Information Regarding IBUKL ISA (Individual Savings Account)

What is an ISA and what benefits does it offer me?

An ISA (Individual Savings Account) is a tax-free savings or investment account that gives you the opportunity to save or invest a certain amount of money every year, without having to pay tax on any growth in your investments or savings. There are 4 types of adult ISA available (stocks & shares ISA, cash ISA, innovative finance ISA , and lifetime ISA). The interest on cash accumulates on a tax-free basis, as does income and capital gains made on investments.

A stocks and shares ISA lets you invest in “qualifying instruments” such as stocks and shares, funds, etc. A stocks and shares ISA is not an investment in its own right. The best way to think of a stocks and shares ISA is as a ‘wrapper’ with which you can shelter your savings and investments from both Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax. The IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA lets you choose from a range of investments to invest in (see below section 10 ‘What can I invest in?’). You can select and manage your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA yourself or arrange for your financial advisor to do so on your behalf (see below section 8 ‘Can I appoint a financial advisor to manage, on a discretionary basis, my IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?’).

When deciding which type of ISA to open, you should consider the pros and cons of each so that you can choose the type that best fits with your personal needs, circumstances and financial goals. We offer stocks and shares ISAs only.

Tax treatments depend on your individual circumstances and may change in the future.

What ISA types are offered at IBUKL?

Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited (IBUKL) only offers stocks and shares ISAs (including, Junior Stocks and Shares ISA). IBUKL does not offer cash ISAs (including, Junior cash ISA).

Who is eligible for an IBUKL Stocks and Share ISA?

In accordance with HMRC regulations, any individual who is a resident for tax purposes in the UK and over the age of 18 is eligible to open a stocks and share ISA.

Click on the link for additional details: https://www.gov.uk/tax-foreign-income/residence

How many ISAs can I have?

There is no overall limit on the number of ISA accounts, but you can only subscribe to one type of each ISA in the same tax year. This means if you have already subscribed to a Stocks & Shares ISA with a different provider in the current tax year, you cannot also subscribe to an Interactive Brokers Stocks & Shares ISA.

What is a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA?

ISA flexibility refers to whether you’re able to withdraw from your ISA without affecting your annual allowance. A flexible stocks and shares ISA allows the individual to withdraw funds from their stocks and shares ISA and put them back into it, within the same tax year, without affecting their annual ISA allowance.

Does IBUKL offer a flexible Stocks and Shares ISA?

No, an IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA isn't flexible. That means you can take money out, but it'll count towards your annual ISA allowance if you pay it back in the same tax year.

https://www.gov.uk/tax-foreign-income/residence

Can you lose your money paid into a Stocks and Shares ISA?

The value of investments you hold in your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA and the income received from them can fall as well as rise. As a result, you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not an indication of future performance, and some investments need to be held for the long term to achieve a return. The IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA is an execution only service, Interactive Brokers does not provide investment advice. If you need advice about whether an investment is suitable, you need to consult a suitably qualified financial advisor.

Can I appoint a financial advisor to manage, on a discretionary basis, my IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?

Yes, you can appoint a financial advisor to manage your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA on your behalf. Click on the link for additional details:

https://www.ibkrguides.com/clientportal/createlinkedaccountunderadvisorbroker.htm

Can I trade on margin under the IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?

No. You can only open an IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA under a GBP cash account type. A cash account requires that all transactions are made with available cash or long positions.

What can I invest in?

Under a stocks and shares ISA you can invest in any of the following investments (also known as 'qualifying investments'):

  • Shares;
  • Securities issued by Companies (Stocks);
  • Recognised UCITS;
  • Mutual Funds;
  • Bonds;
  • Depository Receipts, American Depository Receipts and American Depository Shares.

Please note, as of now bond trading in ISA accounts are not permitted.

What exchanges does IBUKL support?

