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Income tax (England, Wales & NI)
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Allowance | £12,570 (reduced by £1 for every £2 of income over £100,000) | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| Basic rate 20% | £12,571 – £50,270 | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| Higher rate 40% | £50,271 – £125,140 | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| Additional rate 45% | Over £125,140 (Scotland has its own bands) | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
Savings
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Savings Allowance | £1,000 basic rate · £500 higher rate · £0 additional rate | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| Starting rate for savings | 0% on up to £5,000, reduced £1 for £1 by other income above the Personal Allowance | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| FSCS deposit protection | £120,000 per person, per banking licence (was £85,000 until 30 Nov 2025) | FSCS (opens in new tab), as at 1 Dec 2025 |
| Bank Rate | 3.75% (since 18 December 2025) | Bank of England (opens in new tab), as at 9 October 2026 |
| CPI inflation | 3.1% in the year to Aug 2026 | ONS (opens in new tab), as at ONS release of 16 September 2026 |
ISAs
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ISA allowance | £20,000 a year across all ISAs | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| Cash ISA change | From 6 April 2027, under-65s can put at most £12,000 of the £20,000 in cash ISAs | GOV.UK/HMRC (opens in new tab), as at Nov 2025 announcement |
| Lifetime ISA | Open aged 18–39; up to £4,000 a year (within the £20,000) with a 25% government bonus | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| Junior ISA | £9,000 a year for under-18s | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
Pensions
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Annual allowance | £60,000 for most people (all contributions, including employer) | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| Tax relief | At your marginal rate, on contributions up to 100% of UK earnings (or £3,600 gross if little or no earnings) | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| Access age | 55, rising to 57 on 6 April 2028 | HMRC Pensions Tax Manual PTM062100 (opens in new tab), as at 12 Oct 2026 |
| Full new State Pension | £241.30 a week (about £12,548 a year) | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
Investing
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Gains Tax | Annual exempt amount £3,000; rates 18% (basic-rate) and 24% (higher/additional-rate) | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
| Dividends | £500 allowance; rates 10.75% basic · 35.75% higher · 39.35% additional | GOV.UK (opens in new tab), as at 2026/27 (6 Apr 2026 – 5 Apr 2027) |
Bills and consumer rights
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Energy price cap | £1,723 a year for a typical dual-fuel household on Direct Debit | Ofgem (opens in new tab), as at 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026 |
| Section 75 | Card provider jointly liable for purchases over £100 and up to £30,000 paid at least partly by credit card | legislation.gov.uk (opens in new tab), as at 12 Oct 2026 |
| Current Account Switch Service | Switch in 7 working days; payments redirected; refunds if the switch goes wrong | Current Account Switch Service (opens in new tab), as at 12 Oct 2026 |
Money basics checklist
- Emergency fund – easy-access cash for unexpected bills, built up before investing.
- Pay off expensive debt – credit card and overdraft interest usually costs more than savings earn.
- Get your employer's pension match – contributing enough to get the full employer contribution adds money you'd otherwise miss out on.
- Use your ISAs – interest, dividends and gains inside an ISA are tax-free.
- Give it time – investing is for five years or more; staying invested through ups and downs matters more than timing the market.
Information only – not financial advice. MoneyBySharma isn't authorised or regulated by the FCA. Figures were checked on 12 October 2026 against the sources shown and can change; rules differ in Scotland. Investments can fall as well as rise. moneybysharma.co.uk