pay along the way).

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What is a general investment account?

As with a stocks and shares ISA, with a general investment account the money you put in is invested into funds, stocks and shares, bonds and other assets. Your returns will depend on the performance of your investments (after any fees are deducted). Any profit you make between buying and selling investments may be subject to capital gains tax. Depending on the nature of your investments, other forms of tax may also apply (such as dividend tax on dividends and income tax on bond interest). Unlike a stocks and shares ISA, there’s no limit on how much you can pay into a general investment account each year.

Stocks and shares ISA key facts

• Any returns you make within an ISA’s “wrapper” are tax-free (from capital gains tax, dividend tax and income tax).
• There is a cap on the amount you can contribute to a stocks and shares ISA each tax year, known as the ISA allowance. As of the 2022–23 tax year, this cap is £20,000. It applies across all types of ISA you may hold (including cash, stocks and shares, innovative finance and lifetime ISAs).
• You can only open and pay into one stocks and shares ISA per tax year.
• While, in general, it’s recommended to keep money invested for at least 5 years (to smooth out any short-term market volatility), you can usually withdraw money from a stocks and shares ISA whenever you want.
• You can either take direct control over managing the investments in a stocks and shares ISA, or opt for a managed account (where the provider recommends investments based on your preferences, and manages any trades on your behalf).
• As with any type of investment, your capital is at risk and the value of your investments may go down as well as up.

General investment account key facts

• Any returns you make on money held in a general investment account (such as investment growth, bond interest or dividend payments) may be subject to relevant taxes if the gains, interest or dividends exceed your annual allowances.
• There’s no limit on how much you can contribute to a general investment account.
• There are no restrictions on how many general investment accounts you can open and pay into.
• You can usually withdraw money from a general investment account whenever you want. However, as with any form of investing, it’s recommended to keep your money in place for at least 5 years, as this should smooth out the impact of any short-term volatility in the market.
• The value of your investments may go down as well as up, and your capital is at risk.

What are the main similarities between stocks and shares ISAs and general investment accounts?

There are a number of similarities between stocks and shares ISAs and general investment accounts, as well as number of differences (which we explain below). Here are some key similarities:

• How to open an account. In both cases, you’ll need to find a provider – such as those we include in our guide to investment platforms. Head to its website or app to sign up, provide some details and wait for the provider to confirm your account is open. Once that’s done, you can choose and buy investments.
• Range of investments. Often, the same provider will offer the same range of investments for both its stocks and shares ISA and its general investment account, though there may sometimes be differences.
• Investment risk. With both types of account, your capital is at risk and the value of investments may go down as well as up. The level of risk will depend on the investments you choose.
• Flexible withdrawals. In both cases, you can usually access your money whenever you want. If your money is invested, you’ll usually need to wait a few days for your assets to be sold before you withdraw the cash.
• Transferability. You can move money from one provider to another. A key difference, though, is that if you’re transferring a stocks and shares ISA between providers, you must use the official ISA transfer process. If you don’t, you’ll impact your tax-free ISA allowance.

What are the main differences between stocks and shares ISAs and general investment accounts?

Bottom line

ISAs and general investment accounts both have pros and cons. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between one or the other. There’s nothing stopping you holding both at the same time. As a general rule, we’d recommend maxing out your annual ISA allowance first because of the tax benefits. But, if you’ve done so, a general investment account will let you continue to grow your portfolio with no restrictions.

Frequently asked questions

• Are stocks and shares ISA less risky than general investment accounts?

  Not really. You can usually invest in exactly the same things with a stocks and shares ISA as you would with an investment account. The risk level is down to the investments you choose for each account rather than the type of account. However, because returns on investments held in an ISA are tax-free, even if you held 2 accounts with exactly the same investments (and charging the same fees), you’d potentially end up with more money from a stocks and shares ISA.

• How are stocks and shares ISAs and investment accounts regulated?

  Stocks and shares ISAs and most investment accounts are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Many give you access to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and/or the Financial Ombudsman Service in case of problems. However, some investments – such as cryptocurrency – are unregulated. You can use the FCA’s Financial Services Register to check if an investment firm is regulated, and for what activities.

• Can I transfer my investment account into a stocks and shares ISA?

  You can’t directly transfer your funds in the same way as you would if you were transferring between 2 stocks and shares ISAs. But you can sell the holdings in your general investment account, and immediately reinvest the cash into an ISA. This is known as “Bed and ISA”. The transfer will count towards your annual ISA allowance, and there may be trading charges.

• How much tax will I pay on returns in a general investment account vs a stocks and shares ISA?

  The answer for a stocks and shares ISA is very simple. You’ll pay no tax at all. The answer for a general investment account is more complicated. It depends on the type of investments you hold, whether you’re a basic or higher-rate taxpayer and any other income that could affect your allowances for various types of tax. Head over to our guide on investment tax for some examples of rates and allowance for capital gains tax, dividend tax and income tax.