CISI IAD Tax-Efficient Investing — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the annual ISA allowance for 2025/26 and what types of ISA are available?
- £10,000 per year; Cash ISA and Stocks & Shares ISA only
- £20,000 per year across the ISA family, including Cash ISA, Stocks & Shares ISA, Innovative Finance ISA, and Lifetime ISA (with a £4,000 sub-limit for Lifetime ISA) (Correct answer)
- £25,000 per year; there is only one type of ISA for all purposes
- £15,000 per year; available only to those under 50
Correct answer: £20,000 per year across the ISA family, including Cash ISA, Stocks & Shares ISA, Innovative Finance ISA, and Lifetime ISA (with a £4,000 sub-limit for Lifetime ISA)
The ISA annual subscription limit is £20,000 for 2025/26. The ISA family includes Cash ISA, Stocks & Shares ISA, Innovative Finance ISA, and Lifetime ISA (capped at £4,000 per year within the £20,000 limit). All returns are free of UK income tax and capital gains tax.
Question 2: What are the key tax advantages of saving into a pension in the UK?
- Pension contributions receive income tax relief, investments grow free of UK tax, and withdrawals are entirely tax-free
- Pension contributions receive income tax relief at the contributor's marginal rate, funds grow free of UK income tax and capital gains tax within the pension, and at retirement 25% of the fund can be taken tax-free with the remainder subject to income tax (Correct answer)
- Pension contributions are tax-free up to £10,000; withdrawals are always tax-free
- Pensions are exempt from inheritance tax and provide unlimited tax relief on contributions
Correct answer: Pension contributions receive income tax relief at the contributor's marginal rate, funds grow free of UK income tax and capital gains tax within the pension, and at retirement 25% of the fund can be taken tax-free with the remainder subject to income tax
UK pensions benefit from three-stage tax advantages: (1) contributions attract income tax relief (basic, higher, or additional rate), (2) funds grow free of UK income tax and CGT within the pension wrapper, and (3) at retirement, typically 25% (up to the lump sum allowance) can be taken tax-free, with the balance taxable as income.
Question 3: What is the 'annual allowance' for pension contributions in 2025/26?
- £20,000
- £60,000 (or 100% of earnings if lower) (Correct answer)
- £1,073,100
- £40,000
Correct answer: £60,000 (or 100% of earnings if lower)
The annual allowance for tax-relievable pension contributions in 2025/26 is £60,000 (or 100% of earnings if lower). Contributions above this limit are subject to an annual allowance charge at the individual's marginal rate of income tax.
Question 4: What is the 'carry forward' rule for pension contributions?
- The ability to carry forward unused pension funds to a new provider without tax consequences
- The ability to use unused annual allowance from the previous three tax years to make pension contributions above the current year's annual allowance (Correct answer)
- The rule allowing pension providers to carry forward administration charges
- The ability to carry forward pension losses to offset against other income
Correct answer: The ability to use unused annual allowance from the previous three tax years to make pension contributions above the current year's annual allowance
Carry forward allows individuals to use unused annual allowance from the three previous tax years (in order, oldest first) in addition to the current year's annual allowance, enabling larger one-off contributions — subject to having sufficient earnings and having been a member of a registered pension scheme in each year.
Question 5: What is 'bed and ISA' as a tax planning strategy?
- A strategy of holding cash in an ISA overnight and converting it to equities the next day
- Selling investments held outside an ISA and immediately repurchasing the same investments within an ISA wrapper, thereby sheltering future gains from CGT, though the sale crystallises any existing gain (Correct answer)
- Transferring a Stocks & Shares ISA into a Cash ISA annually to lock in gains
- A strategy of borrowing against ISA holdings to fund a property purchase
Correct answer: Selling investments held outside an ISA and immediately repurchasing the same investments within an ISA wrapper, thereby sheltering future gains from CGT, though the sale crystallises any existing gain
Bed and ISA involves selling existing investments held in a general investment account and using the proceeds to subscribe to an ISA, then buying back the same investments within the ISA. This eliminates future CGT and income tax on those assets, though the initial sale may trigger a CGT liability.
Question 6: What is 'Enterprise Investment Scheme' (EIS) relief and what tax benefits does it offer?
- A government scheme offering 10% income tax relief on investments in small quoted companies
- An HMRC-approved scheme offering 30% income tax relief on investments in qualifying small unquoted trading companies, plus CGT exemption on gains after 3 years and loss relief against income or capital gains (Correct answer)
- A scheme offering 20% relief on venture capital fund investments
- A pension contribution scheme for directors of Enterprise companies
Correct answer: An HMRC-approved scheme offering 30% income tax relief on investments in qualifying small unquoted trading companies, plus CGT exemption on gains after 3 years and loss relief against income or capital gains
EIS provides 30% income tax relief on qualifying investments (up to £1,000,000 per year), with shares exempt from CGT after a 3-year minimum hold. Losses can be set against income or capital gains. The scheme targets higher-risk investments in smaller unquoted trading companies.
CISI IAD Tax-Efficient Investing
What is the annual ISA allowance for 2025/26 and what types of ISA are available?