HMRC recognised exchanges supported by IBUKL:

Country Exchange
Australia The Australian Stock Exchange (and any of its stock exchange subsidiaries)
Austria Vienna Stock Exchange
Belgium NYSE Euronext Brussels
Canada

Toronto Stock Exchange

Montreal Stock Exchange

Toronto Venture Exchange (TSX Venture Exchange)

France

MATIF

MONEP

Germany

Frankfurt Stock Exchange

Stuttgart Stock Exchange

Hong Kong Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Italy Italian Stock Exchange (Borsa Italia)
Japan

Tokyo Stock Exchange

Osaka Stock Exchange

Lithuania NASDAQ OMX Vilnius
Mexico Mexico Stock Exchange
Poland Warsaw Stock Exchange
Singapore Singapore Exchange Limited
South Korea Korea Exchange
Spain Spanish Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores in Madrid)
Switzerland Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX Swiss Exchange)
United Kingdom London Stock Exchange
United States of America

BATs Exchange Inc

Chicago Board Options Exchange

Chicago Stock Exchange

International Securities Exchange

National Stock Exchange

New York Stock Exchange

NYSE ARCA

NASDAQ OMX PHLX

NASDAQ

What is the ISA Allowance for 2023/2024 tax year?

Tax year runs from 6 April to the following 5 April. Each tax year’s ISA subscription limit is specific to that year and can be checked on the HMRC website.

For the 2023/24 tax year the annual ISA allowance is £20,000 per person. Any of the ISA allowance that goes unused in the current tax year cannot be rolled over to the subsequent tax year. You can divide this cash allowance across multiple ISAs, provided that not more than 1 of each type of ISA is subscribed to in any given tax year. NB. If you are already subscribed to another stocks and shares ISA in the current tax year, you are not permitted to subscribe to our stocks and shares ISA for the remainder of the tax year.

For each tax year, you can check (via the funding page in Client Portal) how much you have subscribed to your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA and the maximum amount that you can contribute to your IBUKL stocks and shares ISA in that tax year, assuming you have not contributed to another ISA away from us.

How do I make subscriptions to my IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?

You can make one-off payments (wire transfers deposits) as and when you choose, but the combined total of all payments (or subscriptions) must not exceed any given annual tax year allowance (see section 12. What is the ISA Allowance for 2023/2024 tax year?).

Interactive Brokers accept wire transfers only, and there is a minimum subscription amount of £1. Your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA can only have GBP cash.

Can I fund my ISA via Internal Transfer from my existing account?

Yes, as long as the existing account is an individual account in the same name, an internal transfer can be requested to fund your ISA account. Internal transfer from non-ISA to ISA will be considered as a contribution and only allowed if within the yearly contribution limits. Positions cannot be transferred between these accounts.

Can I check the tax-year to date contributions I have made into my ISA account?

Yes, if you create a deposit notification for a fund transfer, before selecting "Get Transfer Instructions" on the final page there is a contribution tracker showing how much you have contributed so far during the current tax year.

What happens if I exceed my ISA allowance?

If you have accidentally paid too much into your ISAs you won’t get any tax relief on the excess payments you’ve made. The ISA allowance is a combined annual limit across all adult ISA types (e.g. stock & shares ISA, cash ISA, innovative Finance ISA , and lifetime ISAs).

What should I do if I exceed my ISA allowance?

In the event you oversubscribe to your ISA (in other words your ISA annual allowance was exceeded), you should not attempt to correct the mistake by withdrawing the excess funds from an ISA (including, but not limited to, your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA). Instead, you should call HMRC’s ISA helpline to explain the situation and inform them about the oversubscription. HMRC will advise you on the next steps. NB. The ISA allowance for the tax year 2023/2024 is GBP 20,000 (this is a combined limit across all 4 types of ISA (stock & shares ISA, cash ISA, innovative finance ISA , and lifetime ISAs).

What is the annual fee for the IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?

There is no annual ISA fee at IBUKL. Other costs and charges apply, see below section 19 for more information.

What are the charges for the IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?

  • £3 per month minimum activity fee. (e.g. if you generate 2 pounds of commission in a particular month, you would be charged the remaining balance of 1 pounds as a minimum activity fee. Generate 3 or more pounds in consolidated commission from linked accounts in a month and there will be no fee.)

