ISA allowances before the tax year closes: a practical checklist

The annual ISA allowance does not roll over. Unused room disappears at the tax year end, so February and March are when many households finally decide between Cash and Stocks & Shares wrappers.

Emergency cash that you may need within two years usually belongs outside equities. Filling a Cash ISA with that buffer can still be sensible even if long-term returns look duller than a share portfolio.

Where you have unused pension annual allowance and higher-rate tax relief available, contributing to a pension before topping an ISA can be the more efficient route—then use the ISA for money you may want without the age 55 (rising) access rules.

Keep records of any Flexible ISA withdrawals if you plan to replace them in the same tax year. Missing that paperwork is a common reason people accidentally breach the subscription rules.