  • One free withdrawal per month. Thereafter, £7 withdrawal fee is applicable.

Click here for an overview of our commissions:

https://www.interactivebrokers.co.uk/en/index.php?f=39753&p=stocks

What transactions are allowed and what transactions are not allowed in an ISA?

a) Example of allowed transactions

An individual subscribes £15,000 into a stocks and shares ISA, £3,000 into a cash ISA and £2,000 into a lifetime ISA. No more than 1 of each type of ISA was subscribed to in the tax year, and the annual ISA allowance of £20,000 was not exceeded.

b) Example of disallowed transactions

An individual subscribes £10,000 into one stocks and shares ISA, £2,000 into another stocks and shares ISA, and the remaining £8,000 into a cash ISA. While the individual did not exceed the annual ISA allowance of £20,000, they subscribed funds into more than 1 stocks and shares ISA.

How do I transfer my stocks and shares ISA from my current ISA manager to IBUKL?

Position/in-specie transfers are now available from certain ISA managers. When requesting a transfer in the client portal supported providers will have a position transfer option within the form.

You will need to submit a transfer instruction to Interactive Brokers (go to Client Portal, Transfer & Pay, then Transfer Existing ISA), and if, in IBUKL’s discretion IBUKL decides to accept the transfer, IBUKL will instruct your existing ISA manager to transfer your investments (where IBUKL supports such investments) and/or cash into your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA. Where IBUKL does not support all your investments held at your existing ISA Manager, you can either liquidate these investments yourself prior to submitting your transfer instruction to IBUKL via Client Portal (any cash proceeds of such liquidation will be transferred into your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA) or you can instruct IBUKL (as part of your transfer instruction via Client Portal) to do so on your behalf.

Interactive Brokers do not support partial transfers, only full account transfer requests can be made.

How do I transfer an ISA out of IBUKL to another provider?

Any transfer out request from IBUKL must be requested via the receiving ISA provider. The requesting broker can email a client-signed transfer form to isa-transfer@interactivebrokers.com or the client may attach a completed form to a web ticket.

What are the Transfer Charges?

Interactive Brokers do not charge for transfers (the transferring ISA manager may charge you for transferring investments or cash proceeds to us).

Can I cancel my IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?

You have a legal right to cancel your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA if you change your mind but there are time limits on doing so, see below section 25 for more information.

How can I cancel my IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?

If you want to cancel your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA, you must do so within 14 days from the date you receive our email confirming the establishment of your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA (a cancellation must be requested from the Client Portal).

Cancellation rights will also apply to the receipt of transfer payments. You have 14 days from the date you receive our email acknowledging the transfer to exercise your right to cancel (a cancellation must be requested from the Client Portal). NB. If you cancel the transfer of your stocks and shares ISA from another ISA manager to IBUKL, that ISA manager may not agree to accept the stocks and shares ISA back. This may result in that stocks and shares ISA being closed, and the tax benefits being lost.

How safe is your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?

IBUKL is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and is approved by HMRC to act as an ISA manager (including in respect of stocks and shares ISAs).

Under our client terms, and in accordance with the FCA rules relating to client money and assets (Assets), IBUKL will be responsible for holding and protecting your Assets. IBUKL is required to separate your Assets from its own resources. IBUKL is not permitted to use your Assets to carry out its business activities.

In the unlikely event that IBUKL became insolvent, an administrator would be appointed to return your money/assets to you. If there is any shortfall, eligible claims will be covered by the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme (“FSCS”). The FSCS is an independent body set up by the UK Government to pay compensation if a UK firm, such as IBUKL, is in default and cannot meet any valid claims against it. FSCS claims are limited to £85,000 per client. Please note, the FSCS applies to designated investments and may not cover all investments or transactions (and in particular these protections don’t apply to investment losses). For more information on the FSCS see www.fscs.org.uk.

How can I file a complaint with IBUKL?

Clients are actively encouraged to use the WebTicket system for prompt attention.

A copy of our Complaints Procedure is available here https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/index.php?f=292 You can also direct your ISA specific complaints via email to isa@interactivebrokers.co.uk (Please note that in order to ensure that your complaint is flagged and given the required attention, Interactive Brokers kindly asks you to state "COMPLAINT" in the subject header field of the email).

Are Corporate Actions allowed under my IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA?

Allowed to participate but cannot exceed the annual ISA subscription limit. If it were to exceed the subscription limit, the shares should be transferred to a non-ISA account (see above sections 17 ‘What should I do if I exceed my ISA allowance?’.

FX Handling and your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA

We will automatically convert currencies when trading non-GBP denominated securities. To do this, we will engage in “spot” currency transactions on your behalf in order to settle your buy orders or convert the proceeds of a sell order. For opening orders we will base the exchange rate off the spot exchange rate at the time of trade plus our 0.03% fee. For closing orders any non GBP balances will be closed at the end of the trading day at the closing exchange rate of the day plus our 0.03% fee.

The below example illustrates the cost in GBP of a $1,000 USD Trade

Example GBP/USD Spot Rate: 1.3432/1.3433

Order Type FX Conversion Rate inc 0.03% fee Cost of $1000 USD Trade
Buy 1.3430 £744.61
Sell 1.3435 £744.31

Can I allow my IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA to be used as security for any borrowing?

No. In accordance with HMRC regulations, any investments and/or cash within your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA will be, and must remain, completely beneficially owned by you and you must not grant any rights or interests over the investments to any other person (for example, you must not allow your investments to be used as security for any borrowing).

Can my IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA participate in the Interactive Brokers Stock Yield Enhancement Program (SYEP)?

No. In accordance with HMRC regulations, IBUKL ISA holders are not eligible to participate in the SYEP.

What if I have additional questions?

Our client services team are on hand to help via phone or email. If you have any questions about your IBUKL Stocks and Shares ISA, please contact our dedicated ISA Support team who are available 8am to 6pm GMT Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

Can I open a Joint ISA account?

ISA account must be individual accounts in accordance with HMRC ISA guidelines at this time.

What is a Cash ISA?

Cash ISAs include savings in bank and building society accounts and some National Savings and Investment products.

Please Note: Cash ISAs are not offered by Interactive Brokers.

How can I view statements from my previous ISA IBUK since migration to IBUKL?

You can view the IBUK ISA accounts by following these steps in the Client Portal:

  1. Log into Client Portal

  2. Click Performance & Reports followed by Statements under Reports

  3. Then click Add/Edit next to your account number

  4. In the pop out menu that appears, please select the blue filter icon.

  5. Please select ‘Migrated’ and then select the old account.

  6. Now, you can download the reports/activity statements as you normally would.

Can I trade fractional shares in an IB UKL ISA account?

It is not possible to trade fractional shares in the IBUKL ISA account in accordance with HMRC ISA guidelines at this time.

Can I set up a recurring investment in an IBUKL ISA account?

No, recurring investments are not allowed in an IBUKL ISA account.

Please Note: Recurring investments require fractional shares trading permissions. Fractional shares trading permissions are not allowed in an IBUKL ISA account.

Can I use a Referral Link in my IB UKL ISA account?

No, ISA accounts are not eligible for the referral program.

Do I need National Insurance Number to open an ISA?

Yes, you will need a National Insurance Number to open an ISA account.

Please Note: If not already listed then you need to enter the National Insurance Number in the Tax ID section of your profile to open a linked ISA account. The system will return an error if you do not.

(Client Portal -> User Menu -> Settings -> Account Settings -> Account Profile -> Profile -> Edit Profile and on the 'Tax Residency' page you may edit the information or remove Tax Residency and add another Tax Residency.)

I have UK Citizenship. However, I am resident of Hong Kong. Can I open an IB UKL ISA account?

You can only open an IBUKL ISA account if you are a full tax resident of the United Kingdom with a National Insurance Number.